ἀσεβ-ής G0765
An ungodly or impious person, one who lacks reverence for God and lives in disregard of divine law
A substantivized adjective describing a person characterized by irreverence toward God — not merely morally weak but actively opposed to or heedless of the divine order. Paul applies it programmatically in Romans 4:5 and 5:6 to describe the very people Christ died to justify, making the term central to the theology of grace. Jude 4, 15 and 2 Peter 2:5 use it to characterize those under eschatological judgment. Spanish 'impío,' Hindi 'अभक्त' (irreverent), and Arabic 'الفُجَّار' (the wicked) all convey active godlessness rather than mere ignorance.
Senses
1. ungodly, impious (person) — A person who lacks reverence for God, living in active disregard of the divine order — an ungodly or impious individual. Used substantively to denote those whom Christ justifies despite their godlessness (Rom 4:5; 5:6), those destroyed in the Flood for their impiety (2 Pet 2:5), and those facing eschatological condemnation (1 Tim 1:9; Jude 4, 15). Korean '불경건한 자' (irreverent person) and Swahili 'wasiomcha Mungu' (those who do not fear God) capture the active dimension of this term. 10×
amh["ኃጢአተኞች", "ኃጢአተኞችን"]·AR["أشرار", "الأشرار", "الفاجِرَ", "الفاجِرُ", "الفُجّارِ", "لِلْفُجّارِ"]·ben["অধার্মিক", "অধার্মিককে,", "অধার্মিকদের", "অভক্তদের"]·ces["bezbožné", "bezbožní"]·dan["ugudelige", "ugudelige,", "ugudelige."]·DE["Gottlose", "Gottlosen", "gottlos", "gottlose"]·ell["ασεβείς", "ασεβείς,", "ασεβείς."]·EN["for-ungodly", "of-ungodly", "to-ungodly", "ungodly"]·FR["gottlos", "impie", "impies", "impies,", "impies."]·guj["અધર્મી.", "અધર્મીઓ", "અધર્મીઓને,"]·hat["san-respè-pou-Bondye"]·hau["marasa-tsoron-Allah"]·heb["לְ-רְשָׁעִים", "לָרְשָׁעִים", "רְשָׁעִים", "רָשָׁע", "רשעים", "שֶׁל-רְשָׁעִים"]·HI["अधरमेए", "अभक्त", "अभक्तों", "अभक्तों-के", "अभक्तों-के-लिए", "अभक्तों-को", "अभक्तों-ने।"]·hun["istentelenek", "istenteleneket"]·ID["fasik", "fasik,", "orang-fasik"]·IT["empi", "empio"]·jav["duraka", "duraka,", "mboten-ngabekti", "tanpa-mursid", "tiyang-duraka", "tiyang-jahat"]·JA["不敬虔な", "不敬虔な者たち"]·KO["경건치-않는-자들", "경건치-않은", "경건치-않은-자들로", "경건치-않은-자들을", "불경건한", "불경건한-자", "불경건한-자들-의", "불경건한-자들에게", "불경건한-자와"]·mar["अधर्मी", "अधर्मी।", "अधर्म्यांना,"]·mya["မကိုင်းမရိုင်းသော", "မကိုင်းမရိုင်းသောသူများ"]·nld["goddeloze", "goddelozen"]·nor["ugudelige"]·pnb["بے-دین", "بے-دیناں-نوں"]·pol["bezbożni", "bezbożnych"]·PT["de-ímpios", "viver-impiamente", "ímpio", "ímpios"]·ron["neevlavioși", "neevlavioși.", "neevlavioșii,"]·RU["-нечестивых", "нечестивого", "нечестивые", "нечестивый", "нечестивым", "нечестивых"]·ES["de-impíos", "impío", "impíos", "impíos."]·SW["asiyemcha-Mungu", "kwa-waovu", "kwa-wasiomcha-Mungu", "mwovu", "wa-waovu", "waovu", "wasiomcha-Mungu"]·swe["ogudaktiga"]·tam["அவபக்தியுள்ளவர்களை", "அவபக்தியுள்ளவர்கள்"]·tel["భక్తిహీనులను", "భక్తిహీనులు"]·tgl["walang-diyos"]·TH["อธรรม"]·TR["tanrısız", "tanrısız.", "tanrısızlar", "tanrısızlara", "tanrısızları,", "tanrısızların", "tanrısızı"]·ukr["нечестивих", "нечестиві"]·urd["بے-دین", "بے-دینوں", "بے-دینوں-کا", "بےدین", "بےدینوں-کو"]·VI["kẻ-vô-đạo", "vô-đạo"]·yor["aláìwà-bíi-Ọlọ́run", "aláìwà-bíi-Ọlọ́run,", "aláìwà-bíi-Ọlọ́run."]·yue["不敬虔-嘅"]·ZH["不敬虔的"]
Related Senses
H2896a 1. good (quality or moral) (305×)H7563 1. wicked person (259×)H7451c 1. moral evil or wickedness (234×)H5771 1. iniquity, sin, wrongdoing (222×)H6662 1. righteous person (substantive) (195×)G0266 1. sin, failure, transgression (173×)H2403b 1. sin, transgression (170×)H2617a 1. Covenant faithfulness, steadfast love (167×)H2398 1. Qal: to sin, commit sin (165×)H6666 1. righteousness, moral uprightness (145×)G5485 1. grace, divine favor (141×)H7451a 1. morally evil, wicked (129×)H2403b 2. sin-offering, sacrifice for sin (120×)G2570 1. good, right, excellent (98×)H6588 1. transgression, offense against God (88×)G0018 1. good (moral quality) (85×)H2896b 1. good, what is good (85×)H7451b 1. evil, wickedness (moral) (83×)H7451a 2. evil, harm, calamity (80×)G1342 1. righteous, upright (of persons) (70×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἀσεβ-ής, ές, (σέβω) ungodly, unholy, profane, sacrilegious, opposed to εὐσεβής, Refs 5th c.BC+; τὸν ἀσεβῆ, of Oedipus, Refs 5th c.BC+ against them, Refs 5th c.BC+adverb -βῶς, superlative -έσταταRefs 2nd c.AD+