Lexical Summary bathos: Depth, deep, profundity Original Word: βάθος Strong's Exhaustive Concordance deepness, depth. From the same as bathus; profundity, i.e. (by implication) extent; (figuratively) mystery -- deep(-ness, things), depth. see GREEK bathus NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom bathus Definition depth NASB Translation deep (1), deep water (1), depth (5), depths (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 899: βάθοςβάθος, βαθέος (βάθους), τό (connected with the obsolete verb βάζω, βάω (but cf. Curtius, § 635; Vanicek, p. 195); cf. βαθύς, βάσσων, and ὁ βυθός, ὁ βύσσος; German Boden), depth, height — (accusative, as measured down or up); 1. properly: Matthew 13:5; Mark 4:5; Romans 8:39 (opposed to ὕψωμα); Ephesians 3:18 (opposed to ὕψος); of 'the deep' sea (the 'high seas'), Luke 5:4 2. metaphorically: ἡ κατά βάθους πτωχεία αὐτῶν, deep, extreme, poverty, 2 Corinthians 8:2; τά βάθη τοῦ Θεοῦ the deep things of God, things hidden and above man's scrutiny, especially the divine counsels, 1 Corinthians 2:10 (τοῦ Σατανᾶ, Revelation 2:24 Rec.; καρδίας ἀνθρώπου, Judith 8:14; (τά βαθα τῆς θείας γνώσεως, Clement of Rome, 1 Cor. 40, 1 [ET] (cf. Lightfoot at the passage))); inexhaustible abundance, immense amount, πλούτου, Romans 11:33 (so also Sophocles Aj. 130; βαθύς πλοῦτος, Aelian v. h. 3, 18; κακῶν (Aeschylus Pers. 465, 712); Euripides, Hel. 303; the Sept. Proverbs 18:3). Strong’s Greek 899 (βάθος, bathos) gathers the varied biblical portrayals of “depth” into a single word family that moves from the physical realm (deep water or soil) to the immeasurable spiritual realm (the deep things of God, the depth of divine love). Across its eight New Testament occurrences, depth becomes a literary device by which Scripture contrasts surface appearance with hidden reality, inviting readers to move from the observable to the unfathomable. Depth in the Synoptic Gospels: A Call to Trust Beyond the Surface Matthew 13:5 and Mark 4:5 set the stage with the soils of Christ’s parable. Seed that lacks “depth of soil” springs up quickly yet withers, cautioning against shallow, emotional responses to the word. Depth here measures receptivity; true discipleship requires a heart so penetrable that roots grow undisturbed. Luke 5:4 records Jesus’ command, “Put out into deep water, and let down your nets for a catch.” The fishermen, experts of Galilee, had failed all night in the shallows. Christ leads them past human competency into depth, where divine abundance awaits. The physical bathos of the lake thus becomes a metaphor for obedient faith that risks going further than human calculation. Depth in Paul: The Unfathomable Riches of God 1 Corinthians 2:10 links bathos directly to divine revelation: “The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.” Only the Spirit can plumb that depth, for human wisdom, left to itself, stops at the shoreline of mystery. Here bathos signals God’s self-contained realm of knowledge, inaccessible apart from revelation yet made graciously knowable in Christ. Romans 8:39 anchors the believer’s security: “neither height nor depth… will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Depth functions in a pair with height, capturing the totality of spatial extremes. No abyss, literal or figurative, exists outside the reach of divine love. Romans 11:33 turns bathos into doxology: “O, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!” Paul stands at the edge of the redemptive plan outlined in chapters 9–11 and marvels that the gospel reconciles Jew and Gentile. Bathos marks the limit of human comprehension and the beginning of worship. Ephesians 3:18 links depth to the multidimensional scope of Christ’s love: “how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.” Depth here is one dimension in a four-fold description portraying love that fills all space and surpasses all measurement (verse 19). 2 Corinthians 8:2 speaks of Macedonian believers who, “In the terrible ordeal they suffered, their abundant joy and deep poverty overflowed into rich generosity.” Bathos in “deep poverty” magnifies grace: even the lowest economic depth cannot restrain Christ-like liberality. Theological and Devotional Significance 1. Revelation and Mystery: Bathos signals material beyond unaided human reach. Whether describing the Spirit’s searching (1 Corinthians 2:10) or God’s unsearchable judgments (Romans 11:33), depth emphasizes both the transcendence of God and His gracious self-disclosure. 2. Security and Assurance: The coupling of “height nor depth” (Romans 8:39) assures believers that no spatial or existential extreme can sever their union with Christ. Depth thus becomes a symbol of the believer’s invulnerability in the covenant love of God. 3. Discipleship and Obedience: The movement from shallow to deep waters (Luke 5:4) urges believers to venture beyond comfortable routines. Spiritual fruit is found where Christ directs, even when that place lies beneath perceived risk. 4. Generosity in Adversity: “Deep poverty” (2 Corinthians 8:2) shows that gospel-empowered giving is measured not by surplus but by grace-inspired willingness. Depth expresses extremity; grace transforms extremity into opportunity. Historical and Linguistic Observations • In classical Greek bathos could denote the sea’s abyss or profound intellectual concepts. The Septuagint uses it for the depths of the sea (Exodus 15:5) and of Sheol (Job 38:16). The New Testament writers build on this semantic range, yet consistently redirect it toward Christological or ecclesial ends. • The Pauline concentration of bathos (five of eight occurrences) reflects his thematic emphasis on the riches, mystery, and boundless dimensions of salvation. • Early church fathers, notably Gregory of Nyssa, exploited bathos in praise of God’s incomprehensibility, following Paul’s example in Romans 11:33. Ministry Implications • Preaching: Bathos invites expositors to move congregations from superficial engagement to Spirit-guided exploration of Scripture’s riches, highlighting that true knowledge is relational and worshipful. • Counseling and Pastoral Care: Romans 8:39 provides a framework for addressing despair. Depth, often experienced emotionally as depression’s abyss, is declared powerless to sever believers from Christ’s love. • Missions and Generosity: 2 Corinthians 8:2 challenges churches in economic hardship to recognize that kingdom generosity flows not from abundance but from grace operating in “deep” circumstances. Summary Bathos gathers the biblical vision of depth—whether physical, emotional, intellectual, or spiritual—into a single term that consistently magnifies God’s initiative and sufficiency. From the deep soil the word longs for, to the deep water where faith launches, to the deep love that secures and the deep poverty that still overflows with generosity, Scripture employs bathos to call believers below the surface and into the inexhaustible fullness of God revealed in Jesus Christ. Englishman's Concordance Matthew 13:5 N-ANSGRK: μὴ ἔχειν βάθος γῆς NAS: they had no depth of soil. KJV: they had no deepness of earth: INT: not having depth of soil Mark 4:5 N-ANS Luke 5:4 N-ANS Romans 8:39 N-NNS Romans 11:33 N-NNS 1 Corinthians 2:10 N-ANP 2 Corinthians 8:2 N-GNS Ephesians 3:18 N-NNS Strong's Greek 899 |
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