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ἄνομος

ánomos

G459 substantive adjective

SILEX Entry

Definition

Lacking law, not subject to law; one who acts without regard to established law or moral principle. In certain contexts, refers to those living apart from or in ignorance of a particular legal or moral code, such as the Mosaic Law. In various contexts, denotes individuals, practices, or societies characterized by disorder, lawlessness, or disregard for societal or divine norms.

Semantic Range

lawless, not subject to law, outside the law, acting contrary to law, transgressor, lacking principle, wicked (in the sense of disregard for order), one not governed by the Mosaic Law, one not bound by a particular legal or ethical code

Root / Etymology

Formed from the alpha privative (ἀ-, marking negation) and νόμος ('law, custom'); thus, 'without law' or 'lawless.' The construction is transparent and common in Greek adjective formation.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, ἄνομος describes persons, actions, or communities that are outside the bounds of civic or customary law—'lawless,' 'unruly,' or 'in violation of law.' In Hellenistic Greek, including the Septuagint (LXX), it is often used as a translation of Hebrew terms connoting wickedness or godlessness, emphasizing a lack of adherence to divine or civic order. In the New Testament, ἄνομος can denote: (1) those not having or recognizing the Mosaic Law (e.g., non-Judeans/Gentiles), (2) those acting in opposition to ethical, divine, or natural law, or (3) those characterized by moral transgression or wickedness. English translations sometimes render it as 'lawless,' 'wicked,' or, less precisely, as referring to non-Judeans/Gentiles when the context concerns Torah observance. The nuance depends on literary context; it does not uniformly indicate simple 'wickedness' but often highlights a lack of connection or fidelity to a normative system (particularly in Second Temple and NT literature). Distinct from ἀσεβής ('impious, irreverent'), although overlap occurs in some contexts. Unlike later terms directly denoting 'Gentile' as an ethnic marker, ἄνομος is situational, focused on legal/moral relation rather than ancestry or religion.

Translation Consistency

primary "lawless" 10 occurrences

'Lawless' directly matches the SILEX range (lacking law, not subject to law, outside the law) and is the overwhelmingly attested English rendering across occurrences. It is natural English, fits both adjectival and substantive uses ('the lawless', 'lawless person/practice'), and captures the typical sense in biblical contexts (disregard for divine or civil law) better than broader alternatives like 'wicked'.

✓ All renderings match approved senses

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from Α (as a negative particle) and νόμος; lawless, i.e. (negatively) not subject to (the Jewish) law; (by implication, a Gentile), or (positively) wicked:--without law, lawless, transgressor, unlawful, wicked.

Root Family

ἄνομος (anomos) — without law, lacking norm, contrary to law

Root νομ- law, custom, norm

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G459-03 ἄνομος anomos ADJ.S NOM M SG without law lawlessly lawless 3
G459-02 ἀνόμων anomon ADJ.A GEN M PL transgressors of the lawless of the lawless 3
G459-01 ἀνόμοις anomois ADJ.S DAT M PL lawless to lawless ones to lawless ones 3
G459-04 ἀνόμους anomous ADJ.S ACC M PL without law lawless ones lawless ones 1

Occurrences in Scripture

10 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G459-02 Mark 15:28 ἀνόμων anomon ADJ.A GEN M PL transgressors of the lawless of the lawless
G459-02 Luke 22:37 ἀνόμων anomon ADJ.S GEN M PL transgressors of the lawless of the lawless
G459-02 Acts 2:23 ἀνόμων anomon ADJ.S GEN M PL lawless of the lawless of the lawless
G459-01 1 Corinthians 9:21 ἀνόμοις anomois ADJ.S DAT M PL without law to lawless ones to lawless ones
G459-03 1 Corinthians 9:21 ἄνομος anomos ADJ.S NOM M SG without law lawlessly lawless
G459-03 1 Corinthians 9:21 ἄνομος anomos-2 ADJ.S NOM M SG without law lawlessly lawless
G459-04 1 Corinthians 9:21 ἀνόμους anomous ADJ.S ACC M PL without law lawless ones lawless ones
G459-03 2 Thessalonians 2:8 ἄνομος anomos ADJ.S NOM M SG lawless one lawlessly lawless one
G459-01 1 Timothy 1:9 ἀνόμοις anomois ADJ.S DAT M PL lawless to lawless ones to lawless ones
G459-01 2 Peter 2:8 ἀνόμοις anomois ADJ.A DAT N PL lawless to lawless ones to lawless ones
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