517. aoratos

Lexicon

aoratos: Invisible

Original Word: ἀόρατος
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: aoratos
Pronunciation: ah-o'-rah-tos
Phonetic Spelling: (ah-or'-at-os)
Definition: Invisible
Meaning: unseen, invisible.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

invisible

From a (as a negative particle) and horatos; invisible -- invisible (thing).

see GREEK a

see GREEK horatos

HELPS Word-studies

517 aóratos (from 1 /A "not" and 3708 /horáō, "see") – properly, not seen; invisible to the physical ("naked") eye; (figuratively) spiritual reality as perceived through God's inbirthings of faith. Accordingly, 517 (aóratos) and faith (4102 /pístis) are closely associated (Ro 1:17-20; 1 Tim 1:17-19; Heb 11:27).

The antonym of faith is not fear – but sight!

Heb 11:27: "By faith (4102 /pístis) he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen (517 /aóratos)" (NASU).

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from alpha (as a neg. prefix) and horatos
Definition
invisible
NASB Translation
invisible (4), unseen (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 517: ἀόρατος

ἀόρατος, ἀόρατον (ὁράω), either, not seen i. e. unseen, or that cannot be seen i. e. invisible. In the latter sense of God in Colossians 1:15; 1 Timothy 1:17; Hebrews 11:27; τά ἀόρατα αὐτοῦ his (God's) invisible nature (perfections), Romans 1:20; τά ὁρατά καί τά ἀόρατα, Colossians 1:16. (Genesis 1:2; Isaiah 45:3; 2 Macc. 9:5; Xenophon, Plato, Polybius, Plutarch, others.)

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: Derived from the Greek prefix ἀ- (a-, "not") and ὁρατός (horatos, "visible"), from ὁράω (horaō, "to see").

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: The concept of invisibility in the Hebrew Bible is often associated with the nature of God, who is described as unseen or hidden. While there is no direct Hebrew equivalent to ἀόρατος, similar ideas can be found in entries such as:

• Strong's Hebrew 369 (אַיִן, ayin): Often used to denote non-existence or absence, which can imply invisibility.
• Strong's Hebrew 5641 (סָתַר, sathar): Meaning "to hide" or "conceal," used in contexts where God's presence is hidden from human sight.

These Hebrew concepts align with the Greek understanding of invisibility, particularly in relation to the divine nature and the unseen aspects of God's work in the world.

Usage: The term ἀόρατος is used in the New Testament to describe things that are not visible to the human eye, often referring to spiritual realities or divine attributes.

Context: The Greek word ἀόρατος appears in the New Testament to convey the concept of invisibility, particularly in relation to spiritual or divine entities. It is used to describe the nature of God and His attributes, emphasizing His transcendence and the unseen aspects of His creation.

In Romans 1:20, the apostle Paul writes, "For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from His workmanship, so that men are without excuse." Here, ἀόρατος underscores the idea that while God's attributes are not visible, they are evident through His creation, leaving humanity without excuse for unbelief.

Colossians 1:15 refers to Christ as "the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation." This passage highlights the theological truth that Jesus Christ makes the unseen God known to humanity, serving as the visible representation of the invisible.

Additionally, 1 Timothy 1:17 praises God as "the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God," emphasizing His divine nature and the mystery of His being, which is beyond human perception.

The use of ἀόρατος in these contexts serves to remind believers of the spiritual realities that exist beyond the physical realm and encourages faith in the unseen, as articulated in Hebrews 11:1, "Now faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see."

Forms and Transliterations

αορατα αόρατα ἀόρατα αορατον αόρατον ἀόρατον αόρατος αορατου αοράτου ἀοράτου αοράτους αορατω αοράτω ἀοράτῳ απαγγελία aorata aórata aorato aoratō aorátoi aorátōi aoraton aóraton aoratou aorátou

Englishman's Concordance

Romans 1:20 Adj-NNP
GRK: τὰ γὰρ ἀόρατα αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ
NAS: of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal
KJV: For the invisible things of him from
INT: the indeed invisible things of him from

Colossians 1:15 Adj-GMS
GRK: θεοῦ τοῦ ἀοράτου πρωτότοκος πάσης
NAS: He is the image of the invisible God,
KJV: the image of the invisible God,
INT: God invisible [the] firstborn of all

Colossians 1:16 Adj-NNP
GRK: καὶ τὰ ἀόρατα εἴτε θρόνοι
NAS: visible and invisible, whether
KJV: and invisible, whether
INT: and the invisible whether thrones

1 Timothy 1:17 Adj-DMS
GRK: αἰώνων ἀφθάρτῳ ἀοράτῳ μόνῳ θεῷ
NAS: immortal, invisible, the only
KJV: immortal, invisible, the only
INT: ages [the] immortal invisible only God

Hebrews 11:27 Adj-AMS
GRK: τὸν γὰρ ἀόρατον ὡς ὁρῶν
NAS: as seeing Him who is unseen.
KJV: as seeing him who is invisible.
INT: indeed invisible as seeing

Strong's Greek 517
5 Occurrences

ἀόρατα — 2 Occ.
ἀοράτῳ — 1 Occ.
ἀόρατον — 1 Occ.
ἀοράτου — 1 Occ.