Lexical Summary nomothetés: Lawgiver Original Word: νομοθέτης Strong's Exhaustive Concordance lawgiver. From nomos and a derivative of tithemi; a legislator -- lawgiver. see GREEK nomos see GREEK tithemi NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom nomos and tithémi Definition a lawgiver NASB Translation Lawgiver (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 3550: νομοθέτηςνομοθέτης, νομοθετου, ὁ (νόμος and τίθημι, a lawgiver: James 4:12. ((Antiphon, Thucydides), Xenophon, Plato, Demosthenes, Josephus, others; the Sept. Psalm 9:21.) Topical Lexicon OverviewThe noun νομοθέτης occurs only once in the New Testament (James 4:12) and identifies God as “the Lawgiver,” the sole source of binding moral and covenantal authority. Canonical Context (James 4:11–12) James rebukes believers for slander and judgmentalism, reminding them: “There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy” (James 4:12). By pairing “Lawgiver” with “Judge,” the verse merges legislation and adjudication in a single divine prerogative, exposing every attempt at self-exaltation as usurpation of God’s throne. Old Testament Foundations Isaiah 33:22 (“the LORD is our Judge, the LORD is our Lawgiver, the LORD is our King”) supplies the precedent for James’s language. Earlier, Deuteronomy 33:2–4 depicts Yahweh giving the Torah through Moses, while Psalm 19:7–9 extols that Torah as perfect and life-giving. Though Moses mediates, the origin is always divine; the Lord alone ordains covenant standards. Historical and Intertestamental Usage Greek culture hailed civic νομοθέται like Solon, yet Jewish writers reserved the title chiefly for God or for Moses as His delegate (Philo, Josephus). Qumran sectarians likewise saw their Teacher as an interpreter, never a new lawgiver, maintaining the unique authority of God’s revealed statutes. Against this backdrop James’s assertion is striking: no leader, however respected, may claim legislative rights within the church. Christ and the Lawgiver Motif Jesus fulfills rather than abolishes the Law (Matthew 5:17), speaks with divine authority (“But I tell you…,” Matthew 5), and is described as the telos of the law (Romans 10:4). Though not directly called νομοθέτης, His unity with the Father means that obedience to Christ is obedience to the Lawgiver Himself. Theological Significance 1. Divine Exclusivity: Only God establishes absolute moral norms. Pastoral and Practical Implications • Speech Ethics: Measure every word by the standard of God’s law (Ephesians 4:29). Relation to Judgment Themes Because legislation defines righteousness, judgment inevitably follows. The believer lives under the certainty that “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:10), where the Lawgiver’s verdict will stand. Eschatological Outlook In the new covenant God writes His law on the hearts of His people (Jeremiah 31:33; Hebrews 8:10). The consummation of history will vindicate His role as Lawgiver when every mouth is silenced before His throne (Romans 3:19). Summary Strong’s 3550 crystallizes a central biblical claim: the Lord alone is Lawgiver. This truth humbles human pride, anchors moral certainty, and points to the day when the One who gives the law will complete His saving and judging work in perfect righteousness. Forms and Transliterations νομοθέτην νομοθετης νομοθέτης nomothetes nomothetēs nomothétes nomothétēsLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |
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