αἰτί-α G0156
Cause, reason, or basis; in legal contexts, a formal charge, accusation, or ground of fault.
In general usage, aitia denotes a cause or reason behind something, as when the disciples muse that if the 'cause' for divorce is so strict, it is better not to marry (Matt 19:10), or when Jesus asks the hemorrhaging woman to declare the 'reason' she touched him (Luke 8:47). In the trial narratives, however, the word takes on sharp juridical force: Pilate repeatedly declares he finds no aitia, no criminal fault, in Jesus (John 18:38; 19:4, 6). The inscription on the cross stating Jesus' aitia (Matt 27:37; Mark 15:26) is literally the written charge. Spanish captures the split well, using 'razon/causa' for the neutral sense but 'acusacion/cargos' for the legal one.
Senses
1. cause, reason, ground — The cause, reason, or ground for something, used in neutral or explanatory contexts without implying legal guilt. Jesus asks for what aitia a man may divorce his wife (Matt 19:3); the woman declares before everyone the aitia for which she touched Jesus (Luke 8:47). Paul's accusers in Acts can find no aitia of death in him (Acts 13:28). Spanish 'razon' and 'causa,' French 'cause,' and German 'Ursache' all confirm the broad, non-juridical sense. 14×
AR["السَّبَبَ","السَّبَبِ","تُهْمَةٍ","حَالُ","سَبَبٍ","سَبَبَ","سَبَبُ","سَبَبِ","عِلَّةَ"]·ben["অবস্থা","কারণ","কারণে","কারণের-জন্য"]·DE["Ursache"]·EN["cause","charge","reason"]·FR["cause"]·heb["סִבָּה","עִלָּה"]·HI["कअरन","कारण","कारण-से","कारणको"]·ID["alasan","sebab","tuduhan"]·IT["aitian","causa"]·jav["alesan","jalaran","kahanan","sabab","sebab"]·KO["경우가","이유","이유-가","이유가","이유로","이유를"]·PT["causa","causa?","razão","situação"]·RU["вины","причина","причине","причине?","причину","причины"]·ES["causa","razón"]·SW["-","sababu","ya-"]·TR["durum","nedenle","sebebi","sebebin","sebep","sebepten","çağırdım","ölüm"]·urd["حالت","سبب","وجہ","وجہ-سے"]
Matt 19:3, Matt 19:10, Luke 8:47, Acts 10:21, Acts 13:28, Acts 22:24, Acts 23:28, Acts 25:18, Acts 28:18, Acts 28:20, 2 Tim 1:6, 2 Tim 1:12 (+2 more)
2. charge, accusation, fault — A formal charge, accusation, or criminal fault in legal proceedings. Concentrated in the Passion narratives, where Pilate finds no aitia in Jesus (John 18:38; 19:4, 6) and the titulus on the cross states his aitia (Matt 27:37; Mark 15:26). Spanish shifts to 'acusacion' and 'cargos,' revealing the distinctly courtroom register. The word here functions as a technical legal term for the grounds on which a defendant is tried. 6×
AR["التُّهَمَ","تُهْمَةً","تُهْمَةِ","تُهْمَتَهُ"]·ben["অভিযোগ","কারণ","কারণ।","কারণগুলি","কারণের"]·DE["Ursache"]·EN["charge","charges","fault"]·FR["cause"]·heb["אַשְׁמוֹת","הָ-אַשְׁמָה","עִלָּה"]·HI["दोष","दोषोंको"]·ID["kesalahan","tuduhan"]·IT["causa"]·jav["alesan","kalepatan","lepat.","tuduhanipun"]·KO["이유들을","죄-를","죄목-을","죄목의"]·PT["acusação","acusações","culpa"]·RU["вину","вины","вины.","обвинения"]·ES["acusación","cargos","causa"]·SW["kosa","mashtaka"]·TR["suç","suçlamaları","suçunu","suçunun"]·urd["الزام","الزامات","اِلزام","قصور"]
Related Senses
H5921a 1. upon, on, over (spatial) (5443×)H0413 1. directional: to, toward (5366×)H1121a 1. son, male offspring, descendant (4914×)H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)H4428 1. king, human ruler (2518×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)H6440 1. before, in front of (spatial) (1870×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H3027 1. physical hand (body part) (1596×)H1697 1. word, speech, utterance (1235×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
αἰτί-α, ἡ, responsibility, mostly in bad sense, guilt, blame, or the imputation thereof, i.e. accusation, first in Refs 8th c.BC+ —Phrases: αἰτίαν ἔχειν bear responsibility for, τινόςRefs 5th c.BC+; but usually to be accused, τινός of a crime, φόνουRefs 5th c.BC+: with infinitive, Refs 5th c.BC+; followed by ὡς.., Refs 5th c.BC+; by ὡς with participle, Refs; ὑπό τινος by some one, Refs 5th c.BC+;…