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βάπτισμα

báptisma

G908 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

Ritual immersion, dipping, or washing in water, typically indicating a formal or symbolic act of purification, initiation, or identification. In the context of the Hellenistic and Roman periods, most often denotes the distinctive ritual immersion practiced by John the Immerser (John the Baptist) and adopted as a rite of entry or initiation by the early Jesus movement. The term may also refer more generally to washing or immersions in certain contexts, but in the New Testament its technical sense is primary.

Semantic Range

ritual immersion in water, rite of initiation, ritual washing or purification, symbolic act of repentance or commitment, the result or status of having undergone immersion

Root / Etymology

Derived from the verb βαπτίζω ('to dip, immerse, submerge'), which is itself a denominative form from βάπτω ('to dip, dye, submerge'). The noun form βάπτισμα denotes the result or the act of ritual immersion.

Historical & Contextual Notes

βάπτισμα first appears in Hellenistic Greek, with its usage especially prevalent in Jewish and Christian ritual contexts. It is not common in Classical Greek, where related terms like βάπτω and βαπτισμός (which can denote washing or ceremonial ablution) are more typical. In the Septuagint, cognate terminology is used to translate Hebrew concepts of ritual purification by water (miqveh, הטבילה). In the New Testament, βάπτισμα almost always refers specifically to the immersion performed by John or by early followers of Jesus as a rite denoting repentance, commitment, or initiation. The term differs from βαπτισμός, which can have a broader sense of ritual washings or ablutions (see Mark 7:4, Hebrews 9:10). The English 'baptism' is a transliteration rather than a translation and carries later theological associations not present in all ancient contexts. The primary nuances in the New Testament are symbolic cleansing, initiation, and public identification with a group or movement. The word can denote either the act itself (the event of immersion) or, by metonymy, the ongoing status or result of undergoing the ritual. Its usage reflects broader Jewish ritual practices of immersions (cf. Qumran texts, Josephus), but by the first century CE, βάπτισμα in this technical sense is distinctively associated with the movements around John and Jesus.

Translation Consistency

primary "baptism" 2 occurrences

βάπτισμα in the New Testament is primarily the technical term for the ritual immersion/rite of initiation and the resulting status. "Baptism" is the natural, widely understood English equivalent that covers both the ceremonial act of immersion and the state/result of having been immersed, making it the best consistent choice.

Alternatives (17 occurrences):
"ritual immersion" (17x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from βαπτίζω; baptism (technically or figuratively):--baptism.

Root Family

βάπτισμα (baptisma) — ritual immersion, dipping, submerging, washing

Root βαπτ- to dip, to immerse, to submerge

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G908-01 βάπτισμα baptisma N ACC N SG baptism ritual immersion ritual immersion 17
G908-02 βαπτίσματος baptismatos N GEN N SG baptism of ritual immersion of ritual baptism 2

Occurrences in Scripture

19 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G908-01 Matthew 3:7 βάπτισμα baptisma N ACC N SG baptism ritual immersion ritual immersion
G908-01 Matthew 21:25 βάπτισμα baptisma N NOM N SG baptism ritual immersion ritual immersion
G908-01 Mark 1:4 βάπτισμα baptisma N ACC N SG baptism ritual immersion ritual immersion
G908-01 Mark 10:38 βάπτισμα baptisma N ACC N SG baptism ritual immersion ritual immersion
G908-01 Mark 10:39 βάπτισμα baptisma N ACC N SG baptism ritual immersion ritual immersion
G908-01 Mark 11:30 βάπτισμα baptisma N NOM N SG baptism ritual immersion ritual immersion
G908-01 Luke 3:3 βάπτισμα baptisma N ACC N SG a baptism ritual immersion ritual immersion
G908-01 Luke 7:29 βάπτισμα baptisma N ACC N SG baptism ritual immersion ritual immersion
G908-01 Luke 12:50 βάπτισμα baptisma N ACC N SG baptism ritual immersion ritual immersion
G908-01 Luke 20:4 βάπτισμα baptisma N NOM N SG baptism ritual immersion ritual immersion
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