ἄῤῥητος
árrhētos
G731 attributive adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
Not able to be spoken, uttered, or expressed; that which cannot or must not be put into words, often due to being beyond human capacity, forbidden, or sacred. The term primarily signifies something that is not or should not be articulated verbally, with nuances varying between inexpressibility (due to awe or transcendence) and unspeakability (due to social or religious prohibition).
Semantic Range
unspeakable, inexpressible, unutterable, forbidden to say, not to be spoken, not expressible in language, not able to be articulated
Root / Etymology
Composed of the alpha privative (ἀ-, 'not') and ῥητός ('stated', 'spoken', from ῥέω, 'to say'). Thus, its root meaning is 'not-to-be-stated' or 'unspeakable'.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical Greek, ἄῤῥητος appears with the sense of 'unutterable' or 'not to be mentioned', especially of things taboo, sacred, secret, or too great for words. By the Hellenistic period, this sense broadened: in philosophical, mystical, and religious literature, it could refer to mysteries, divine experiences, or truths considered beyond human articulation. In the Septuagint and New Testament, the word often connotes something overwhelming or sacred, sometimes drawing on existing idiom for the ineffable or indescribable (e.g., Paul's use in 2 Corinthians 12:4 for things heard in a vision). English translations like 'unspeakable' or 'inexpressible' partially capture the meaning but may miss distinctions between forbidden-to-speak and impossible-to-speak. The word is distinct from ἄλεκτος, which emphasizes inability to speak (inarticulate, unutterable) rather than the legal, social, or religious prohibition implied by ἄῤῥητος in some contexts.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from Α (as a negative particle) and the same as ῥητῶς; unsaid, i.e. (by implication) inexpressible:--unspeakable.
Root Family
ἄρρητος (arrhētos) — not stated, unspeakable, unutterable, not to be articulated
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G731-01 |
ἄρρητα | arreta | ADJ.A ACC N PL |
unspeakable | unutterable things | unutterable things | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G731-01 |
2 Corinthians 12:4 | ἄρρητα | arreta | ADJ.A ACC N PL |
unspeakable | unutterable things | unutterable things |