ἄγνοιᾰ G0052
ignorance; lack of knowledge or awareness, especially of God's purposes or moral standards
In classical Greek ἄγνοια denotes a failure of perception or understanding, opposed to ἐπιστήμη (knowledge). The NT writers deploy it with theological weight: Peter attributes the crucifixion to the people's ignorance (Acts 3:17), Paul declares that God has overlooked former times of ignorance (Acts 17:30), and both Paul and Peter link ignorance to the moral darkness of pagan life (Eph 4:18; 1 Pet 1:14). French and Spanish translations ('ignorance/ignorancia') mirror this semantic range precisely, while German renderings sometimes retain the Greek inflected forms, underscoring the term's technical flavor.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Ignorance, lack of knowledge — a state of not knowing, particularly regarding God's will, identity, or moral requirements. Peter charitably attributes Jewish complicity in Christ's death to ignorance (Acts 3:17), while Paul's Areopagus speech frames all pre-gospel pagan religion as a period of ignorance God graciously overlooked (Acts 17:30). In Ephesians 4:18 ignorance is linked to hardness of heart and alienation from God's life, and 1 Peter 1:14 recalls the 'former ignorance' of Gentile converts' pre-conversion desires. Cross-lingual evidence (spa 'ignorancia,' fra 'ignorance') confirms this consistent theological-moral sense rather than mere intellectual deficit. 4×
AR["الجَهلِ", "جَهلِ", "جَهلِكُم", "جَهْلٍ"]·ben["অজ্ঞতা", "অজ্ঞতায়", "অজ্ঞানতা", "অজ্ঞানতার"]·DE["ἀγνοίας", "ἀγνοίᾳ", "ἄγνοιαν"]·EN["ignorance"]·FR["ignorance", "ἀγνοίᾳ", "ἄγνοιαν"]·heb["בְּוּרוּת", "בּוּרוּת", "הַבּוּרוּת"]·HI["अग्यन्त", "अज्ञानता", "अज्ञानता-के", "तुमने"]·ID["kebodohan", "ketidaktahuan"]·IT["agnoia", "agnoian", "ignoranza"]·jav["bodho", "tanpa-seserepan"]·KO["무지", "무지를", "무지의", "무지하여"]·PT["ignorância"]·RU["неведении", "неведению", "неведения"]·ES["ignorancia"]·SW["kutojua", "ujinga"]·TR["-yi-", "bilgisizliğin", "bilgisizliğinizdeki", "yaptınız"]·urd["جہالت", "نادانی"]
Related Senses
H3045 1. Qal: to know, perceive, understand (829×)H5315 1. soul, inner being (647×)H3820a 1. heart, inner self (mind/will/emotion) (572×)H4672 1. Qal: find, discover (289×)G1492 1. know facts or truths (285×)H3824 1. heart, inner self (mind/will/emotion) (250×)H1245 1. seek, search for (200×)G1097 1. know, be acquainted with (196×)H2142 1. Qal: remember, recall (173×)G2588 1. heart (inner self, mind, will) (158×)H0977 1. choose, select (Qal active) (145×)G2147 1. find, discover (144×)G5590 1. soul, inner self (100×)H4672 2. Niphal: be found, be discovered (99×)H1875 1. seek, search for (96×)H5315 2. life, vitality (94×)H1847 1. knowledge, discernment (90×)H2450 1. wise, prudent (84×)H7911 1. Qal: to forget (83×)H3684 1. fool, dullard (70×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἄγνοιᾰ, ἡ, (see. γιγνώσκω) want of perception, ignorance, ἀγνοίᾳRefs 4th c.BC+; ἣν ὑπ᾽ ἀγνοίας ὁρᾷς whom seeing you pretend not to know, Refs 5th c.BC+; opposed to ἐπιστήμη, Refs 5th c.BC+; δι᾽ ἄγνοιαν πράττειν, opposed to ἀγνοῶν, Refs 4th c.BC+ ignoratio elenchi, ignorance of the conditions of a valid proof, Refs 4th c.BC+ __II mistaken conduct, a mistake, Refs 5th c.BC+; old Attic dialect, accusative to Refs 2nd c.AD+; Ionic dialect ἀγνοίηRefs 9th c.AD+