ἄγνωστος (agnōstos)
agnōstos
unknown
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The adjective agnōstos describes something that is unknown or not recognized. In the New Testament, it appears only once, in Acts 17:23, where Paul observes an altar in Athens inscribed "To the Unknown God." Here, the word refers to a deity whom the Athenians acknowledge as existing but do not fully know or understand.
Etymologically, agnōstos combines a negative prefix with the root for knowing (ginōskō), literally meaning "not known." This distinguishes it from words implying ignorance due to lack of effort; instead, it points to a state of being unrecognized by the people involved. Paul uses this familiar concept to bridge their religious curiosity with the revelation of the God they have not yet encountered.
Translators typically render agnōstos as "unknown," capturing the sense of a deity who is present in their worship but remains distant in their knowledge. The term highlights a gap between reverence and true understanding, serving as a starting point for Paul’s message about making God known through Jesus Christ.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word agnōstos appears only once in the New Testament, found on an altar in Athens that read “To an Unknown God.” Paul used this familiar religious gesture as a bridge to introduce the true Creator. It reminds us that human curiosity often reaches toward the divine, even when full understanding is missing.
This word shows that seeking God is a valid starting point. You do not need to have every answer before approaching Him. The gap between what we sense and what we know is where grace meets us, inviting us into a relationship rather than demanding perfect knowledge first.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- To an unknown1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἀγνώστῳ1×
Key Verses
-
Acts 17:23
For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription: ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ What therefore you worship in ignorance, I announce to you.
Paul identifies this specific altar inscription as the entry point for explaining the God who created all things and is not served by human hands.