Lexical Summary aspondos: Irreconcilable, implacable Original Word: ἄσπονδος Strong's Exhaustive Concordance implacable, irreconcilableFrom a (as a negative particle) and a derivative of spendo; literally, without libation (which usually accompanied a treaty), i.e. (by implication) truceless -- implacable, truce-breaker. see GREEK a see GREEK spendo HELPS Word-studies 786 áspondos (an adjective which is the negation of spondē, "a libation-sacrifice" used for making treaties and covenants) – properly, unable to please (placate) someone; implacable. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom alpha (as a neg. prefix) and spondé (a libation) Definition without libation, i.e. without truce, hence admitting of no truce NASB Translation irreconcilable (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 786: ἄσπονδοςἄσπονδος, ἀσπονδον (σπονδή a libation, which, as a kind of sacrifice, accompanied the making of treaties and compacts; cf. Latinspondere); (from Thucydides down); 1. without a treaty or covenant; of things not mutually agreed upon, e. g. abstinence from hostilities, Thucydides 1, 37, etc. 2. that cannot be persuaded to enter into a covenant, implacable (in this sense from Aeschylus down; especially in the phrase ἄσπονδος πόλεμος, Dem. pro cor., p. 314, 16; Polybius 1, 65, 6; (Philo de sacrif. § 4); Cicero, ad Att. 9, 10, 5; (cf. Trench, § lii.)): joined with ἄστοργος, Romans 1:31 Rec.; 2 Timothy 3:3. Strong’s Greek 786 designates a vice named among the perilous characteristics of the “last days.” It speaks of people whose hearts have become so hardened that they refuse any possibility of reconciliation. The term therefore belongs to the biblical family of ideas that contrast covenant faithfulness with covenant-breaking and identifies a posture diametrically opposed to the gospel of peace. Occurrence in the New Testament The word appears once, in 2 Timothy 3:3, where Paul warns that in difficult times many will be “unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, without love of good”. Nestled in this catalog of moral decay, the term accentuates the breakdown of relationships that accompanies wholesale abandonment of God. Contextual Setting in 2 Timothy 3:1–5 Paul frames the list with an exhortation to Timothy to “realize this” and to “turn away from such as these” (2 Timothy 3:1, 5). The phrase outlines a double duty for church leaders: discernment and separation. In a passage permeated with covenantal language (lovers of self rather than lovers of God, 3:4), the irreconcilable attitude denoted by the word functions as a hallmark of apostasy. Paul’s inclusion of it underscores that the denial of peace with others reveals a deeper refusal to submit to the Prince of Peace. Relation to Biblical Covenant Language Throughout Scripture, covenant life is marked by faithfulness, steadfast love, and willingness to pursue peace. Psalms extol the blessedness of the one who swears to his own hurt and does not change (Psalm 15:4). Hosea indicts Israel because “there is no loyalty or kindness or knowledge of God in the land” (Hosea 4:1). Against that background, an implacable spirit represents the collapse of covenant obligation: it is an unwillingness to enter or honor any truce, treaty, or promise. Whereas God binds Himself by oath (Hebrews 6:17), the person depicted in 2 Timothy 3:3 refuses every bond. Old Testament Echoes and Jewish Background Although the specific Greek term is not used in the Septuagint, the thought world of unreconcilable hostility appears in references to violent men who “cannot sleep unless they do evil” (Proverbs 4:16) and to nations that “seek my life” without cause (Psalm 35:7). Isaiah’s depiction of those whose “feet run to evil” (Isaiah 59:7) anticipates Paul’s portrayal of last-days lawlessness in 2 Timothy. Jewish wisdom literature celebrates the peacemaker (Proverbs 12:20), thereby highlighting the contrast with the attitude Paul condemns. Classical and Intertestamental Usage Greco-Roman culture prized the solemnizing of peace accords through libations and treaties. A person who scorned such agreements was seen as a menace to civic stability. In later Hellenistic writings and in Philo, related expressions describe unyielding opponents who cannot be placated. By employing this term, Paul taps into a cultural idiom already loaded with moral judgment and applies it to spiritual rebellion. Theological Significance 1. Reflection of the Fall: The unwillingness to reconcile mirrors humanity’s first rupture with God (Genesis 3). Ministry and Pastoral Implications • Discernment: Leaders must identify irreconcilable attitudes masquerading as righteous firmness. Contrast with the Character of Christ Jesus Christ embodies reconciling grace. Isaiah foresaw Him as the One who would proclaim “peace to those far and near” (Isaiah 57:19). In His earthly ministry He reconciled sinners to God and to one another, breaking down “the dividing wall of hostility” (Ephesians 2:14). The presence of an irreconcilable spirit thus stands in stark opposition to the mind of Christ (Philippians 2:1-5). Application for Contemporary Believers 1. Personal Examination: Believers must guard against cultivating grudges, remembering that harboring an unforgiving spirit contradicts their profession. Conclusion Strong’s Greek 786 spotlights a condition of heart that rejects every overture of peace. Scripture exposes such implacability as a sign of apostasy and a threat to the church’s mission. The antidote is found in the reconciling work of Christ, who calls His people to reflect His character by pursuing peace with God, with one another, and with the world. |
    |