αὐτόματος (automatos)
automatos
by itself
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The adjective automatos describes something that happens "of itself" or by its own internal impulse, without external force or human intervention. In the New Testament, this rare word appears only twice to highlight divine action working through natural processes rather than against them. It conveys a sense of autonomous operation, whether applied to people acting on their own will or inanimate objects moving independently.
The most striking usage occurs in Mark 4:28, where Jesus describes the earth producing crops "by itself" (automatos). This image emphasizes the mysterious, self-sustaining power of growth that requires no constant human management. Similarly, Acts 12:10 uses the term to describe iron gates opening automatically for Peter, underscoring a supernatural event that bypassed normal physical mechanisms. In both cases, the word points to an agency inherent in the thing itself, driven by God’s hidden work.
Its root suggests movement originating from within, contrasting with things pushed or pulled from outside. Translators often render it as "of its own accord" or "automatically," though the Greek carries a theological weight: nature and history are not dead machines but responsive to divine initiative. The word reminds readers that God’s power frequently operates through quiet, self-acting processes rather than dramatic displays.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word automatos describes something that moves or acts by its own internal impulse, without being pushed or pulled from the outside. In Scripture, it highlights how God often works through quiet, self-sustaining processes rather than dramatic displays of force. This reminds us that the world is not a dead machine but responsive to divine initiative.
In Mark 4:28, Jesus uses this term to describe the earth bearing fruit by itself. The crop grows without constant human management, showing that God’s power operates through hidden, natural rhythms. Similarly, in Acts 12:10, an iron gate opens by itself for Peter, bypassing normal physical mechanisms to show supernatural freedom.
When you face seasons where you cannot control the outcome, this word offers comfort. God is at work even when progress seems invisible or automatic. You do not need to force every result; trust that His power sustains what He has started, working quietly behind the scenes for your good.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- by itself1×
- Of itself1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- αὐτομάτη2×
Key Verses
-
Mark 4:28
For the earth bears fruit by itself: first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
This verse uses the word to describe agricultural growth happening independently of human effort, illustrating God's hidden sustaining power in nature.
-
Acts 12:10
When they were past the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened to them by itself. They went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.
Here the term describes a heavy iron gate opening without human intervention, signaling divine deliverance that bypasses normal physical constraints.