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πεισμονή

peismonḗ

G3988 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

State or quality of being persuaded, or more often, an obstinacy or persistence in holding a conviction. In some contexts, it denotes the act of persuasion or the condition of being open to persuasion, though in Koine it frequently carries a negative nuance of stubbornness or inflexible insistence.

Semantic Range

state of being persuaded, fixed conviction, obstinacy, persistence, dogged adherence to a belief or practice, sometimes openness to persuasion (rarely), stubbornness

Root / Etymology

From the root πειθ- (to persuade) and the suffix -μονή indicating a persistent state or quality. Related to πείθω (to persuade) and πεισμονός (obstinate, unyielding).

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, πεισμονή is rare, mostly attested in later and Hellenistic literature, and carries a meaning close to 'stubbornness' or 'obstinacy.' In the New Testament (Galatians 5:8), the only attestation, it likely denotes a negative sense: a fixed or obstinate conviction, perhaps as imposed by others, rather than an open-minded 'persuadableness.' The English 'persuasion' used in older translations tends to flatten this nuance. Related terms like πείθω are broader ('to persuade, to convince'), while πεισμονή focuses on a fixed state—sometimes in the sense of refusing to be persuaded otherwise, thus bordering on stubbornness or dogmatism. The translation 'credulity' is only appropriate in contexts where excessive readiness to believe is the nuance, which is not clearly attested in the New Testament or LXX uses.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from a presumed derivative of πείθω; persuadableness, i.e. credulity:--persuasion.

Root Family

πεισμονή (peismonē) — persuasion, conviction, persistence, obstinacy

Root πειθ- to persuade, to be convinced, to persist

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G3988-01 πεισμονὴ peismone N NOM F SG persuasion stubborn persistence persuasion 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G3988-01 Galatians 5:8 πεισμονὴ peismone N NOM F SG persuasion stubborn persistence persuasion
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