ἀσεβής (asebēs)
asebēs
ungodly
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 9 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The Greek word asebēs describes a person who is ungodly or impious, specifically defined as being devoid of reverential awe toward God. Its etymology reinforces this meaning: it combines a negative prefix with a root related to reverence, literally signifying the absence of proper respect for the divine. This term appears nine times in the New Testament, with significant occurrences in Romans and Second Peter.
In Scripture, asebēs often parallels the Hebrew concept of the wicked (rasha) found in the Old Testament. Paul uses it to highlight God’s grace toward those who do not seek Him, noting in Romans 4:5 that faith is credited to the ungodly. Similarly, Second Peter 3:7 warns that the heavens and earth are reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment of ungodly men. The word captures a fundamental state of alienation from God rather than merely a list of specific sins.
Translators typically render asebēs as "ungodly" to distinguish it from terms focusing solely on moral law-breaking. It points to a relational deficit—a lack of worship and fear of God—which precedes outward misconduct. This usage underscores the biblical theme that righteousness is imputed by faith, even to those who are currently characterized by this absence of reverence.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word asebēs points to a state of being without reverence for God. It describes people who do not acknowledge His authority or live in awe of Him. This is more than just breaking rules; it is a broken relationship with the Creator. We see this clearly in Romans 5:6, where Paul says Christ died for the ungodly while we were still weak.
Yet this truth brings hope rather than fear. God’s grace reaches those who do not seek Him. Romans 4:5 tells us that faith is credited as righteousness to the ungodly. This means salvation is a gift received through trust, not earned by moral effort. The gospel invites everyone, regardless of their past distance from God, into His family.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 9 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- ungodly2×
- ungodly.1×
- ungodly,1×
- ungodly [ones],1×
- of ungodly1×
- of [the] ungodly1×
- for [the] ungodly1×
- [the] ungodly1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἀσεβῶν3×
- ἀσεβέσιν2×
- ἀσεβῆ,1×
- ἀσεβὴς1×
- ἀσεβεῖς.1×
- ἀσεβεῖς,1×
Key Verses
-
Romans 5:6
For while we were yet weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
This verse highlights the timing of Christ's sacrifice, showing that He died for us while we were still in a state of spiritual weakness and alienation from God.
-
Romans 4:5
But to him who doesn’t work, but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness.
Here the term defines the recipient of faith-based righteousness, emphasizing that God credits righteousness to those who believe rather than those who work.
-
II Peter 3:7
But the heavens that exist now and the earth, by the same word have been stored up for fire, being reserved against the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
This occurrence warns that the current heavens and earth are reserved for fire, specifically targeting the final judgment of those characterized by ungodliness.
-
Jude 1:4
For there are certain men who crept in secretly, even those who were long ago written about for this condemnation: ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into indecency, and denying our only Master, God, and Lord, Jesus Christ.
The author identifies false teachers as ungodly men who distort grace into license and deny Jesus Christ, showing how this term applies to theological rebellion.