ἀσφαλ-ής G0804
Safe, secure, certain; firm and reliable, not liable to fail or mislead; used of trustworthy information or steadfast hope.
Conveys the idea of firmness, reliability, and security—whether of facts that can be verified or of a hope that does not waver. In Acts, Roman officials seek 'the certain thing' (to asphales) about Paul's case (Acts 21:34; 22:30; 25:26), wanting dependable information amid confusion. Paul tells the Philippians that writing the same things is 'safe' for them (Phil 3:1), while Hebrews 6:19 calls Christian hope an anchor of the soul, 'sure and steadfast.' Spanish 'seguro' and French 'sûr' both highlight the core semantic thread of security and reliability.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Certain, reliable, and secure—used of information that is firm and verifiable, or of a spiritual reality that is steadfast and unshakable. In the forensic context of Acts, Roman commanders and governors seek 'the certain facts' about Paul (Acts 21:34; 22:30; 25:26), where the term means dependable, established knowledge. In the epistolary context, Paul commends repetition as 'safe' counsel (Phil 3:1), and the author of Hebrews describes hope as an anchor that is asphale, immovable and secure (Heb 6:19). The convergence of Spanish 'seguro,' French 'sûr,' and German 'sicher' confirms the unified semantic core of trustworthy firmness. 5×
AR["آمِنَةً", "أَمانٌ", "الْيَقِينَ", "شَيْئًا-مُحَدَّدًا"]·ben["নিরাপদ", "নিশ্চিত"]·DE["sicher", "ἀσφαλές", "ἀσφαλὲς"]·EN["certain", "certainty", "safe", "safeguard"]·FR["certainement", "sûr"]·heb["בְּטוּחָה", "בָּטוּחַ.", "הַוַדָּאי", "וַדַּאי"]·HI["निश्चित", "सच्चाई", "सुरकश.", "सुरक्षित"]·ID["aman", "kepastian,", "pasti", "yang-pasti"]·IT["asphales", "asphalē", "sicuro"]·jav["aman", "cetha", "kasunyatan", "kasunyatan,", "kenceng"]·KO["안전하고", "안전하니라.", "확실한", "확실한-것을"]·PT["certo", "segura", "seguro", "é-seguro"]·RU["безопасно", "верное", "истину", "надёжную"]·ES["algo-seguro", "cierto", "segura", "seguro"]·SW["hakika", "salama", "ukweli"]·TR["gerçeği", "guvenli", "güvenilir", "kesin"]·urd["صحیح", "محفوظ", "محفُوظ", "یقینی"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)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×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἀσφαλ-ής, ές, (σφάλλομαι, σφαλῆναι) not liable to fall, immovable, steadfast, in Refs 8th c.BC+adjective (compare infr. III), θεῶν ἕδος ἀ. αἰείRefs 8th c.BC+; unshaken, of purpose, ἀ. ὁ νοῦςRefs __2 of friends and the like, unfailing, trusty, οὐ γὰρ οἱ.. εὐρύνωτοι φῶτες ἀσφαλέστατοιRefs 5th c.BC+infinitive, φρονεῖν γὰρ οἱ ταχεῖς οὐκ ἀσφαλεῖς the hasty in counsel are not safe, Refs 5th c.BC+; of…