ἄπταιστος
áptaistos
G679 substantive adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
Not stumbling, incapable of being tripped or made to fall, either physically or (most often in Koine) morally and spiritually; describes someone or something that does not err, fail, or succumb to error, offense, or moral failure. The word is used both literally (without stumbling in movement) and more frequently, metaphorically (incapable of committing a moral lapse or ‘sin’).
Semantic Range
not stumbling, not falling, faultless, blameless, irreproachable, unerring (morally or physically); unable to be stumbled; preserved from moral failure
Root / Etymology
From the negative prefix ἀ- (alpha privative, marking negation) and πταίω (to stumble, to trip, to make a false step). Thus, ἄπταιστος literally means 'not stumbling' or 'unable to stumble.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
ἄπταιστος is rare and primarily occurs in Hellenistic and Koine Greek literature. The term is not common in classical Greek, but appears in Jewish-Hellenistic writings and, notably, in the New Testament (e.g., Jude 24), often in contexts denoting moral integrity or steadfastness—being kept 'without stumbling.' Standard English translations often render it as 'without stumbling', 'blameless', or 'faultless,' particularly influenced by theological contexts; however, the primary sense is one of not failing or falling, whether literally or figuratively. In early Jewish and Christian writings, the word emphasizes divine power to preserve individuals from moral error or collapse. Its figurative application focuses on integrity and steadfastness rather than absolute sinlessness. Related verbs like πταίω mean ‘to trip, to err’; related adjectives may contrast with terms indicating moral or physical failure.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from Α (as a negative particle) and a derivative of πταίω; not stumbling, i.e. (figuratively) without sin:--from falling.
Root Family
ἄπταιστος (aptaistos) — not stumbling, not falling, faultless, unerring
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G679-01 |
ἀπταίστους | aptaistous | ADJ.S ACC M PL |
from stumbling | unstumbling ones | without stumbling | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G679-01 |
Jude 1:24 | ἀπταίστους | aptaistous | ADJ.S ACC M PL |
from stumbling | unstumbling ones | without stumbling |