ἀσεβέω
asebéō
G764 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To act irreverently, show impiety, or behave in a manner contrary to reverence or honor for the divine; to display conduct lacking respect or devotion to what is held as sacred. In extended contexts: to live or act without observance of established norms of piety or devotion, especially towards the gods, the divine, or, in a transferred sense, to behave wickedly or lawlessly.
Semantic Range
to act irreverently, to violate norms of piety, to live without respect for the divine, to act wickedly or lawlessly, to commit impiety
Root / Etymology
From ἀσεβής (impious, ungodly) + verb ending -έω, forming a denominative verb. The adjective ἀσεβής itself is composed of ἀ- (privative prefix, 'not') + σέβω ('to revere, worship'). Thus, ἀσεβέω literally means 'to do what is irreverent' or 'to practice impiety.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical Greek, ἀσεβέω regularly denotes actions or attitudes lacking due reverence for the gods or customary religious practice; it may also extend, in a broader moral sense, to lawless or disrespectful conduct. In Hellenistic and Koine usage—including in the Septuagint and New Testament—the term often takes on a more generalized quality of impiety: transgressing not only religious expectations, but also ethical or community norms connected to devotion or proper conduct before the divine. In the Septuagint, ἀσεβέω usually translates Hebrew verbs related to acting wickedly (e.g., רשע), particularly in Psalms and Wisdom literature, further broadening the term from strictly religious irreverence to include general ungodliness. In the New Testament, it occurs rarely but is used (2 Peter 2:6; Jude 15) to indicate actively living in a godless or lawless manner, contrasting with ὁσιότης ('piety') or εὐσέβεια ('reverence, devotion'). English translations often render the verb as 'to act ungodly,' 'to commit impiety,' or 'to behave irreverently,' but 'ungodly' reflects an interpretive tradition and may not fully capture its nuanced interplay of social, legal, and religious infraction in Greco-Roman and Jewish contexts.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from ἀσεβής; to be (by implied act) impious or wicked:--commit (live, that after should live) ungodly.
Root Family
ἀσεβ- (asebéō) — to act irreverently, to behave impiously, to show disrespect (towards the divine)
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G764-01 |
ἠσέβησαν | esebesan | V AOR ACT IND 3P PL |
they have committed | they acted irreverently | they committed ungodliness | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G764-01 |
Jude 1:15 | ἠσέβησαν | esebesan | V AOR ACT IND 3P PL |
they have committed | they acted irreverently | they committed ungodliness |