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παράδοσις

parádosis

G3862 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

The act of handing over, delivering, or transmitting something; concretely, that which is handed down or transmitted, such as a teaching, instruction, or custom passed from one party or generation to another. In literary, philosophical, and religious contexts, refers to both the process and the content of a tradition or received instructions, including precepts, laws, or ritual practices. Contextually, can signify authoritative instruction—whether oral or written—preserved by a group and maintained as an essential part of identity or practice.

Semantic Range

handing over, transmission, instruction passed on, teaching or doctrine received by tradition, customary practices, oral or written precepts, ancestral customs, ritual observance

Root / Etymology

From παραδίδωμι (paradidōmi, 'to hand over, deliver, transmit'), itself from παρά ('beside, from') + δίδωμι ('to give'). Thus, παράδοσις literally means 'a giving over' or 'a handing down.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, παράδοσις referred broadly to the action of transmission, often in legal, literary, or rhetorical settings (e.g., the handing over of documents or stories). In Hellenistic and Second Temple contexts, particularly in Judean and early Christian literature, the term came to denote the transmission of group-specific customs, teachings, or legal precepts—either orally or in writing. In the Septuagint, the term is rare; in the New Testament, it can refer to the traditions of various groups: (a) ancestral or Pharisaic traditions upheld among Judean groups (e.g., Mark 7:3–13; Gal 1:14), (b) instruction transmitted within early assemblies (1 Cor 11:2; 2 Thess 2:15; 3:6), and (c) the particular content of ritual or ethical teaching. English translations often use 'tradition' or 'ordinance,' but these renderings may inadequately capture the breadth of the term, which can include both positive (apostolic teachings) and negative (human precepts opposed to divine command) connotations depending on context. 'Jewish traditionary law' in previous translations reflects a tendency to present the term as synonymous with rabbinic halakhah, but in the Koine period it more generally denoted any authoritative teaching or custom handed down, whether religious, legal, or communal. The term stands in contrast to terms like ἐντολή (entolē, 'command'), emphasizing transmission rather than origination.

Translation Consistency

primary "tradition" 12 occurrences

παράδοσις most commonly functions as the received teaching or practice handed down within a community. 'Tradition' is the natural, widely understood English noun that covers both the process of handing over and the content transmitted (teachings, customs, precepts), fitting the typical usage in literary and religious contexts and providing a consistent, natural rendering for all forms of this lemma.

Alternatives (1 occurrence):
"handed-down instructions" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from παραδίδωμι; transmission, i.e. (concretely) a precept; specially, the Jewish traditionary law:--ordinance, tradition.

Root Family

παράδοσις (paradosis) — handing over, transmission, instruction passed on, tradition

Root παράδο- to hand over, to deliver, to transmit

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G3862-04 παράδοσιν paradosin N ACC F SG tradition handed-down instruction tradition 9
G3862-02 παραδόσεις paradoseis N ACC F PL traditions handed-down traditions handed-down traditions 2
G3862-03 παραδόσεων paradoseon N GEN F PL traditions of handed-down instructions handed-down instructions 1
G3862-01 παραδόσει paradosei N DAT F SG tradition will hand over tradition 1

Occurrences in Scripture

13 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G3862-04 Matthew 15:2 παράδοσιν paradosin N ACC F SG tradition handed-down instruction tradition
G3862-04 Matthew 15:3 παράδοσιν paradosin N ACC F SG tradition handed-down instruction tradition
G3862-04 Matthew 15:6 παράδοσιν paradosin N ACC F SG tradition handed-down instruction tradition
G3862-04 Mark 7:3 παράδοσιν paradosin N ACC F SG tradition handed-down instruction tradition
G3862-04 Mark 7:5 παράδοσιν paradosin N ACC F SG tradition handed-down instruction tradition
G3862-04 Mark 7:8 παράδοσιν paradosin N ACC F SG tradition handed-down instruction tradition
G3862-04 Mark 7:9 παράδοσιν paradosin N ACC F SG tradition handed-down instruction tradition
G3862-01 Mark 7:13 παραδόσει paradosei N DAT F SG tradition will hand over tradition
G3862-02 1 Corinthians 11:2 παραδόσεις paradoseis N ACC F PL traditions handed-down traditions handed-down traditions
G3862-03 Galatians 1:14 παραδόσεων paradoseon N GEN F PL traditions of handed-down instructions handed-down instructions
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