ἐπίορκος
epíorkos
G1965 substantive adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
A person who swears falsely; one who breaks an oath, or is guilty of perjury. The term refers primarily to someone who, having sworn a solemn oath, acts contrary to it, thus becoming oath-breaking. Depending on context, it may denote a perjurer in a legal or covenant context or, more generally, someone known for dishonesty involving oaths.
Semantic Range
perjurer, oath-breaker, forsworn person, one who swears falsely, breaker of sworn agreements
Root / Etymology
From ἐπί (epi, 'upon' or 'over') and ὅρκος (horkos, 'oath'), forming a compound meaning 'upon an oath' or 'one who has sworn an oath'. The sense of falsifying or violating that oath emerges from context, with the prefix ἐπί often implying an intensification or focus.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical and Hellenistic usage, ἐπίορκος referred to a person who broke a sworn agreement or perjured themselves, particularly in legal or covenant settings. The word appears in legal documents, literature, and moral instruction to condemn oath-breakers as morally and socially unreliable. In the Septuagint and the New Testament, the term continues to denote those who violate oaths, aligning with practices where oaths were central to personal, legal, or religious commitments. English renderings like 'perjured person' or 'perjurer' capture part of the meaning, but the Greek also encompasses betrayal of personal or sacred trust, not just legal perjury. The compound construction marks out a specific relationship to oaths, contrasting with terms for general lying (ψεύστης) or treachery (προδότης).
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from ἐπί and ὅρκος; on oath, i.e. (falsely) a forswearer:--perjured person.
Root Family
ὁρκ- (exorkízō) — to make swear, to bind by oath, to adjure
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| G1844 | ἐξορκίζω | I bind by oath |
| G3726 | ὁρκίζω | I bind under oath |
| G3727 | ὅρκος | with an oath |
| G3728 | ὁρκωμοσία | of oath-taking |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1965-01 |
ἐπιόρκοις | epiorkois | ADJ.S DAT M PL |
for perjurers | to oath-breakers | to oath-breakers | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1965-01 |
1 Timothy 1:10 | ἐπιόρκοις | epiorkois | ADJ.S DAT M PL |
for perjurers | to oath-breakers | to oath-breakers |