ἀκατάσχετος
akatáschetos
G183
SILEX Entry
Definition
Not able to be held back or restrained; impossible to control. In context, describes something that cannot be subdued or controlled, often used of forces, emotions, or attributes that are excessive, unmanageable, or uncontainable.
Semantic Range
uncontrollable, unrestrainable, unruly, impossible to tame, not subject to discipline
Root / Etymology
From the alpha privative (ἀ-, "not") and κατέχω (katechō, "to hold back, restrain"); thus meaning "unable to be restrained or held back."
Historical & Contextual Notes
In Hellenistic and Koine Greek, ἀκατάσχετος appears rarely and denotes an inability to exercise control or restraint. In the New Testament (notably James 3:8), it describes the tongue as incapable of being tamed, emphasizing the inherently uncontrollable nature of certain things. The term is rare in earlier Greek literature and does not belong to common classical vocabulary. The English tradition often renders this as 'unruly' or 'uncontrollable,' which captures the sense, though 'unrestrainable' may better reflect the active nuance of something that defies efforts at limitation. The word is formed in the same way as other privative adjectives indicating lack of a certain quality. The underlying concept is not limited to ethical or religious contexts but extends to anything, animate or inanimate, that is beyond human capacity to control.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from Α (as a negative particle) and a derivative of κατέχω; unrestrainable:--unruly.
Word Forms
0 distinct forms
No word forms found for this Strong's number.
Occurrences in Scripture
0 occurrences
No occurrences found.