ἄφθαρ-τος G0862
Imperishable, incorruptible, immortal; not subject to decay, death, or deterioration.
Formed with the alpha-privative (ἀ-) and φθαρτός (perishable, corruptible), this adjective describes what cannot be destroyed, decay, or die. Paul contrasts the perishable athletic wreath with the 'imperishable' crown believers pursue (1 Cor 9:25) and proclaims that the dead will be raised 'imperishable' (1 Cor 15:52). Applied to God, it marks the divine nature as utterly beyond corruption (Rom 1:23; 1 Tim 1:17). Peter speaks of an 'imperishable' inheritance kept in heaven (1 Pet 1:4) and an 'imperishable' seed through which believers are born again (1 Pet 1:23). The multilingual evidence is strikingly uniform: Spanish 'incorruptible,' French 'incorruptible,' German 'unvergänglich.'
Senses
1. imperishable, incorruptible, immortal — Not subject to decay, corruption, or death — imperishable and immortal. When applied to God, it underscores divine transcendence beyond all material deterioration (Rom 1:23; 1 Tim 1:17). When applied to the resurrection body, it marks the transformation from mortal to deathless (1 Cor 15:52). When applied to rewards and inheritance, it contrasts earthly transience with heavenly permanence (1 Cor 9:25; 1 Pet 1:4). Spanish 'incorruptible' and German 'unvergänglich' both capture the negation of decay, while French 'incorruptible' echoes the same Latin-derived formation. 8×
AR["الفاني", "الَّذي-لا-يَفْنى", "باقٍ", "غَيرَ-فاسِدينَ", "غَيرِ-الفاني", "غَيرِ-فانٍ", "غَيْرَ-فَانِيَ"]·ben["অক্ষয়", "অক্ষয়,", "অনশ্বর।", "অবিনশ্বর"]·DE["unvergaenglich"]·EN["an-imperishable", "immortal", "imperishable", "incorruptible"]·FR["incorruptible"]·heb["אִי-נִמְחָר", "בִּלְתִּי-נִפְסָד", "בִּלְתִּי-נִשְׁחֶתֶת", "בִּלְתִּי-נִשְׁחָת", "בִּלְתִּי־כָלִים", "בִּלְתִּי־נִפְסָד", "בִּלְתִּי־נִשְׁחָת"]·HI["अविनअशि", "अविनाशी"]·ID["tidak-dapat-binasa", "tidak-dapat-binasa,", "yang-tidak-binasa", "yang-tidak-dapat-binasa", "yang-tidak-fana"]·IT["aphtharton", "aphthartou", "aphthartō", "incorruttibile"]·jav["-boten-rusak", "ingkang-langgeng", "mboten-rusak", "mboten-rusak,", "ora-rusak,", "sanès-risak."]·KO["썩지-않는", "썩지-않는,", "썩지-않을", "썬지-않는"]·PT["imortal", "incorruptíveis,", "incorruptível", "incorruptível,", "incorruptível."]·RU["нетленного", "нетленного,", "нетленному", "нетленному,", "нетленности", "нетленную", "нетленный.", "нетленными"]·ES["incorruptible", "incorruptibles"]·SW["asiyeharibika", "isiyoharibika", "isiyoharibika.", "usioharibika", "wasioharibika"]·TR["çürümeyen", "çürümez", "ölümsüz"]·urd["امر", "غیر-فانی", "غیر-فانی-میں", "غیر-فانی،"]
Related Senses
H7200 1. Qal: to see, perceive (1257×)G4771 2. you (singular address) (1077×)H8085 1. Qal: hear, perceive aurally (921×)H0859a 1. you (2nd person masculine singular pronoun) (743×)H0398 1. eat (consume food) (697×)H4191 1. die (Qal: natural/general death) (645×)G3708 1. see, perceive visually (419×)G0191 1. hear, perceive sound (360×)H???? 3. (352×)G3708 2. behold, look (exclamatory) (256×)H7272 1. foot (body part) (236×)H8354 1. drink, consume liquid (209×)H3205 1. Qal active: bear/give birth (female subject) (204×)H3205 2. Qal active: beget/father (male subject) (198×)H2421 1. Qal: live, be alive (177×)H8085 2. Qal: listen, heed, pay attention (172×)H2416a 1. alive, living (state/attribute) (146×)H2416e 1. life, lifespan, lifetime (145×)G2198 1. be alive, have life (133×)H8193 1. lip, lips (body part) (123×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἄφθαρ-τος, ον, uncorrupted, undecaying, Refs 3rd c.BC+ __II incorruptible, Refs 4th c.BC+ __II.2 eternal, Refs 4th c.BC+; immortal, πνεῦμαLXX+1st c.BC+; of poems, ΜοῦσαιRefsadverb -τως, τιμᾶνRefs