ἱλαστήριον (G2435) — Greek Lexicon

ἱλαστήριον

hilastḗrion

G2435 noun

SILEX Entry

Root ἱλασ- to appease, to reconcile, to make atonement

Definition

A means or place of expiation; specifically, the object or location related to removal of guilt or reconciliation. In the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible (Septuagint), commonly denotes the cover or lid of the Ark of the Covenant (the 'mercy seat'), viewed as the site of atonement in the Israelite temple cult. In broader Greek usage, references to an 'expiatory gift' or 'means of appeasement' are also attested. In later Hellenistic Jewish and early Christian texts, may refer metaphorically to a means of reconciliation between humans and the divine.

Semantic Range

means of expiation, place where atonement is accomplished, lid of the Ark of the Covenant (mercy seat), expiatory offering, means of reconciliation, metaphorical agent of atonement

Root / Etymology

From ἱλάσκομαι (hiláskomai, 'to appease, reconcile, to make propitiation'). The suffix -τήριον forms nouns denoting a means or place related to the action of the verb. Comparable forms are seen for sacred implements or places.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Septuagint, ἱλαστήριον predominantly translates Hebrew כַּפֹּרֶת (kapporet), the gold cover atop the Ark of the Covenant, understood as the locus of atonement during ritual practices (e.g., Exodus 25:17ff; Leviticus 16). In wider Hellenistic Greek, ἱλαστήριον could signal a means or object of appeasement (e.g., an offering). In Romans 3:25, the term is applied metaphorically, raising interpretive questions: is it the means, place, or process of reconciliation referenced? The translation 'mercy seat' derives from the Septuagint's influence but does not fully represent the term's semantic complexity. English translations such as 'propitiation' and 'expiation' reflect different theological emphases: 'propitiation' centers on appeasement, while 'expiation' focuses on removal of guilt. The term is not frequently attested in extrabiblical Koine sources but appears in Philo, Josephus, and other Hellenistic Jewish writings, typically in cultic contexts. The semantic scope of ἱλαστήριον may thus range from a concrete cultic object to an abstract means of reconciliation, with potential for metaphorical extension in religious discourse.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

neuter of a derivative of ἱλάσκομαι; an expiatory (place or thing), i.e. (concretely) an atoning victim, or (specially) the lid of the Ark (in the Temple):--mercyseat, propitiation.

Root Family

ἱλαστήριον (hilastērion) — means of expiation, place of atonement, reconciliation instrument

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	Occurrences
`G2435-01`	ἱλαστήριον	ilasterion	`N ACC N SG`		place of atonement	2

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1
`G2435-01`	Romans 3:25	ἱλαστήριον	ilasterion	`N ACC N SG`		place of atonement
`G2435-01`	Hebrews 9:5	ἱλαστήριον	ilasterion	`N ACC N SG`		place of atonement

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