ἀπαράβατος (aparabatos)
aparabatos
permanent
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The adjective aparabatos describes something that cannot be crossed over or violated, carrying the sense of being inviolable and permanent. Formed from a negative prefix and a root meaning "to step across," it literally suggests a boundary that no one can cross. In Scripture, this word appears only once, in Hebrews 7:24, to describe the enduring nature of Jesus’ priesthood.
Unlike human priests whose roles end with death, Christ’s priesthood is characterized by an unchangeable permanence. The text emphasizes that because He lives forever, His priestly office remains secure and cannot be transferred or revoked. This usage highlights the stability of His ministry, contrasting it with the temporary and successive nature of the Levitical priesthood.
Translators typically render aparabatos as "permanent" or "unchangeable," capturing the idea that Jesus’ role is fixed by His eternal life. The word underscores the theological weight of Christ’s continuous intercession, assuring believers that their mediator remains constant and unviolated by time or death.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word aparabatos describes a boundary that cannot be crossed or violated, carrying the sense of being inviolable and permanent. In Hebrews 7:24, it is used to describe Jesus’ priesthood as unchangeable. Unlike human priests whose roles end with death, Christ’s priesthood remains secure because He lives forever.
This permanence offers deep assurance for your faith. You can trust that your mediator is constant and unviolated by time or death. His continuous intercession provides a stable foundation for your relationship with God, free from the uncertainty of human failure or mortality.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- a permanent1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἀπαράβατον1×
Key Verses
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Hebrews 7:24
But he, because he lives forever, has his priesthood unchangeable.
This verse uses aparabatos to contrast Jesus’ eternal priesthood with the temporary nature of the Levitical priests, emphasizing that His role is fixed by His living presence.