160. aiphnidios

Lexical Summary

aiphnidios: Sudden, unexpected

Original Word: αἰφνίδιος
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: aiphnidios
Pronunciation: aheef-NEE-dee-os
Phonetic Spelling: (aheef-nid'-ee-os)
KJV: sudden, unawares
NASB: suddenly
Word Origin: [from a compound of G1 (α - Alpha) (as a negative particle) and G5316 (φαίνω - appeared) (meaning non-apparent)]

1. unexpected
2. (adverbially) suddenly

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

sudden, unawares.

From a compound of a (as a negative particle) and phaino (compare exaiphnes) (meaning non-apparent); unexpected, i.e. (adverbially) suddenly -- sudden, unawares.

see GREEK a

see GREEK phaino

see GREEK exaiphnes

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from aiphnés (suddenly)
Definition
sudden
NASB Translation
suddenly (2).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 160: αἰφνίδιος

αἰφνίδιος, (αἰφνης, ἀφανής, ἄφνω, which see), unexpected, sudden, unforeseen: Luke 21:34 (here WH ἐφνιδ., see their Introductory § 404 and Appendix, p. 151); 1 Thessalonians 5:8. (Wis. 17:14; 2 Macc. 14:17; 3Macc. 3:24; Aeschylus, Thucydides 2, 61 τό αἰφνίδιον καί ἀπροσδόκητον, Polybius, Josephus, Plutarch, Dionysius Halicarnassus, others.)

STRONGS NT 160: ἐφνιδιος [ἐφνιδιος, see αἰφνίδιος.]

Topical Lexicon

Scriptural Usage

The adjective appears twice in the New Testament, both times in eschatological settings. In Luke 21:34 Jesus warns that “that day will spring upon you suddenly like a snare”, placing the word inside a call for watchfulness amid end–time turmoil. Paul echoes the same theme in 1 Thessalonians 5:3: “For when they say, ‘Peace and security,’ then sudden destruction will come upon them, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape”. In both passages the term marks the sharp contrast between human complacency and the unannounced arrival of divine intervention.

Connection with Old Testament Warning Patterns

The suddenness of divine judgment is an established biblical motif. Proverbs 29:1 foresees that the obstinate “will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy”; Isaiah 47:11 depicts calamity that “will come upon you suddenly.” The New Testament writers draw on this prophetic background to underline that God’s timetable remains hidden but certain. The language of the snare (Luke 21:34) recalls Psalm 124:7 and Jeremiah 5:26; the imagery of labor pains (1 Thessalonians 5:3) reflects Isaiah 13:8 and Jeremiah 6:24, linking final judgment to historical acts of discipline already demonstrated in Israel’s story.

Eschatological Emphasis

1. Imminence: Both occurrences stress that the culmination of God’s plan is not subject to human calculation.
2. Universality: The “day” arrives indiscriminately, catching the unprepared off-guard while vindicating the vigilant.
3. Irreversibility: Once the sudden event begins, the opportunity for repentance closes (“they will not escape”).

Pastoral and Ministry Applications

• Watchfulness as a lifestyle: Jesus locates the danger not only in external events but in hearts “weighed down by dissipation, drunkenness, and the worries of life” (Luke 21:34). Pastoral exhortation therefore balances prophecy charts with calls to holiness, sobriety, and single-minded devotion.
• False security: Paul’s phrase “Peace and security” unmasks cultural slogans that lull societies into spiritual drowsiness. Preachers today confront parallel assurances—technological progress, economic stability, political agreements—that cannot avert divine reckoning.
• Comfort for the faithful: The same passages that threaten judgment also comfort believers (1 Thessalonians 5:4-11). Ministry that proclaims sudden judgment must equally affirm the sure refuge found in Christ.

Historical Reflection

Early Christians lived under Roman power, a regime touting the Pax Romana. Paul’s words counter that propaganda with the reality that true peace is Christ’s gift alone. Within a generation, Jerusalem fell in A.D. 70—a historical illustration of sudden calamity foreshadowing the ultimate Day of the Lord. Throughout church history plagues, wars, and economic crashes have repeatedly turned abstract notions of “sudden” judgment into experiential realities, reminding each generation that the biblical warnings are neither rhetorical nor outdated.

Practical Counsel for Believers

• Cultivate daily repentance, recognizing that procrastinated obedience risks being overtaken by the unexpected.
• Anchor hope in the Lord’s promise rather than in temporal stability, echoing Psalm 20:7.
• Engage in vigilant intercession, following Jesus’ command in Luke 21:36 to “watch and pray.”

Summary

The two New Testament uses of Strong’s Greek 160 distill a consistent biblical message: God’s decisive acts arrive without human scheduling, confronting complacency and rewarding readiness. Pastors, teachers, and all disciples therefore live and labor with an eye on eternity, urging communities to be prepared for the sudden unveiling of the sovereign, saving, and judging Lord.

Forms and Transliterations

αιφνίδιος αἰφνίδιος εφνιδιος ἐφνίδιος aiphnidios aiphnídios

Englishman's Concordance

Luke 21:34 Adj-NMS
GRK: ἐφ' ὑμᾶς αἰφνίδιος ἡ ἡμέρα
NAS: will not come on you suddenly like
KJV: upon you unawares.
INT: upon you suddenly the day

1 Thessalonians 5:3 Adj-NMS
GRK: ἀσφάλεια τότε αἰφνίδιος αὐτοῖς ἐφίσταται
NAS: will come upon them suddenly like
KJV: then sudden destruction
INT: security then suddenly upon them comes

Strong's Greek 160
2 Occurrences

αἰφνίδιος — 2 Occ.