ἅλωσις (halōsis)
halōsis
capture
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun halōsis refers to a capture or taking, specifically describing the act of seizing someone or something. Its root verb implies catching, often in the sense of trapping or snaring an animal, which gives the word a concrete image of being caught off guard or overpowered.
In the New Testament, this term appears only once, in 2 Peter 2:12. There, it describes how false teachers will be "captured" or destroyed like irrational animals. The usage highlights their inevitable downfall, contrasting their wild, destructive nature with the divine judgment that ensnares them.
This single occurrence carries significant weight by linking moral corruption with physical destruction. The word does not suggest a fair contest but rather an inescapable seizure, emphasizing that those who act against truth will ultimately be caught by it.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word halōsis paints a vivid picture of being caught off guard. It describes a capture that is sudden and inescapable, much like an animal trapped in a snare. In the New Testament, this term appears only once, offering a sobering reminder about the consequences of rejecting truth.
When we read about those who oppose godly teaching being captured, it highlights the seriousness of moral corruption. The imagery suggests that acting against what is right leads to inevitable downfall. This captures the reality that divine judgment is not always a fair contest but a decisive seizure of those who choose destruction over truth.
For your faith, this word serves as a gentle warning to stay grounded in wisdom. It invites us to examine our own hearts and ensure we are not caught in patterns of ignorance or malice. Instead, we can find comfort in the knowledge that truth ultimately prevails, protecting those who walk in it.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- capture1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἅλωσιν1×
Key Verses
-
II Peter 2:12
But these, as unreasoning creatures, born natural animals to be taken and destroyed, speaking evil in matters about which they are ignorant, will in their destroying surely be destroyed,
This verse uses halōsis to describe how false teachers will be seized and destroyed like irrational animals, emphasizing their inevitable downfall due to moral corruption.