Lexical Summary parabainó: To transgress, to go beyond, to violate Original Word: παραβαίνω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance transgress. From para and the base of basis; to go contrary to, i.e. Violate a command -- (by) transgress(-ion). see GREEK para see GREEK basis HELPS Word-studies Cognate: 3845 parabaínō (from 3844 /pará, "beside, contrary to" and baínō, "go") – properly, to transgress in a willful (defiant) way, deliberately stepping over a known line, i.e. as a fully willful decision. See 3847 (parabasis). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom para and the same as basis Definition to go by the side of, to go past NASB Translation break (1), transgress (1), turned aside (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 3845: παραβαίνωπαραβαίνω; 2 aorist παρέβην; properly, to go by the side of (in Homer twice παρβεβαως of one who stands by another's side in a war-chariot, Iliad 11,522; 13, 708 (but here of men on foot)); to go past or to pass over without touching a thing; tropically, to overstep, neglect, violate, transgress, with an accusative of the thing (often so in secular authors from Aeschylus down (cf. παρά, IV. 1 and 2)): τήν παράδοσιν, Matthew 15:2; τήν ἐντολήν τοῦ Θεοῦ, Matthew 15:3; ὁ παραβαίνων, he that transgresseth, oversteppeth, i. e. who does not hold to the true doctrine, opposed to μένειν ἐν τῇ διδαχή, 2 John 1:9 R G (where L T Tr WH ὁ προάγων (which see)) (so οἱ παραβαίνοντες, transgressors of the law, Sir. 40:14 (cf. Josephus, contra Apion 2, 18, 2; 29, 4; 30, 1)); (τήν διαθήκην, Joshua 7:11, 15; Ezekiel 16:59, and often; τό ῤῆμα κυρίου, Numbers 14:41; 1 Samuel 15:24, etc.; τάς συνθήκας, Polybius 7, 5, 1; Josephus, Antiquities 4, 6, 5; Aelian v. h. 10, 2; besides, παραβ. δίκην. τόν νόμον, τούς ὅρκους, πίστιν, etc., in Greek writings). In imitation of the Hebrew סוּר followed by מִן, we find παραβαίνειν ἐκ τίνος and ἀπό τίνος, so to go past as to turn aside from, i. e. to depart, leave, be turned from: ἐκ τῆς ὁδοῦ, Exodus 32:8; Deuteronomy 9:12; ἀπό τῶν ἐντολῶν, Deuteronomy 17:20; ἀποπο τῶν λόγων, Deuteronomy 28:14, the Alex. manuscript; once so in the N. T.: ἐκ (L T Tr WH ἀπό) τῆς ἀποστολῆς, of one who abandons his trust (R. V. fell away], Acts 1:25. (In the Sept. also for עָבַר, הֵפִיר, to break, שָׁטָה, to deviate, turn aside.) (Synonym: παραβαίνειν to overstep, παραπορεύεσθαι to proceed by the side of, παρέρχεσθαι to go past.) Topical Lexicon Definition and Scope of Usage The verb conveys the idea of stepping beside a boundary that God Himself has established, whether by active violation, careless neglect, or deliberate abandonment. It expresses moral departure rather than mere mistake, highlighting the willful aspect of sin. Occurrences in the New Testament 1. Matthew 15:2 – The disciples are accused of “transgressing” rabbinic tradition. Jesus and the Pharisaic Traditions (Matthew 15) When religious leaders ask, “Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders?” (Matthew 15:2), Jesus turns the charge back: “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?” (Matthew 15:3). The contrast is crucial: human customs, however venerable, cannot override divine injunctions. Here the verb exposes hypocrisy—those who boast about protecting the Law are actually the ones transgressing it. By focusing on the heart’s orientation, Jesus reaffirms that true obedience requires submitting both belief and practice to Scripture. Judas Iscariot’s Defection (Acts 1:25) At the selection of Matthias, the Eleven pray that God will show “which of these two You have chosen to take the place in this apostolic ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place” (Acts 1:24-25). The verb underscores Judas’s conscious departure from an ordained office. His transgression was not merely the betrayal of Jesus but also the abdication of a sacred trust. This highlights the sobering reality that ministry appointment does not guarantee perseverance; a servant must continue in faith and faithfulness. Theological Implications 1. Authority of Scripture: Any practice that contradicts God’s explicit commands constitutes transgression, no matter how ancient or ecclesiastically sanctioned. Harmony with Old Testament Witness The concept echoes Numbers 14:41 (“Why are you transgressing the command of the LORD?”) and Hosea 8:1 (“They have transgressed My covenant”). The continuity reveals a consistent biblical ethic: covenant faithfulness is measured by adherence to God’s revealed will. Systematic Connections • Hamartiology: The term enriches the catalog of Greek words for sin, emphasizing relational breach. Application for Christian Ministry • Evaluate traditions regularly against Scripture. Summary The verb translated “to transgress” spotlights deliberate overstepping of divine limits. Whether exposing Pharisaic hypocrisy or Judas’s apostasy, its few occurrences carry weighty lessons: Scripture outranks tradition, leadership demands loyalty, and authentic discipleship lives within the borders God has lovingly drawn. Forms and Transliterations παραβαινετε παραβαίνετε παραβαίνοντας παραβαινουσιν παραβαίνουσιν παραβαίνων παραβέβηκας παραβεβηκότων παραβή παραβήναι παραβήση παραβήτε παρεβαίνετε παρεβη παρέβη παρέβην παρέβησαν παρέβητε parabainete parabaínete parabainousin parabaínousin parebe parebē parébe parébēLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Matthew 15:2 V-PIA-3PGRK: μαθηταί σου παραβαίνουσιν τὴν παράδοσιν KJV: disciples transgress the tradition INT: disciples of you break the tradition Matthew 15:3 V-PIA-2P Acts 1:25 V-AIA-3S Strong's Greek 3845 |
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