880. aphónos

Lexicon

aphónos: Mute, silent, without voice

Original Word: ἄφωνος
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: aphónos
Pronunciation: ah-fo'-nos
Phonetic Spelling: (af'-o-nos)
Definition: Mute, silent, without voice
Meaning: soundless, voiceless, speechless, dumb.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

speechless, mute, silent

From a (as a negative particle) and phone; voiceless, i.e. Mute (by nature or choice); figuratively, unmeaning -- dumb, without signification.

see GREEK a

see GREEK phone

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from alpha (as a neg. prefix) and phóné
Definition
without voice, i.e. speechless
NASB Translation
mute (2), silent (1), without meaning (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 880: ἄφωνος

ἄφωνος, ἁφῶν (φωνή), voiceless, dumb; without the faculty of speech; used of idols, 1 Corinthians 12:2 (cf. Psalm 115:5 (); Habakkuk 2:18); of beasts, 2 Peter 2:16. 1 Corinthians 14:10 τοσαῦτα γένη φωνῶν καί οὐδέν αὐτῶν (L T Tr WH omit αὐτῶν) ἄφωνον, i. e. there is no language destitute of the power of language (R. V. text no kind (of voice) is without signification) (cf. the phrases βίος ἀβίωτος a life unworthy of the name of life, χάρις ἄχαρις). used of one that is patiently silent or dumb: ἀμνός, Acts 8:32 from Isaiah 53:7. (In Greek writings from (Theog.), Pindar, Aeschylus down.)

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: Derived from the Greek prefix ἀ- (a-, "without") and φωνή (phōnē, "voice" or "sound").

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: The concept of being mute or silent is also found in the Hebrew Scriptures, with corresponding terms such as:
• H483: אִלֵּם (illem) • meaning "mute" or "dumb," used in contexts like Exodus 4:11, where God speaks to Moses about who makes a person mute or deaf.
• H1748: דּוּמָם (dumam) • meaning "silence" or "stillness," used in contexts like Psalm 94:17, where it refers to the silence of death.

These Hebrew terms, like ἄφωνος, emphasize the absence of speech or sound, whether in a literal or metaphorical sense, and are used to draw attention to the powerlessness of idols or the condition of being unable to speak.

Usage: The word ἄφωνος is used in the New Testament to describe something that is without voice or sound, often referring to idols or individuals who are unable to speak.

Context: The Greek word ἄφωνος appears in the New Testament to convey the concept of being without voice or sound. It is used both literally and metaphorically. In a literal sense, it describes individuals who are mute, as seen in the healing miracles of Jesus. For example, in Mark 9:17, a man brings his son to Jesus, describing him as having a spirit that makes him mute: "Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a spirit that makes him mute." Here, ἄφωνος is used to describe the boy's inability to speak due to the influence of an unclean spirit.

Metaphorically, ἄφωνος is used to describe idols, emphasizing their inability to communicate or respond. In 1 Corinthians 12:2, Paul reminds the Corinthians of their past idolatry: "You know that when you were pagans, you were influenced and led astray to mute idols." The use of ἄφωνος here highlights the futility of worshiping idols that cannot speak or act.

The term underscores the contrast between the living God, who speaks and acts, and lifeless idols or spirits that are powerless and silent. This distinction serves as a reminder of the active and communicative nature of the God of the Bible, in contrast to the silence of false gods.

Forms and Transliterations

αφωνα άφωνα ἄφωνα αφωνον άφωνον ἄφωνον αφωνος άφωνος ἄφωνος aphona aphōna áphona áphōna aphonon aphōnon áphonon áphōnon aphonos aphōnos áphonos áphōnos

Englishman's Concordance

Acts 8:32 Adj-NMS
GRK: κείραντος αὐτὸν ἄφωνος οὕτως οὐκ
NAS: ITS SHEARER IS SILENT, SO
KJV: like a lamb dumb before his
INT: shears him [is] mute thus not

1 Corinthians 12:2 Adj-ANP
GRK: εἴδωλα τὰ ἄφωνα ὡς ἂν
NAS: [you were] led astray to the mute idols,
KJV: unto these dumb idols,
INT: idols mute as anyhow

1 Corinthians 14:10 Adj-NNS
GRK: καὶ οὐδὲν ἄφωνον
NAS: and no [kind] is without meaning.
KJV: none of them [is] without signification.
INT: and none without meaning

2 Peter 2:16 Adj-NNS
GRK: παρανομίας ὑποζύγιον ἄφωνον ἐν ἀνθρώπου
NAS: transgression, [for] a mute donkey,
KJV: iniquity: the dumb ass
INT: wickedness [the] beast of burden mute in a man's

Strong's Greek 880
4 Occurrences

ἄφωνα — 1 Occ.
ἄφωνον — 2 Occ.
ἄφωνος — 1 Occ.