Strong's Lexicon zóé: Life Original Word: ζωή Word Origin: Derived from ζάω (zaō), meaning "to live" Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: - חַי (chay) - Strong's Hebrew 2416, meaning "life" or "living" - נֶפֶשׁ (nephesh) - Strong's Hebrew 5315, often translated as "soul" or "life" Usage: In the New Testament, "zóé" refers to life in its fullest sense, encompassing both physical and spiritual dimensions. It is often used to describe the eternal life that is granted through faith in Jesus Christ. This life is not merely an unending existence but a quality of life that is abundant and fulfilling, characterized by a relationship with God. Cultural and Historical Background: In the Greco-Roman world, the concept of life (zóé) was often associated with the physical and temporal existence. However, the New Testament writers, particularly John and Paul, infused the term with a deeper theological meaning. They emphasized that true life is found in Christ, contrasting it with the temporary and often unfulfilling life offered by the world. This understanding was revolutionary in a culture that often sought life through philosophy, pleasure, or power. HELPS Word-studies 2222 zōḗ – life (physical and spiritual). All life (2222 /zōḗ), throughout the universe, is derived – i.e. it always (only) comes from and is sustained by God's self-existent life. The Lord intimately shares His gift of life with people, creating each in His image which gives all the capacity to know His eternal life. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom zaó Definition life NASB Translation alive (1), life (133), living (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 2222: ζωήζωή, ζωῆς, ἡ (from ζάω, ζῶ), the Sept. chiefly for חַיִּים; life; 1. universally, life, i. e. the state of one who is possessed of vitality or is animate: 1 Peter 3:10 (on which see ἀγαπάω); Hebrews 7:3, 16; αὐτός (ὁ Θεός) διδούς πᾶσιν ζωήν καί πνοήν, Acts 17:25; πνεῦμα ζωῆς ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ, the vital spirit, the breath of (i. e. imparting) life, Revelation 11:11 (Ezekiel 37:5); πᾶσα ψυχή ζωῆς, genitive of possess, every living soul, Revelation 16:3 G L T Tr text WH; spoken of earthly life: ἡ ζωή τίνος, Luke 12:15; Acts 8:33 (see αἴρω, 3 h.); James 4:14; ἐν τῇ ζωή σου, whilst thou wast living on earth, Luke 16:25 (ἐν τῇ ζωή αὐτοῦ, Sir. 30:5 Sir. 50:1); ἐν τῇ ζωή ταύτῃ, 1 Corinthians 15:19; πᾶσαι αἱ ἡμέραι τῆς ζωῆς τίνος, Luke 1:75 Rec. (Genesis 3:14; Psalm 127:5 2. used emphatically, a. "of the absolute fullness of life, both essential and ethical, which belongs to God, and through him both to the hypostatic λόγος and to Christ" in whom the λόγος put on human nature: ὥσπερ ὁ πατήρ ἔχει ζωήν ἐν ἑαυτῷ, οὕτως ἔδωκεν καί τῷ υἱῷ ζωήν ἔχειν ἐν ἑαυτῷ, John 5:26; ἐν αὐτῷ (namely, τῷ λόγῳ) ζωή ἦν καί ἡ ζωή ἦν τό φῶς τῶν ἀνθρώπων, in him life was (comprehended), and the life (transfused from the Logos into created natures) was the light (i. e. the intelligence) of men (because the life of men is self-conscious, and thus a fountain of intelligence springs up), John 1:4; ὁ λόγος τῆς ζωῆς, the Logos having life in itself and communicating it to others, 1 John 1:1; ἡ ζωή ἐφανερώθη, was manifested in Christ, clothed in flesh, 1 John 1:2. From this divine fountain of life flows forth that life which is next to be defined: viz. b. life real and genuine, vita quae sola vita nominanda (Cicero, de sen. 21, 77), "a life active and vigorous, devoted to God, blessed, the portion even in this world of those who put their trust in Christ, but after the resurrection to be consummated by new accessions (among them a more perfect body), and to last forever" (the writers of the O. T. have anticipated the conception, in their way, by employing חַיִּים to denote a happy life and every kind of blessing: Deuteronomy 30:15, 19; Malachi 2:5; Psalm 33:13 d. Apokalypse, p. 174f; ὕδωρ ζωῆς, water the use of which serves to maintain eternal life, Revelation 21:6; Revelation 22:1, 17; in the same sense ζωῆς πηγαί ὑδάτων, Revelation 7:17 G L T Tr WH; ἡ βίβλος and τό βιβλίον τῆς ζωῆς, the book in which the names of those are recorded to whom eternal life has been decreed: Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:5; Revelation 13:8; Revelation 17:8; Revelation 20:12, 15; Revelation 21:27; (Revelation 22:19 Rec.; cf. Lightfoot on Philippians, the passage cited), more fully ἡ ὄντως (Rec. αἰώνιος) ζωή, 1 Timothy 6:19; ζωή αἰώνιος (cf. above) (Justin Martyr, de resurr. i., p. 588 c. ὁ λόγος ... διδούς ἡμῖν ἐν ἑαυτῷ τήν ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀνάστασιν καί τήν μετά ταῦτα ζωήν αἰώνιον), Matthew 25:46 (opposed to κόλασις αἰώνιος); Acts 13:46, 48; Romans 2:7; Romans 6:22; Galatians 6:8; 1 Timothy 6:12; after ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τῷ ἐρχομένῳ, Mark 10:30; Luke 18:30; ἔχειν ζωήν αἰώνιον Matthew 19:16; κληρονομεῖν, Matthew 19:29; Mark 10:17; Luke 10:25; Luke 18:18; εἰς ζωήν αἰώνιον, unto the attainment of life eternal, John 12:25; Romans 5:21; 1 Timothy 1:16; Jude 1:21 (Daniel 12:2; 4 Macc. 15:2; ἀενναος ζωή, 2 Macc. 7:36; ἀΐδιος ζωή, Ignatius ad Eph. 19 [ET]). Cf. Köstlin, Lehrbegriff des Ev. Johann. etc., pp. 234ff, 338ff; Reuss, Johann. Theologie (in Beiträge zu d. theol. Wissenschaften, vol. i.), p. 76ff (cf. his Hist. de la Theol. Chret., book vii., chapter xiv.); Lipsius, Paulin. Rechtfertigungslehre, pp. 152ff 185f; Güder in Herzog viii. 254 (2nd edition, 509ff); B. B. Brückner, De notione vocis ζωή in N. T. Lipsius 1858; Huther, d. Bedeut. d. Begriffe ζωή u. πιστεύειν im N. T., in the Jahrbb. f. deutsche Theol. 1872, p. 1ff (For the relations of the term to heathen conceptions cf. G. Teichmüller, Aristotle, Forsch. iii., p. 127ff) Some, as Bretschneider, Wahl, Wilke, especially Käuffer (in his book De biblica ζωῆς αἰωνίου notione. Dresd. 1838), maintain that ζωή αἰώνιος everywhere even in John's writings refers to life after the resurrection; but in this way they are compelled not only to assume a prophetic use of the perfect in the saying ἐκ τοῦ θανάτου μεταβεβηκέναι εἰς τήν ζωήν (John 5:24; 1 John 3:14), but also to interpret the common phrase ἔχει ζωήν αἰώνιον as meaning he has eternal life as his certain portion though as yet only in hope, as well as to explain ζωήν αἰώνιον οὐκ ἔχειν ἐν ἑαυτῷ μένουσαν (1 John 3:15) of the hope of eternal life. (Synonym: see βίος, at the end.) From zao; life (literally or figuratively) -- life(-time). Compare psuche. see GREEK zao see GREEK psuche Englishman's Concordance Matthew 7:14 N-AFSGRK: εἰς τὴν ζωήν καὶ ὀλίγοι NAS: that leads to life, and there KJV: leadeth unto life, and few INT: to life and few Matthew 18:8 N-AFS Matthew 18:9 N-AFS Matthew 19:16 N-AFS Matthew 19:17 N-AFS Matthew 19:29 N-AFS Matthew 25:46 N-AFS Mark 9:43 N-AFS Mark 9:45 N-AFS Mark 10:17 N-AFS Mark 10:30 N-AFS Luke 10:25 N-AFS Luke 12:15 N-NFS Luke 16:25 N-DFS Luke 18:18 N-AFS Luke 18:30 N-AFS John 1:4 N-NFS John 1:4 N-NFS John 3:15 N-AFS John 3:16 N-AFS John 3:36 N-AFS John 3:36 N-AFS John 4:14 N-AFS John 4:36 N-AFS John 5:24 N-AFS Strong's Greek 2222 |