G0089 G0089
unceasingly, without interruption; constantly and persistently, especially of prayer and thanksgiving
This adverb, derived from ἀδιάλειπτος ('unintermitting'), appears four times in Paul's letters, always in connection with prayer or spiritual devotion. Paul assures the Romans he mentions them 'unceasingly' in prayer (Rom 1:9), thanks God 'unceasingly' for the Thessalonians' faith-work and love-labor (1 Thess 1:3), acknowledges their reception of the word 'unceasingly' (1 Thess 2:13), and gives the famous imperative to 'pray unceasingly' (1 Thess 5:17). Every major translation renders it as continuous action: Spanish 'incesantemente,' French 'sans cesse,' German 'unaufhörlich.'
Senses
1. sense 1 — Unceasingly, without interruption — describing an action performed constantly and persistently, without gaps. All four NT uses are Pauline and pertain to prayer or thanksgiving. Paul's habitual intercession for his churches (Rom 1:9; 1 Thess 1:3; 2:13) and the command to 'pray unceasingly' (1 Thess 5:17) do not demand literal non-stop activity but rather a pattern of life marked by regular, unbroken devotion. The cross-lingual evidence (spa 'incesantemente,' fra 'sans cesse,' deu 'unaufhörlich') consistently points to persistence and regularity rather than absolute continuity. 4×
AR["بِلا-انقِطاعٍ", "بِلا-انْقِطاعٍ"]·ben["অবিরত", "অবিরাম"]·DE["unaufhoerlich"]·EN["unceasingly"]·FR["sans-cesse"]·heb["בְּלִי-הֶפְסֵק", "בְּלִי-הֶרֶף", "לְלֹא-הִפְסִיק"]·HI["निरन्तर", "लगअतअर"]·ID["tanpa-henti"]·IT["adialeiptōs", "incessantemente"]·jav["tanpa-kendhat", "tanpa-kendhat,"]·KO["끊임없이"]·PT["incessantemente"]·RU["непрестанно"]·ES["incesantemente"]·SW["bila-kukoma"]·TR["durmaksızın"]·urd["بلا-ناغہ", "بے-توقف"]
Related Senses
H8033 1. There (locative adverb) (835×)H7760a 1. put, place, set physically (444×)H8064 1. heavens / sky (329×)H5439 1. around, all around (spatial) (319×)H4057b 1. wilderness, desert region (270×)H3220 1. sea, body of water (269×)H0520a 1. cubit (unit of length) (246×)H0127 1. ground, land (territory) (210×)H3383 1. Jordan River (proper noun) (183×)G1093 1. earth, the world (176×)H5800a 1. forsake, abandon (Qal active) (166×)H8121 1. sun (celestial body) (133×)H7126 1. offer, present sacrificially (122×)H6828 1. north, cardinal direction (120×)H2351 1. outside, exterior space (119×)H5104 1. river, stream (119×)H7341 1. width, breadth (101×)G1563 1. there (95×)H7126 2. draw near, approach (95×)G2281 1. sea, large body of water (91×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
Included with: ἀδιά-λειπτος, ον, unintermitting, incessant, Ti. Locrian dialect 98e, NT+1st c.AD+. adverb -τωςNT+2nd c.BC+