ἄνιπτος (aniptos)
aniptos
unwashed
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The Greek word aniptos describes a state of being unwashed. It functions as an adjective formed by combining a negative prefix with a root meaning to wash. In the New Testament, this term appears only twice, specifically in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark (Matthew 15:20; Mark 7:5). Its usage is tightly bound to discussions about ritual purity rather than general hygiene.
Contextually, aniptos refers to hands that have not undergone the ceremonial washing required by Jewish tradition before eating. The lexicons note that this condition was associated with ceremonial uncleanness. Jesus uses this detail to challenge the Pharisees’ emphasis on external rituals over internal moral integrity, arguing that true defilement comes from the heart, not from unwashed hands.
The word highlights a specific cultural practice of the first century where handwashing served as a boundary marker for religious observance. By focusing on this physical act, the Gospel writers illustrate the tension between human tradition and divine command. The term remains a precise descriptor for ritual neglect in that historical setting.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word aniptos simply means "unwashed," but in its first-century context, it carried a heavy spiritual weight. It described hands that had not undergone the ceremonial washing required by Jewish tradition before eating. This was not about basic hygiene, but about ritual purity and boundary markers for religious observance.
Jesus used this specific detail to challenge the Pharisees’ emphasis on external rituals over internal moral integrity. He argued that true defilement comes from the heart, not from unwashed hands. This shift invites us to look past surface-level correctness and examine the motives of our own hearts.
For your faith today, this word reminds you that God values inner purity more than outward performance. You are invited to rest in the truth that your standing with Him is secured by grace, not by perfect adherence to human traditions or rituals.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- with unwashed1×
- unwashed,1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἀνίπτοις,1×
- ἀνίπτοις1×
Key Verses
-
Matthew 15:20
These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands doesn’t defile the man.”
Jesus explicitly defines this verse as the conclusion of His teaching, stating that eating with unwashed hands does not defile a person, thereby prioritizing internal morality over external ritual.
-
Mark 7:2
Now when they saw some of his disciples eating bread with defiled, that is unwashed, hands, they found fault.
The Pharisees find fault with the disciples specifically because they ate with defiled, or unwashed, hands, highlighting the cultural tension between traditional purity laws and Jesus' new teaching.