ἐξορκιστής
exorkistḗs
G1845 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
One who performs incantations or commands supernatural forces by invoking oaths; specifically, a person who attempts to expel or control spiritual beings (such as spirits or 'demons') by means of spoken charges, incantations, or adjurations. In literary and documentary contexts of the Hellenistic and Roman periods, the term refers to individuals who professionally or ritually sought to compel spiritual entities through the authoritative use of names, formulas, or oaths.
Semantic Range
adjurer, one who binds by oath, exorcist, expeller of spirits by ritual formula, conjurer, ritual specialist using incantations
Root / Etymology
From the verb ἐξορκίζω (exorkizō, 'to adjure, bind by oath, solemnly charge'), itself formed from ἐκ ('out, out of') + ὄρκος ('oath'). The noun ἐξορκιστής thus denotes 'one who adjures or binds via an oath'.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical Greek, the verb ἐξορκίζω appears as early as the 5th century BCE in the sense of 'to put under oath' or 'to adjure' (e.g., in legal or religious contexts). The noun ἐξορκιστής, however, is primarily found in post-classical and Koine Greek (notably in Acts 19:13). In the Hellenistic and Roman periods, professional or semi-professional exorcists (often itinerant) were common in the broader Mediterranean world, both among Greeks and Judeans. In the New Testament (Acts 19:13), ἐξορκισταί are specifically described as itinerant Judeans who attempt to invoke the name of Jesus in imitation of Pauline practice, reflecting the broader Greco-Roman understanding of the efficacy of names and oaths in spiritual power. The English term 'exorcist' is a later rendering; in antiquity, ἐξορκιστής carried connotations overlapping with magician, adjurer, or professional ritual specialist, with the focus on control or expulsion of spiritual entities by formulaic speech. The nuance of 'conjurer' or 'magician' is present in some Greco-Egyptian papyri but overlapped with other terms. Standard English translations as 'exorcist' capture only part of the contextual sense; the term also implies adjuration by oath or invoked names.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from ἐξορκίζω; one that binds by an oath (or spell), i.e. (by implication) an "exorcist" (conjurer):--exorcist.
Root Family
ἐξορκ- (exorkistḗs) — to adjure, to bind by oath, to solemnly command
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1845-01 |
ἐξορκιστῶν | exorkiston | N GEN M PL |
exorcists | of oath-binding adjurers | adjurers | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1845-01 |
Acts 19:13 | ἐξορκιστῶν | exorkiston | N GEN M PL |
exorcists | of oath-binding adjurers | adjurers |