Lexical Summary atopos: Improper, unreasonable, perverse, out of place Original Word: ἄτοπος Strong's Exhaustive Concordance amiss, harmful, unreasonable. From a (as a negative particle) and topos; out of place, i.e. (figuratively) improper, injurious, wicked -- amiss, harm, unreasonable. see GREEK a see GREEK topos HELPS Word-studies 824 átopos (an adjective, derived from 1 /A "not" and 5117 /tópos, "place") – properly, out of place, i.e. odd (out of the ordinary); (figuratively) unsuitable because "warped" (not "falling in line with" needed expectations or the norm); strange, queer; out of line (kilter); amiss. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom alpha (as a neg. prefix) and topos Definition out of place, strange NASB Translation perverse (1), unusual (1), wrong (2). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 824: ἄτοποςἄτοπος, ἄτοπον (τόπος), out of place; not befitting, unbecoming (so in Greek writings from Thucydides down; very often in Plato); in later Greek in an ethical sense, improper, wicked: Luke 23:41 (ἄτοπον τί πράσσειν, as in Job 27:6; 2 Macc. 14:23); Acts 25:5 L T Tr WH; (the Sept. for אָוֶן. Job 4:8; Job 11:11, etc. Josephus, Antiquities 6, 5, 6; Plutarch, de aud. poët. c. 3 φαῦλα and ἄτοπα); of men: 2 Thessalonians 3:2 (ἀτοποι καί πονηροί; Luth.unartig, more correctly unrighteous ((iniquus), A. V. unreasonable, cf. Ellicott at the passage)). inconvenient, harmful: Acts 28:6 μηδέν ἄτοπον εἰς αὐτόν γινόμενον, no injury, no harm coming to him (Thucydides 2, 49; Josephus, Antiquities 11, 5, 2; Herodian, 4, 11, 7 (4, Bekker edition)). Topical Lexicon Overview Found in the New Testament four times, ἄτοπος depicts whatever is “out of place,” whether morally twisted, legally improper, or physically abnormal. Each context exposes a different facet of disorder that the gospel corrects through the righteousness, justice, and power of God. Occurrences and Nuances 1. 2 Thessalonians 3:2 – Moral Perversity Paul seeks prayer “that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men”. Here the term brands opponents of the gospel as men whose conduct is contrary to the order God intends. Their lack of faith produces actions that threaten the mission, yet the request for prayer displays confidence that God restrains such disorder. 2. Luke 23:41 – Innocence of Jesus Christ The penitent criminal declares, “But this Man has done nothing wrong”. By placing ἄτοπον on the lips of a condemned sinner, Luke highlights the blamelessness of Jesus in contrast to the world’s crookedness. The word reinforces the doctrine of Christ’s sinless perfection, essential for His substitutionary atonement. 3. Acts 25:5 – Judicial Impropriety Festus, arranging Paul’s hearing, invites the Jewish leaders to accuse him “if he has done anything wrong”. In Roman legal language ἄτοπος could denote an indictable offense. Luke thus shows Paul repeatedly cleared of any legitimate charge, underscoring the gospel’s integrity before civil authorities. 4. Acts 28:6 – Physical Anomaly After the viper bite on Malta, the onlookers expect Paul “to swell up or suddenly fall dead, but… they saw nothing unusual happen to him”. The anticipated ἄτοπον is a lethal reaction to venom. God’s intervention overturns nature’s disorder, authenticating Paul’s apostolic authority and advancing the mission to “the ends of the earth.” Theological Significance • Human sin is essentially ἄτοπον—life lived out of the God-ordained pattern (2 Thessalonians 3:2). Historical Context In Hellenistic jurisprudence ἄτοπος labeled actions violating public norms. Luke—educated and meticulous—adopts the term to show that charges against Jesus and Paul cannot stand. As a physician, Luke’s use in Acts 28:6 also resonates with medical observations of abnormal pathology, heightening the wonder of Paul’s survival. Implications for Ministry • Intercessory prayer remains vital against morally “out-of-place” opposition (2 Thessalonians 3:2). Application for Today Followers of Jesus resist cultural and personal ἄτοπα by aligning thought and conduct with Scripture; defend the faith courteously in legal or public arenas; and trust the Lord to overrule both moral chaos and natural calamity for the advancement of the gospel. Forms and Transliterations άτοπα ατοπον άτοπον ἄτοπον ατοπων ατόπων ἀτόπων άτρακτον ατραποίς ατραπούς άτρυγον αττάκην atopon atopōn atópon atópōn átoponLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Luke 23:41 Adj-ANSGRK: δὲ οὐδὲν ἄτοπον ἔπραξεν NAS: has done nothing wrong. KJV: hath done nothing amiss. INT: moreover nothing wrong did Acts 25:5 Adj-NNS Acts 28:6 Adj-ANS 2 Thessalonians 3:2 Adj-GMP Strong's Greek 824 |
    |