βαπτισμός (G909) — Greek Lexicon

βαπτισμός

baptismós

G909 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

Immersion, submersion, or ritual washing; a process or act of cleansing by water, typically in a ceremonial or religious context. In the New Testament and Second Temple Jewish texts, refers specifically to ritual purification washings and, in Christian contexts, to the rite initiating adherents involving immersion or pouring with water. Can denote both the act itself and the resulting state of ritual purity.

Semantic Range

immersion, ritual washing, ceremonial ablution, act of cleansing by water, the rite of initiation (in Christian context), ritual purification

Root / Etymology

From the verb βαπτίζω (to immerse, to dip, to submerge), which is derived from the stem βαπτ- (to dip, immerse). The root ultimately traces back to the more fundamental verb βάπτω (to dip).

Historical & Contextual Notes

βαπτισμός appears infrequently in Greek sources before the Hellenistic period; it is attested in later Jewish Greek literature (notably Philo and Josephus) and in the New Testament. In earlier Greek (classical and Hellenistic), related nouns (such as βαπτισμός, βαπτισμά) and verbs refer to general dipping or immersing, often in mundane contexts (e.g., dyeing, cleaning). In the Greek of the Septuagint and Second Temple Jewish milieu, βαπτισμός refers specifically to ritual washings prescribed for reasons of cleanliness or purity according to Israelite/Judean traditions, usually denoting ablutions as part of the Torah or tradition (see e.g., Mark 7:4, Hebrews 6:2, 9:10). In Christian texts, the word is sometimes applied to the initiatory rite, but the more common term for this in the New Testament is βαπτισμά (cf. Mark 1:4; Acts 2:38). English translations often render the term as 'baptism' when referring to Christian practice and 'washing' or 'ritual washing' when the context is Jewish. The English 'baptism' is influenced by post-biblical Christian usage and does not always capture the broader Second Temple or Jewish meanings of the word, which include various ritual ablutions for purity. Thus, βαπτισμός designates a range of ritual washings, not limited to what later Christianity would call 'baptism.'

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from βαπτίζω; ablution (ceremonial or Christian):--baptism, washing.

Root Family

βαπτισμός (baptismos) — immersion, ritual washing, ceremonial cleansing, ablution

Root βαπτ- to immerse, to dip, to wash

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`G909-01`	βαπτισμῷ	baptismo	`N DAT M SG`	baptism	in ritual immersion	ritual immersion	1
`G909-02`	βαπτισμοῖς	baptismois	`N DAT M PL`	washings	to ritual immersions	ritual immersions	1
`G909-03`	βαπτισμῶν	baptismon	`N GEN M PL`	of baptisms	of ritual immersions	of ritual immersions	1
`G909-04`	βαπτισμοὺς	baptismous	`N ACC M PL`	washings	ritual immersions	ritual immersions	1

Occurrences in Scripture

4 occurrences

Filter by SIDANCE:

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`G909-04`	Mark 7:4	βαπτισμοὺς	baptismous	`N ACC M PL`	washings	ritual immersions	ritual immersions
`G909-01`	Colossians 2:12	βαπτισμῷ	baptismo	`N DAT M SG`	baptism	in ritual immersion	ritual immersion
`G909-03`	Hebrews 6:2	βαπτισμῶν	baptismon	`N GEN M PL`	of baptisms	of ritual immersions	of ritual immersions
`G909-02`	Hebrews 9:10	βαπτισμοῖς	baptismois	`N DAT M PL`	washings	to ritual immersions	ritual immersions

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