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παράβασις

parábasis

G3847 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

An act of stepping beyond or over a boundary, especially in the sense of overstepping a prescribed law or limit; primarily, transgression or violation, particularly of a command or legal requirement. In specific contexts, the term denotes the action whereby a command is not simply ignored but explicitly disregarded or broken.

Semantic Range

transgression, violation of law, overstepping prescribed limits, breach of command, breaking a law or rule, deviation from a prescribed order

Root / Etymology

From παραβαίνω (to step over, to transgress), formed by para- ('beside, beyond') and baino ('to step, walk'). The noun παράβασις expresses the act or state resulting from 'stepping aside' or 'across' a set boundary.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In Classical Greek, παράβασις could indicate any act of going beyond a boundary, whether literal (crossing a physical border) or figurative (breaking a rule or convention). By the Hellenistic and Koine periods, particularly in Jewish-Hellenistic literature such as the Septuagint and in the New Testament, παράβασις came to refer almost exclusively to violation of a law, especially divine or written legal precepts. In Paul’s letters, the term often denotes violation of the Mosaic Law, highlighting the notion of culpable disobedience: not merely failing to keep the law, but actively transgressing a known command. Unlike ἁμαρτία (transgression, sin generally, often 'missing the mark'), παράβασις emphasizes the aspect of crossing a clearly demarcated prohibition. English 'transgression' or 'violation' often serve as translations, but may not fully communicate the deliberate nature of stepping over a known threshold in the Greek use. Septuagint usage generally aligns with these senses, translating Hebrew מַעַל (ma‘al, trespass, violation) and occasionally פֶּשַׁע (pesha‘, rebellion, transgression). The nuance of conscious, willful act of breaking a specific stipulation is stronger in Koine Greek usage than in English 'sin.'

Translation Consistency

primary "transgression" 7 occurrences

παράβασις primarily denotes a breach or violation of a law or boundary. “Transgression” is the natural, widely used English noun that best captures the typical semantic range (violation, breach, overstepping a command), matches the majority of existing renderings, and will read naturally and consistently in SIBI contexts.

✓ All renderings match approved senses

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from παραβαίνω; violation:--breaking, transgression.

Root Family

παράβασις (parábasis) — stepping beyond, transgression, violation of law, overstepping a boundary

Root παραβ- to step over, to transgress, to go beyond

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G3847-02 παραβάσεων parabaseon N GEN F PL transgressions of boundary violations of transgressions 2
G3847-04 παράβασις parabasis N NOM F SG transgression boundary overstepping transgression 2
G3847-03 παραβάσεως parabaseos N GEN F SG breaking of transgression transgression 2
G3847-01 παραβάσει parabasei N DAT F SG transgression to transgression transgression 1

Occurrences in Scripture

7 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G3847-03 Romans 2:23 παραβάσεως parabaseos N GEN F SG breaking of transgression transgression
G3847-04 Romans 4:15 παράβασις parabasis N NOM F SG transgression boundary overstepping transgression
G3847-03 Romans 5:14 παραβάσεως parabaseos N GEN F SG transgression of transgression transgression
G3847-02 Galatians 3:19 παραβάσεων parabaseon N GEN F PL transgressions of boundary violations of transgressions
G3847-01 1 Timothy 2:14 παραβάσει parabasei N DAT F SG transgression to transgression transgression
G3847-04 Hebrews 2:2 παράβασις parabasis N NOM F SG transgression boundary overstepping transgression
G3847-02 Hebrews 9:15 παραβάσεων parabaseon N GEN F PL transgressions of boundary violations of transgressions
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