ἱλασμός (hilasmos)
hilasmos
propitiation
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun hilasmos refers to a means of appeasing or turning away wrath, functioning as a propitiation. In the New Testament, it appears only twice, both within the First Epistle of John (1 John 2:2 and 4:10). The term describes Jesus Christ as the sacrifice that satisfies divine justice, thereby removing the barrier between God and humanity.
Its root verb, hilaskomai, carries the sense of making atonement. In the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, related words often translate terms for forgiveness or cleansing from sin. This background suggests that hilasmos is not merely about calming an angry deity, but about effectively dealing with the offense that causes separation.
John uses this specific word to highlight the scope and nature of Christ’s work. By calling Jesus the hilasmos for sins, the text emphasizes that his death is the definitive solution for wrongdoing. It underscores that God’s love initiates this provision, offering a way for believers to be reconciled to Him through faith in His Son.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word hilasmos points to a profound act of divine love where Jesus steps in to deal with the weight of sin. It is not about forcing a reluctant God to change His mind, but rather about Him providing the means for reconciliation through His own life and death. This sacrifice removes the barrier that separates us from Him, allowing peace to be restored between heaven and earth.
In 1 John 4:10, we see that this provision originates entirely from God’s initiative. He did not wait for us to earn favor; instead, He sent His Son as the atoning sacrifice while we were still distant. This truth offers deep comfort, reminding us that our standing before God rests on His faithful love and the finished work of Christ, not on our own imperfect efforts.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- [the] propitiation1×
- [as] a propitiation1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἱλασμός1×
- ἱλασμὸν1×
Key Verses
-
I John 2:2
And he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the whole world.
This verse expands the scope of the sacrifice beyond individual believers to include the whole world, highlighting the universal availability of this propitiation.
-
I John 4:10
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
Here the term defines the very nature of love, showing that God’s initiative in sending His Son is the ultimate proof of His care for us.