ἐφευρετής (G2182) — Greek Lexicon

ἐφευρετής

epheuretḗs

G2182 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

One who devises or invents; a person who discovers or contrives something new. In context, usually focuses on someone who is the originator of a practice or thing, particularly with the sense of intentionally creating, designing, or contriving (often, but not exclusively, in a negative sense such as inventing evil).

Semantic Range

one who invents, discoverer, originator, contriver (often of evil), one who devises new practices

Root / Etymology

From the compound of ἐπί (on, upon, over) and εὑρίσκω (to find, discover), forming the substantive ἐφευρετής, denoting a person who 'finds out upon' or 'makes discoveries'.

Historical & Contextual Notes

The term ἐφευρετής is rare in surviving Greek literature, though its verb form (ἐφευρίσκω) is more common. It appears in philosophical, rhetorical, and moralizing literature for one who creates, devises, or is the originator of something—sometimes with a positive sense (as an inventor of useful arts or science), more often negatively (as one who invents wicked, novel behaviors or schemes). In the NT (Romans 1:30), it describes those who are 'inventors of evil', capturing the sense of contrivance or deliberate origination rather than passive discovery. The English tradition of translating 'inventor' conveys the literal meaning, but does not always register the word's negative moral coloring in certain contexts—especially where other Greek authors use it for those who devise harmful schemes. Contrasts with terms like εὑρετής (finder, discoverer) that lack the sense of contrivance or artificial creation. Not frequent in the Septuagint; outside biblical literature, the term is rare but parallels words used of both creative innovation and sinister invention.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from a compound of ἐπί and εὑρίσκω; a discoverer, i.e. contriver:--inventor.

Root Family

ἐφευρετής (epheuretēs) — to find, discover, devise, contrive

Root εὑρ- to find, to discover, to contrive, to devise

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`G2182-01`	ἐφευρετὰς	epheuretas	`N ACC M PL`	inventors	inventors	inventors	1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 occurrence

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`G2182-01`	Romans 1:30	ἐφευρετὰς	epheuretas	`N ACC M PL`	inventors	inventors	inventors

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