ἀστήρικτος G0793
unstable, unsettled, not firmly established
An adjective meaning unstable or not firmly fixed. Peter warns that unstable people distort Scripture to their destruction (2 Peter 2:14; 3:16). The term combines a negative prefix with a verb meaning 'to fix firmly' or 'prop up,' yielding the sense of lacking firm foundation. It can describe physical instability (not supported) or moral/spiritual instability (lacking grounding). Peter uses it exclusively for spiritual instability - people susceptible to false teaching.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Both occurrences in 2 Peter describe the same category of people: those unstable in faith who are vulnerable to distorting Paul's letters and other Scriptures (3:16) and who are enticed by false teachers (2:14). The term suggests not active rebellion but rather lack of firm grounding that makes one easily swayed. All four language witnesses use 'unstable/inconstant' terminology, with French and German preserving forms closer to the Greek root. 2×
AR["غَيرَ-راسِخَةٍ", "غَيرُ-الرّاسِخينَ"]·ben["অস্থির"]·DE["unbestaendig"]·EN["unstable"]·FR["ἀστήρικτοι", "ἀστηρίκτους"]·heb["הַבִּלְתִּי-מְבֻסָּסִים", "רוֹפְפוֹת"]·HI["अस्थिर"]·ID["tidak-teguh", "tidak-teguh;"]·IT["astēriktoi", "astēriktous"]·jav["tanpa-tetep", "tanpa-tetep;"]·KO["굳지-않은-자들이", "굳지-않은;"]·PT["instáveis"]·RU["неутверждённые"]·ES["inconstantes"]·SW["wasio-imara", "zisizo-imara"]·TR["istikrarsız", "istikrarsızlar"]·urd["بے-قرار", "کمزور؛"]
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
ἀστήρικτος, ον, not supported by a staff, Refs 1st c.AD+; unstable, NT+2nd c.AD+; not remaining still, of persons, Refs 4th c.AD+; of water,Refs