ἄνυδρος (anudros)
anudros
waterless
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 4 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The adjective anudros simply means "waterless" or "dry." It is formed from a negative prefix and the word for water, creating a direct image of places lacking this essential resource. In the New Testament, it appears only four times, primarily in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, as well as in Jude and 2 Peter.
Its most striking usage describes unclean spirits returning to find their former dwelling "like a deserted house" that has been swept clean but remains empty (Matthew 12:43-44; Luke 11:24). The term evokes a barren, lifeless state. Jude uses it metaphorically for clouds without rain, while 2 Peter applies it to springs that fail, illustrating spiritual emptiness and broken promises.
This word captures the stark reality of absence. By pairing "waterless" with images of abandoned homes or dried-up springs, the texts emphasize a condition of total deprivation. It serves as a vivid warning against superficial change that leaves the inner life parched and vulnerable to worse influences.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word anudros paints a picture of deep thirst and emptiness. It describes places that are completely dry, lacking the water needed for life. In the New Testament, this image appears in warnings about spiritual danger. Jesus uses it to describe how an unclean spirit returns to a home that has been cleaned but left empty. The house is ready, but it is not filled with anything good.
This word reminds us that removing bad habits is not enough. We need something positive to take their place. When our hearts are open to God’s presence, we find true satisfaction. Without that connection, we remain vulnerable and dry. It is a call to let Jesus fill the spaces in our lives with His love and truth.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 4 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- waterless2×
- without water,1×
- without water1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἀνύδρων2×
- ἄνυδροι,1×
- ἄνυδροι1×
Key Verses
-
Matthew 12:43
“When an unclean spirit has gone out of a man, he passes through waterless places seeking rest, and doesn’t find it.
This verse uses anudros to show how a spirit seeks rest in barren places, highlighting the danger of leaving a heart empty after cleansing.
-
Luke 11:24
The unclean spirit, when he has gone out of the man, passes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, ‘I will turn back to my house from which I came out.’
Here the term emphasizes the spirit's failure to find peace outside, reinforcing the need for a dwelling filled with God's presence.
-
II Peter 2:17
These are wells without water, clouds driven by a storm, for whom the blackness of darkness has been reserved forever.
Peter applies anudros to false teachers who promise life but offer no spiritual nourishment, like wells that run dry.