Lexical Summary bebéloó: To profane, to desecrate, to make common or unholy. Original Word: βεβηλόω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance profane. From bebelos; to desecrate -- profane. see GREEK bebelos HELPS Word-studies Cognate: 953 bebēlóō (from 952 /bébēlos) – properly, to cross over improperly – literally, walking past a threshold without proper authorization. This is illustrated by a person entering a sacred temple who is unauthorized or unfit. See 952 (bebēlos). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom bebélos Definition to profane NASB Translation break (1), desecrate (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 953: βεβηλόωβεβηλόω, βεβηλῶ; 1 aorist ἐβεβηλωσα; (βέβηλος); to profane, desecrate: τό σάββατον, Matthew 12:5; τά ἱερόν, Acts 24:6. (Often in the Sept. for חִלֵּל; Judith 9:8; 1 Macc. 2:12, etc.; Heliodorus 2, 25.) Topical Lexicon Root and Sense within the Biblical World βεβηλόω portrays the deliberate transfer of something from a sphere of sacred distinction to the sphere of what is ordinary or even defiled. It evokes the picture of crossing a threshold that guards holiness, treating set-apart realities as though they were common ground. Old Testament Background Israel’s Scriptures repeatedly warn against “profaning” the name (Leviticus 22:32), the covenant (Ezekiel 16:59), the Sabbath (Nehemiah 13:17), or the sanctuary (Ezekiel 22:26). The Hebrew verb ḥālal carries the same weight of desecration and functions as the theological backdrop for the Greek term. Every instance reminds the covenant people that holiness is God’s distinctive marker and that to degrade it is tantamount to assaulting His person. Occurrences in the New Testament 1. Matthew 12:5—“Or have you not read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath and yet are innocent?” Here the verb is translated “break”, highlighting that the priests perform labors normally forbidden but remain guiltless because their service is devoted to God. Jesus uses the text to show that true Sabbath observance centers on honoring God’s purpose rather than on rigid formalism. Theological Themes Holiness versus Commonness: βεβηλόω dramatises the razor-sharp line between what belongs uniquely to God and what belongs to everyday life. Scripture never diminishes that line; instead, it calls believers to honor it in every sphere (1 Peter 1:15-16). Sabbath Fulfillment in Christ: By citing priestly “profanation” that is nevertheless innocent, Jesus prefigures the new order in which He Himself is “greater than the temple” (Matthew 12:6). In Him the Sabbath finds its telos, turning what once appeared as violation into legitimate worship when performed in union with Christ’s person and work. True Temple Theology: Acts 24 sets the stage for the larger New Testament claim that the locus of God’s presence has moved from stone walls to the risen Christ and His body, the church (Ephesians 2:21-22). To desecrate the physical temple would be grave; to treat the living temple lightly is worse (1 Corinthians 3:17; Hebrews 10:29). Historical and Missional Significance Early Christian preaching faced two opposite threats: legalistic traditionalism that fossilized holy things (as in Matthew 12), and pagan hostility that trampled them (as alleged in Acts 24). The church’s defense was never to blur sacred boundaries but to proclaim that holiness is now mediated through the crucified and risen Lord. Paul’s trials record not merely his personal vindication but the gospel’s insistence that God’s holiness is honored most when Christ is preached among all nations. Pastoral Application • Worship: Corporate gatherings must resist casualness that makes holy things trivial. Reverence is not formal stiffness but joyful recognition that we stand where heaven meets earth. Conclusion βεβηλόω is a sober reminder that holiness can be violated by legalistic pride as well as by open rebellion. It calls believers to esteem all that God declares sacred, to find in Jesus the authentic center of holiness, and to serve Him in a way that displays “the beauty of holiness” before a watching world. Forms and Transliterations βεβηλοί βεβηλούν βεβήλουν βεβηλούνται βεβηλούσι βεβηλουσιν βεβηλοῦσιν βεβηλούται βεβηλούτε βεβηλώ βεβηλωθέν βεβηλωθή βεβηλωθήσεται βεβηλωμένην βεβηλών βεβηλωσαι βεβηλώσαι βεβηλῶσαι βεβηλώσει βεβηλώσεις βεβηλώσετε βεβηλώση βεβήλωσιν βεβηλώσουσι βεβηλώσουσιν βεβηλώσω βεβηλώσωσι βεδέκ βεζέκ εβεβηλούμην εβεβήλουν εβεβηλώθη εβεβήλωσαν εβεβήλωσας εβεβηλώσατε εβεβήλωσε εβεβήλωσεν bebelosai bebelôsai bebēlōsai bebēlō̂sai bebelousin bebeloûsin bebēlousin bebēloûsinLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Matthew 12:5 V-PIA-3PGRK: τὸ σάββατον βεβηλοῦσιν καὶ ἀναίτιοί NAS: in the temple break the Sabbath KJV: in the temple profane the sabbath, and INT: the Sabbath break and guiltless Acts 24:6 V-ANA Strong's Greek 953 |
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