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ἀνοχή

anochḗ

G463 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A state or act of refraining from acting or responding, typically in the form of holding back judgment or punishment; denotes a deliberate holding in abeyance, temporary endurance, or tolerance of wrong or annoyance; also used for the suspension of action or delay in carrying out a response, especially punitive action. In extended senses, can mean clemency, forbearance toward others' faults, or controlled patience in face of provocation.

Semantic Range

holding back judgment, suspension of punishment, forbearance, tolerance, clemency, temporary delay or reprieve, patience in the face of provocation

Root / Etymology

From the verb ἀνέχομαι (‘to endure, bear up, tolerate’) with the abstract feminine suffix -ή, forming a noun meaning ‘the act of holding oneself up’ or ‘holding back’.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, ἀνοχή appears infrequently, with sense focused on holding back or enduring external pressure or insult. In Hellenistic and Koine usage, especially in Greek writers and the Septuagint, it often refers to the suspension of penalty or tolerance shown by a superior toward a subordinate. In the New Testament, it carries the nuance of temporary restraint by God (e.g., Romans 2:4; 3:26), distinct from μακροθυμία (usually rendered ‘patience’ or ‘longsuffering’), which focuses on endurance over time. ἀνοχή is more specifically a withholding of deserved action or judgment, connoting reprieve or delay. Standard English translations usually choose ‘forbearance’ or ‘tolerance’, but these may understate the sense of purposeful restraint in judgment or penalty; in Greco-Roman contexts, the word could also refer to political clemency or periods of grace before enforcement of a law or penalty. Not to be confused with ὑπομονή (‘steadfast endurance’), which emphasizes sustained endurance under trial, whereas ἀνοχή is the conscious decision to suspend immediate reaction.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from ἀνέχομαι; self-restraint, i.e. tolerance:--forbearance.

Root Family

ἀνοχή (anochē) — holding back, forbearance, tolerance, suspension of judgment

Root ἀνέχ- to hold back, to endure, to tolerate

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G463-02 ἀνοχῆς anoches N GEN F SG forbearance of withheld judgment of withheld judgment 1
G463-01 ἀνοχῇ anoche N DAT F SG forbearance in holding-back forbearance 1

Occurrences in Scripture

2 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G463-02 Romans 2:4 ἀνοχῆς anoches N GEN F SG forbearance of withheld judgment of withheld judgment
G463-01 Romans 3:26 ἀνοχῇ anoche N DAT F SG forbearance in holding-back forbearance
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