ἄγαμ-ος G0022
unmarried, single; one without a spouse, whether never married or formerly married
Used exclusively by Paul in 1 Corinthians 7, this adjective designates someone currently without a marriage partner. In classical Greek it applied primarily to men (with ἄνανδρος for women), but Paul broadens its scope to include both sexes, addressing widowers in 7:8 and a separated wife in 7:11. The Spanish renderings 'soltera/soltero' and French 'célibataire' confirm the gender-inclusive sense in the NT. Paul uses the term pastorally, not as a social stigma but to discuss the spiritual advantages of undivided devotion to the Lord.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Unmarried, single — describing a person currently without a spouse, whether never married, widowed, or separated. All four NT occurrences fall within Paul's sustained argument in 1 Corinthians 7 about the relative merits of married and unmarried life. The cross-lingual evidence (eng 'unmarried,' spa 'soltero/soltera,' fra 'célibataire,' deu 'unverheiratet') uniformly points to present marital status rather than lifelong celibacy, encompassing both the widowed (7:8) and the separated (7:11). 4×
AR["غَيْرَ-مُتَزَوِّجَةٍ", "غَيْرُ-المُتَزَوِّجَةُ", "غَيْرُ-المُتَزَوِّجُ", "غَيْرِ-المُتَزَوِّجينَ"]·ben["অবিবাহিত", "অবিবাহিত,", "অবিবাহিতদের"]·DE["unverheiratet"]·EN["unmarried"]·FR["célibataire"]·heb["לֹא-נְשׂוּאִים", "לֹא-נְשׂוּאָה", "לֹא-נָשׂוּי"]·HI["अविवाहित", "अविवाहितों"]·ID["belum-menikah", "tidak-menikah", "tidak-menikah,"]·IT["celibe"]·jav["mboten-krama", "mboten-krama,"]·KO["미혼인", "미혼인들-에게", "미혼인은"]·PT["não-casada", "não-casada,", "não-casado", "não-casados"]·RU["Неженатый", "неженатым", "незамужней,", "незамужняя"]·ES["soltera", "soltero", "solteros"]·SW["asiye-na-ndoa", "bila-kuolewa,", "wasio-na-ndoa"]·TR["evlenmemiş", "o-", "ve-"]·urd["غیر-شادی-شدہ"]
Related Senses
H5971a 1. people, nation (1836×)H5973a 1. accompaniment, together with (956×)H0854 1. with (accompaniment) (665×)H1471a 1. nations, peoples (plural/collective) (466×)G3326 1. with (368×)H1285 1. covenant, pact, treaty (284×)G2453 1. Jewish person, Jew (194×)H4150 1. meeting (tent of meeting) (151×)G2992 1. people/nation (an ethnic or political community) (142×)G4862 1. (129×)G1484 1. Gentiles, non-Jewish nations (128×)H1471a 2. nation, people-group (singular) (98×)H3162b 1. together (97×)H1616 1. sojourner, resident alien (92×)H0567 1. Amorite (people group) (87×)H3064 1. Jew, Jewish person (81×)H3669a 1. Canaanite (ethnic designation) (70×)G1122 1. scribe / expert in the Law (63×)H2114a 1. stranger, foreigner (person) (54×)H5608b 1. scribe, royal secretary (48×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἄγαμ-ος, ον, unmarried, single, properly of the man, whether bachelor or widower (ἄνανδρος being used of the woman), Refs 8th c.BC+adverb -ως Scholia (at [prev. work]) __II γάμος ἄ. marriage that is no marriage, fatal marriage, Refs 5th c.BC+