808. aschémosuné

Lexical Summary

aschémosuné: Indecency, shamefulness, disgrace

Original Word: ἀσχημοσύνη
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: aschémosuné
Pronunciation: ah-skay-mo-soo-nay
Phonetic Spelling: (as-kay-mos-oo'-nay)
KJV: shame, that which is unseemly
NASB: indecent acts, shame
Word Origin: [from G809 (ἀσχήμων - presentable)]

1. a lack of form
2. (morally) an indecency
3. (by implication) the genitalia, pudenda

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

shame, that which is unseemly.

From askemon; an indecency; by implication, the pudenda -- shame, that which is unseemly.

see GREEK askemon

HELPS Word-studies

Cognate: 808 asxēmosýnē (from 1 /A "without" and 4976 /sxḗma, "form") – properly, deformity (improperly fashioned); (figuratively) improper behavior that fails to fulfill the needed purpose (lacking what is fitting or proper).

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from aschémón
Definition
unseemliness
NASB Translation
indecent acts (1), shame (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 808: ἀσχημοσύνη

ἀσχημοσύνη, ἀσχημοσύνης, ἡ (ἀσχήμων); from Plato down; unseemliness, an unseemly deed: Romans 1:27; of the pudenda, one's nakedness, shame: Revelation 16:15, as in Exodus 20:26; Deuteronomy 23:14, etc. (In Greek writings from Plato down.)

Topical Lexicon

Meaning and Semantic Range

Ἀσχημοσύνη (aschēmosunē) denotes shame, disgrace, or indecency that becomes visible when God-given moral or social boundaries are crossed. Scripture employs the word not merely for inward embarrassment but for an outward condition of dishonor that calls for divine judgment or immediate covering.

Occurrences in the New Testament

1. Romans 1:27 portrays humanity’s descent into moral chaos: “Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in their own persons the due penalty for their error”. Here Ἀσχημοσύνη marks the climax of willful rebellion against the Creator’s design, exposing both the act itself and its inevitable consequence as shameful.
2. Revelation 16:15 serves as a solemn exhortation: “Blessed is the one who remains awake and clothed, so that he will not go naked and let his shame be exposed”. The word warns the last-days believer to stay spiritually vigilant lest the sudden return of Christ reveal a life uncovered by righteousness.

Historical and Cultural Context

In Greco-Roman society, public shame carried catastrophic social and legal implications; loss of honor could sever family ties, civic privileges, and economic stability. Paul and John leverage this cultural backdrop to underscore that sin’s fallout is not theoretical. Divine verdict will strip away every façade, bringing hidden indecency into unmistakable public view (compare Isaiah 47:3; Nahum 3:5).

Theological Significance

• Creation Order: Romans 1 links ἀσχημοσύνη with the rejection of created distinctions. When human beings exchange truth for lies, shame is not merely the psychological byproduct but the divine testimony that something sacred has been violated.
• Eschatological Exposure: Revelation 16:15 locates ἀσχημοσύνη within the final bowl judgments. As plagues intensify, the call to remain clothed points to the righteousness of Christ (compare Revelation 3:18; 19:8). The word thus bridges present obedience with future accountability.
• Covering and Atonement: From the garments God made for Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:21) to the white robes bestowed on the saints (Revelation 7:14), Scripture presents clothing as a God-provided answer to shame. Ἀσχημοσύνη lays bare the need for atoning covering, fulfilled ultimately in the cross.

Pastoral and Practical Applications

1. Moral Clarity: The term encourages pastors to address sexual ethics without ambiguity, appealing to both creation order and gospel hope.
2. Vigilant Watchfulness: Revelation 16:15 urges believers to live wakefully, cultivating habits of confession and repentance so that no pocket of darkness remains uncovered.
3. Gospel Counseling: Those weighed down by shame find in Christ not the evasive coping mechanisms of culture but the definitive robe of righteousness that silences accusation (Zechariah 3:3–5; Romans 8:1).

Connections to Biblical Theology

• Shame and Glory: Ἀσχημοσύνη stands opposite δόξα (glory). Humanity forfeits glory through sin (Romans 3:23) but regains it in Christ (Colossians 1:27).
• Nakedness and Covering: The motif stretches from Eden to Calvary to the New Jerusalem, forming a redemptive arc in which God consistently moves toward sinners to cover their disgrace.
• Judgment and Mercy: While Romans spotlights judgment and Revelation anticipates exposure, both passages assume the availability of grace—for those who repent (Romans 2:4) and for those who keep their garments (Revelation 3:4–5).

Summary

Ἀσχημοσύνη exposes the stark reality of sin and the unrelenting holiness of God. Whether describing illicit sexual conduct or warning against spiritual complacency, the term presses the reader to flee to Christ, whose blood and righteousness alone can replace shame with eternal honor.

Forms and Transliterations

ασχημοσύνη ασχημοσυνην ασχημοσύνην ἀσχημοσύνην ασχημοσύνης aschemosunen aschēmosunēn aschemosynen aschemosýnen aschēmosynēn aschēmosýnēn

Englishman's Concordance

Romans 1:27 N-AFS
GRK: ἄρσεσιν τὴν ἀσχημοσύνην κατεργαζόμενοι καὶ
NAS: committing indecent acts and receiving
KJV: working that which is unseemly, and
INT: males the shame working out and

Revelation 16:15 N-AFS
GRK: βλέπωσιν τὴν ἀσχημοσύνην αὐτοῦ
NAS: and men will not see his shame.)
KJV: they see his shame.
INT: they see the shame of him

Strong's Greek 808
2 Occurrences

ἀσχημοσύνην — 2 Occ.