ἀστήρικτος
astḗriktos
G793 attributive adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
Not firmly established, lacking stability; in the context of personal character or belief, unsteady or unreliable. Used particularly to describe those whose convictions or commitments are unsettled or easily swayed.
Semantic Range
not established, not firm, unstable, vacillating, unsteady (in belief or character), unreliable, unsettled
Root / Etymology
From the negative prefix ἀ- (a-) meaning 'not' and στηρίζω (stērizō, 'to make firm, to establish, to support'). The stem στηρικτ- is a derivative of στηρίζω.
Historical & Contextual Notes
ἀστήρικτος appears in later Koine Greek, including the New Testament (e.g., 2 Peter 2:14, 3:16), almost exclusively in reference to persons (or, by extension, their principles or beliefs) who are not firmly grounded or are easily led astray. The sense is primarily figurative rather than physical, contrasting with terms denoting moral steadiness or intellectual solidity (e.g., στηριγμένος, βέβαιος). In classical Greek, related terms (without the alpha privative) relate to being made firm or supported, but the specific negative form likely arises in Hellenistic or later Greek. Standard English translations often use 'unstable' here, which conveys the sense well. There is a marked contrast with terms such as ἑδραῖος ('steadfast' or 'settled') and τεθεμελιωμένος ('well-founded'). Use in the New Testament implies susceptibility to false teaching or being easily led into error; it has almost entirely figurative, ethical, or epistemic application rather than reference to physical stability.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from Α (as a negative particle) and a presumed derivative of στηρίζω; unfixed, i.e. (figuratively) vacillating:--unstable.
Root Family
στηρικτ- (astḗriktos) — to make firm, establish, support
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G793-01 |
ἀστήρικτοι | asteriktoi | ADJ.S NOM M PL |
unstable | unsteady ones | unstable | 1 |
G793-02 |
ἀστηρίκτους | asteriktous | ADJ.A ACC F PL |
unstable | unestablished (feminine plural, accusative) | unstable | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G793-02 |
2 Peter 2:14 | ἀστηρίκτους | asteriktous | ADJ.A ACC F PL |
unstable | unestablished (feminine plural, accusative) | unstable |
G793-01 |
2 Peter 3:16 | ἀστήρικτοι | asteriktoi | ADJ.S NOM M PL |
unstable | unsteady ones | unstable |