ἀνοχή G0463
forbearance, tolerance, restraint; God's patient holding back of deserved judgment
This noun describes forbearance or patient restraint, especially of deserved punishment. Both occurrences appear in Romans describing God's character. In Romans 2:4, Paul asks if people despise the riches of God's kindness, forbearance, and patience. In Romans 3:26, Paul explains that God's forbearance in passing over former sins demonstrated His righteousness. Classical usage included armistice, delay, and relief from disease. The New Testament restricts it to divine forbearance. Translations (Spanish paciencia, French patience, German Geduld) emphasize patient restraint.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Romans uses ἀνοχή to describe God's patience in withholding immediate judgment. In 2:4, this forbearance should lead people to repentance, not presumption. In 3:26, the forbearance that passed over previous sins is now vindicated through Christ's atoning work—showing God was just even when He seemed to overlook sin. The genitive ἀνοχῆς suggests a quality or period of forbearance—a season of patience that creates space for repentance before final reckoning. 2×
AR["إمهالِ", "حِلمِهِ"]·ben["সহনশীলতায়", "সহনশীলতার,"]·DE["Geduld"]·EN["forbearance"]·FR["patience"]·heb["סַבְלָנוּת"]·HI["सहनशीलता"]·ID["kesabaran", "kesabaran,"]·IT["pazienza"]·jav["kasabaranipun", "kasabaranipun,"]·KO["관용"]·PT["tolerância"]·RU["снисхождении", "снисхождения"]·ES["paciencia"]·SW["uvumilivu"]·TR["hosgoerue,", "tahammülünde"]·urd["برداشت"]
Related Senses
G2309 1. want, desire (166×)G0025 1. to love actively (133×)H0157 1. love (verb, active Qal) (129×)H8055 1. Qal: rejoice, be glad (123×)H7453 1. neighbor, fellow man (120×)G0026 1. of love (115×)H1058 1. Qal: to weep, cry (112×)H0954 1. to be ashamed, feel shame (Qal) (95×)H8057 1. joy, gladness, delight (90×)H2781 1. disgrace, shame, dishonor (68×)G2307 1. will, desire, purpose (63×)G5463 1. rejoice, be glad (63×)G0027 1. beloved (61×)H8130 1. Qal: to hate, detest (60×)G5479 1. (59×)G1680 1. (53×)H8130 2. Qal ptcp: hater, enemy (53×)H0014 1. be willing, want (51×)H0157 2. lover, friend (Qal participle substantive) (51×)H1945 1. woe (50×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἀνοχή, ἡ, holding back, stopping, especially of hostilities: hence mostly in plural, armistice, truce, Refs 5th c.BC+; ἀνοχὰς ποιεῖσθαι Canon Laws texts cited in Refs 4th c.BC+; compare ἀνοκωχή. __2 time, opportunity, οὐκ ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς ἀνοχὴν ἐμβατεῦσαιLXX; ἡμερῶν ἀ. delay of some days, Refs 3rd c.AD+ __3 plural, ἀνοχαί, = Latin feriae, Refs 2nd c.AD+ __4 ἀνοχαὶδικῶν, = Latin iustitium, Refs __II…