Lexical Summary tephroó: To reduce to ashes, to burn to ashes Original Word: τεφρόω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance turn to ashes. From tephra (ashes); to incinerate, i.e. Consume -- turn to ashes. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom a prim. word tephra (ashes) Definition to burn to ashes NASB Translation reducing...to ashes (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 5077: τεφρόωτεφρόω, τέφρω: 1 aorist participle τεφρώσας; (τέφρα ashes); to reduce to ashes: 2 Peter 2:6. (Aristotle (?), Theophrastus, Dio Cassius, Philo, Antoninus, others.) Topical Lexicon The Ashen Example: Thematic OverviewStrong’s Greek 5077 appears a single time, yet it carries a weighty reminder that divine judgment is both certain and final. The verb depicts God’s reducing Sodom and Gomorrah “to ashes” (2 Peter 2:6), transforming vibrant cities into a barren wasteland. Peter positions this act as an exemplary warning: what God once did in history foreshadows what He will yet do to persistent ungodliness. The imagery of ashes underscores irreversible ruin—nothing useful remains, no rebuilding is possible, and only a sober testimony endures. Representative Usage in 2 Peter 2:6 “if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction, reducing them to ashes, making them an example of what is coming on the ungodly;” The participle “reducing … to ashes” serves two rhetorical purposes: 1. It links the Genesis narrative (Genesis 19:24-29) to Peter’s warnings against false teachers (2 Peter 2:1-3). Old Testament Precursors The Greek Old Testament frequently associates ashes with judgment (Job 13:12; Malachi 4:3). Malachi’s prophecy is particularly striking: “You will trample the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day I am preparing” (Malachi 4:3). Peter’s language taps into this prophetic backdrop, echoing the covenant principle that rebellion invites fiery consumption (Deuteronomy 29:23; Psalm 11:6). While the Old Testament also employs ashes for repentance (Job 42:6; Daniel 9:3), the context of Strong’s 5077 is exclusively punitive. Divine Judgment: Certainty, Suddenness, Finality 1. Certainty: By citing a historical precedent, Peter silences any thought that God’s warnings might lapse (cf. Numbers 23:19). Redemptive-Historical and Christological Connections While 2 Peter 2 highlights destruction, the larger canonical context simultaneously magnifies deliverance. Lot was “rescued” (2 Peter 2:7), prefiguring a righteous remnant spared through divine intervention. This anticipates the ultimate rescue accomplished by Jesus Christ, “who rescues us from the coming wrath” (1 Thessalonians 1:10). Thus, the act of reducing to ashes magnifies the cross, by contrast: only through substitutionary atonement can anyone escape a fiery end. Eschatological Resonance Peter immediately proceeds to eschatological teaching (2 Peter 3). The cosmic conflagration—“the elements will be dissolved with fire” (2 Peter 3:12)—extends the ash motif from a local catastrophe to a universal one. Strong’s 5077 thereby becomes a microcosm of eschatology: past judgment in miniature, future judgment in full. Archaeological and Historical Considerations Excavations in the southeastern Dead Sea region reveal layers of ash, sulfur, and bituminous deposits, consistent with a fiery cataclysm. While archaeology cannot prove every detail, it corroborates Scripture’s claim that Sodom’s destruction was sudden, fiery, and complete—matching precisely the notion expressed by the verb. Pastoral and Discipleship Implications • Evangelism: The ash-heap of Sodom provides an urgent apologetic for repentance (Acts 17:30-31). Homiletical Insights 1. Illustration: Compare a campfire’s cold ashes the next morning—lifeless and inert—to the spiritual deadness following persistent rebellion. Intertextual Links • Jude 7 parallels 2 Peter 2:6, reinforcing the ash imagery. Doctrinal Affirmations 1. Divine holiness requires judgment on sin. Summary Strong’s Greek 5077 presents more than a lexical curiosity; it crystallizes the biblical theology of fiery judgment. One verb enshrines an ancient catastrophe, validates prophetic warnings, foreshadows the eschaton, and galvanizes the church to holy living and fervent witness. The ash-strewn plains of Sodom stand as God’s enduring sermon: sin ends in irreversible ruin, but divine mercy still rescues all who heed His call. Forms and Transliterations τεφρωσας τεφρώσας τεχνάσασθε tephrosas tephrōsas tephrṓsasLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |
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