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ἄσβεστος

ásbestos

G762 attributive adjective

SILEX Entry

Definition

Unquenchable; incapable of being extinguished, most commonly used of fire to denote a flame that cannot be put out, thus lasting, perpetual, or inextinguishable. By extension, applies to anything that is enduring, incessant, or perpetual, especially in contexts denoting punishment or destruction that continues without interruption.

Semantic Range

unquenchable, inextinguishable, incapable of being put out, enduring, perpetual, not extinguished

Root / Etymology

From the alpha privative (ἀ-) expressing negation and the verbal stem σβεσ- from σβέννυμι (to extinguish, quench). ἄσβεστος thus literally means 'not able to be extinguished.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek (from at least the 5th c. BCE), ἄσβεστος is used frequently to describe an inextinguishable or perpetual fire, as of a hearth, a sacred flame, or an undying light, often employed in both literal and metaphorical senses. In the Septuagint and Hellenistic literature, it is similarly used for fire that cannot be put out, sometimes in reference to divine judgment or punishment (Isaiah 66:24 LXX). In the New Testament (e.g., Mark 9:43, 48; Matthew 3:12; Luke 3:17), ἄσβεστος is used primarily to describe fire associated with eschatological or judicial imagery—depicting destruction or punishment impossible to halt by human means. Traditional English translations often render the term as 'unquenchable' or 'not to be quenched,' but the Greek emphasizes not just inability to extinguish, but also the relentless, enduring nature of the phenomenon in question. There is no specific religious connotation inherent in the Greek term itself; the sense of 'eternal' or 'perpetual' comes from the context rather than the word. The term may also denote a kind of intensity or durability distinct from words that simply mean 'long-lasting.'

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from Α (as a negative particle) and a derivative of σβέννυμι; not extinguished, i.e. (by implication) perpetual:--not to be quenched, unquenchable.

Root Family

ἄσβεστος (asbestos) — unquenchable, inextinguishable, not able to be put out, perpetual

Root σβεσ- to extinguish, to quench, to put out

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G762-01 ἀσβέστῳ asbesto ADJ.A DAT N SG unquenchable to an unquenchable thing unquenchable 2
G762-02 ἄσβεστον asbeston ADJ.R ACC N SG unquenchable unquenchable unquenchable 1

Occurrences in Scripture

3 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G762-01 Matthew 3:12 ἀσβέστῳ asbesto ADJ.A DAT N SG unquenchable to an unquenchable thing unquenchable
G762-02 Mark 9:43 ἄσβεστον asbeston ADJ.R ACC N SG unquenchable unquenchable unquenchable
G762-01 Luke 3:17 ἀσβέστῳ asbesto ADJ.A DAT N SG unquenchable to an unquenchable thing unquenchable
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