θνητός (thnētos)
thnētos
mortal
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 6 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The adjective thnētos describes anything that is subject to death or inherently mortal. Derived from the verb for dying, it characterizes a state of existence defined by its finite nature rather than just the moment of death itself. In the New Testament, this term appears in six verses, primarily within Paul’s letters to the Corinthians and Romans, where it underscores the physical vulnerability of human life.
Paul uses this word to highlight the contrast between our current fragile bodies and the eternal life offered through Christ. He notes that the Spirit who raised Jesus will also give life to our mortal bodies (Romans 8:11). Similarly, in discussions about resurrection, he describes the perishable body as putting on immortality, transforming what is naturally thnētos into something imperishable (1 Corinthians 15:53-54).
The term carries a theological weight by acknowledging human limitation without despair. It serves as a reminder that our current physical state is temporary and subject to decay. This perspective prepares readers for the hope of transformation, where mortality is not the final word but a condition overcome by divine power.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word thnētos reminds us that our physical lives are temporary. It describes bodies that can age, get sick, or eventually die. This is not a reason for fear, but a honest look at our human condition. We are not permanent fixtures in this world; we are visitors with fragile vessels.
Yet this fragility has a purpose. Paul writes in Romans 8:11 that the same Spirit who raised Jesus will also give life to our mortal bodies. This promise turns our weakness into a place where God’s power can work. Our mortality is not the end of the story, but the stage for resurrection hope.
When we feel tired or limited, we can remember that this state is temporary. The Christian hope is not that we escape our bodies, but that they are transformed. We look forward to a time when death is no longer a threat, but a memory overcome by eternal life.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 6 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- mortal6×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- θνητὸν3×
- θνητῷ1×
- θνητῇ1×
- θνητὰ1×
Key Verses
-
Romans 8:11
But if the Spirit of him who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised up Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
This verse connects the Spirit's power directly to the future resurrection of our current physical bodies.
-
I Corinthians 15:53
For this perishable body must become imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.
It highlights the necessary transition where our perishable nature must be replaced by imperishability.
-
II Corinthians 4:11
For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus may be revealed in our mortal flesh.
Here the word links our daily suffering and mortality to the ongoing revelation of Jesus' life in us.