ἀθέτησις (athetēsis)
athetēsis
nullification
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun athetēsis means to set aside or annul something that was previously in force. It describes a formal act of rejection, where an existing law, agreement, or status is declared invalid and removed. In the New Testament, this term carries a legal weight, pointing to the deliberate cancellation of a previous arrangement.
This word appears only twice, both in the Book of Hebrews, where it highlights the shift from the old covenant to the new. In Hebrews 7:18, the author explains that the commandment due to its weakness was set aside (athetēsis) to make way for a better hope. Similarly, Hebrews 9:26 notes that Christ appeared at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself, effectively nullifying the power of sin through his death.
The term is rooted in the verb atheteō, which means to treat as invalid or to reject. Its usage in the Septuagint often refers to rebellious actions that break faith with God, reinforcing the idea that this is not a casual dismissal but a significant overturning of established order. The New Testament authors use it to show that the old system was not merely improved but fundamentally replaced by something superior.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word athetēsis describes a formal act of setting aside something that was previously in force. In Hebrews, it highlights how the old covenant’s limitations were removed to make way for a better hope. This is not a casual dismissal but a deliberate cancellation of an arrangement that could no longer bring true strength or usefulness.
For your faith, this means God does not leave us with what is weak. He replaces the old with something superior through Christ’s sacrifice. The nullification of sin and the old law points to a new reality where we rely on grace, not our own efforts. This shift invites confidence in God’s ongoing work in your life.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- [the] putting away1×
- A putting away1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- Ἀθέτησις1×
- ἀθέτησιν1×
Key Verses
-
Hebrews 7:18
For there is an annulling of a foregoing commandment because of its weakness and uselessness
This verse shows the word used to explain why the old commandment was set aside due to its weakness and uselessness.
-
Hebrews 9:26
or else he must have suffered often since the foundation of the world. But now once at the end of the ages, he has been revealed to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
Here, the concept of nullification is applied to sin, which Christ put away through His once-for-all sacrifice.