ἀνεξερεύνητος (anexereunētos)
anexereunētos
unsearchable
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The adjective anexereunētos describes something that cannot be searched out or fully investigated. It combines a negative prefix with a root meaning "to examine" or "to inquire," creating a term for what remains beyond human reach. In the New Testament, this word appears only once, in Romans 11:33, where it modifies the riches of God’s wisdom and knowledge.
Paul uses this striking term to express the limits of human understanding when faced with divine depth. The sources note that it translates as "unsearchable" or "inscrutable," emphasizing that God’s ways are not merely difficult to find but fundamentally inaccessible to full investigation by created minds. This single usage highlights the vast gap between finite human inquiry and infinite divine reality.
The word carries significant theological weight by defining the boundary of human knowledge. It does not suggest that God is unknowable in all respects, but rather that His deepest counsels remain beyond complete comprehension. Translators consistently render it as "unsearchable," preserving the sense of a mystery that invites awe rather than exhaustive analysis.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When we face situations that defy explanation, it is natural to feel a sense of limitation. The word anexereunētos, found in Romans 11:33, reminds us that God’s wisdom operates on a scale far beyond our capacity to map or fully investigate. This is not a failure of our faith, but a recognition of the vast difference between finite human minds and infinite divine reality.
Rather than feeling discouraged by what we cannot know, this truth invites us into a posture of humble awe. We are not called to solve every mystery or trace out every path God takes. Instead, we can rest in the assurance that His judgments are rooted in a depth we may never fully reach, yet trust completely.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- unsearchable1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἀνεξεραύνητα1×
Key Verses
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Romans 11:33
Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past tracing out!
This verse uses the word to describe God's judgments as fundamentally beyond human investigation, shifting the focus from understanding to worship.