ἔχθρα (echthra)
echthra
hostility
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 5 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun echthra denotes a state of active hostility or enmity between parties. In the New Testament, it appears in five verses, most notably in Romans 8:7 where human inclination is described as being hostile toward God, and in Ephesians 2:16 where Christ’s death aims to abolish this division.
Its root connects to the idea of being disagreeable or unpleasant. The word captures more than simple dislike; it implies a deep-seated alienation that separates people from one another or from the divine. Luke 23:12 illustrates this sharply, showing how Herod and Pilate, previously friends, became enemies through their interaction with Jesus.
Translators typically render echthra as "hostility" or "enmity," reflecting its weight as a relational rupture rather than a fleeting emotion. The term carries theological significance in passages like James 4:4, where friendship with the world is equated with enmity against God, highlighting the exclusive nature of spiritual allegiance.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word echthra describes more than a passing disagreement or mild dislike. It points to a deep, active hostility that separates people from one another or from God. In our daily lives, this can feel like an unbridgeable gap between hearts, making peace seem impossible.
Yet the Gospel offers a different path. Scripture shows us that Christ’s death was specifically intended to remove this enmity. By taking the cross, He broke down the walls of division, offering reconciliation where there was once only alienation. This means no relationship is beyond repair when we turn to Him.
When you face conflict or feel distant from God, remember that hostility is not the final word. Through faith, you are invited into a restored relationship. This hope anchors your heart, knowing that peace with God and others is possible through His grace.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 5 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- hostility2×
- enmity1×
- enmities,1×
- [is] hostility1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἔχθρα2×
- ἔχθρᾳ1×
- ἔχθραν1×
- ἔχθραι,1×
Key Verses
-
Romans 8:7
because the mind of the flesh is hostile toward God, for it is not subject to God’s law, neither indeed can it be.
This verse identifies the natural human mind as actively hostile toward God, highlighting the depth of our spiritual alienation before Christ.
-
Ephesians 2:16
and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, having killed the hostility through it.
Here, the cross is described as the means by which Christ killed this hostility, making reconciliation between Jew and Gentile possible.
-
James 4:4
You adulterers and adulteresses, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
James uses echthra to warn that choosing friendship with the world places one in a state of enmity against God.