ἄσπονδος
áspondos
G786 substantive adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
Not bound by a truce or treaty; unwilling to make or keep an agreement; implacable. The primary sense is lacking a formalized agreement of peace or reconciliation (traditionally understood through the libation ritual in Greek culture signifying a treaty). In context, it denotes someone irreconcilable, relentless, refusing to come to terms or accept a truce, sometimes extending to 'implacably hostile' or 'unforgiving.'
Semantic Range
without a pact or treaty, irreconcilable, unwilling to make peace, implacable, relentless, refusing a truce
Root / Etymology
From ἀ- (the Greek alpha privative, 'not' or 'without') and a verbal adjective from σπένδω (to pour a libation, to make a solemn agreement or treaty). Thus, 'without a libation'—by extension, 'without a pact/treaty.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical Greek, σπένδω (spendō) referred to the ritual pouring of libations to gods or as part of concluding agreements or treaties; thus, σπονδή could mean both 'libation' and 'truce.' The negative form ἄσπονδος appears from the 5th century BCE onward (e.g., Herodotus, Euripides) primarily as 'implacable' or 'without truce.' In the New Testament (2 Tim 3:3), it refers to persons characterized as unyielding or irreconcilable, not open to making peace. English translations as 'implacable' or 'truce-breaker' reflect different aspects: 'implacable' emphasizes relentless hostility; 'truce-breaker' (KJV) misses the nuance—in Greek, it is not about breaking an existing truce, but refusing to agree to one. The core meaning is a refusal to engage in reconciliation or agreement, not merely the act of breaking a pact. There is no direct synonym in Koine for this nuance; rather, it stands opposed to nouns like σπονδή (treaty, pact of peace) or verbs like διαλλάσσω (to reconcile).
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from Α (as a negative particle) and a derivative of σπένδω; literally, without libation (which usually accompanied a treaty), i.e. (by implication) truceless:--implacable, truce-breaker.
Root Family
σπενδ- (spéndō) — to pour (as a libation), to dedicate by means of a liquid offering
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| G4689 | σπένδω | I am being poured out as a libation |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G786-01 |
ἄσπονδοι | aspondoi | ADJ.S NOM M PL |
implacable | irreconcilable ones | irreconcilable ones | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G786-01 |
2 Timothy 3:3 | ἄσπονδοι | aspondoi | ADJ.S NOM M PL |
implacable | irreconcilable ones | irreconcilable ones |