ἔνοχος G1777
Guilty, liable, deserving of punishment; also subject to or held in bondage under a power or condition.
A legal adjective that rings through the Sermon on the Mount like a courtroom gavel. In Matthew 5:21-22, Jesus escalates the stakes: anger makes one 'liable' to judgment, insults 'guilty' before the council, and contempt 'deserving' of Gehenna. At Jesus' trial, the Sanhedrin declares him 'deserving of death' (Matt 26:66, Mark 14:64). Spanish 'reo' (defendant/convict) and German 'schuldig' (guilty) confirm the judicial weight. One distinctive occurrence in Hebrews 2:15 shifts the meaning toward subjection -- those who through fear of death were 'subject to' lifelong bondage -- where Spanish 'sujetos' signals a move from courtroom guilt to existential captivity.
Senses
1. guilty, liable, deserving of (legal/moral culpability) — Adjective of legal and moral culpability -- guilty, liable, deserving of a penalty. Dominates the NT usage (9 of 10 occurrences), especially in Jesus' teaching on the escalating gravity of offenses in Matthew 5:21-22, where three successive uses intensify from 'liable to the court' through 'guilty before the council' to 'deserving of the fire of Gehenna.' The Sanhedrin's verdict at Jesus' trial (Matt 26:66, Mark 14:64) uses it as a formal judicial finding. Spanish 'reo' and 'culpable,' French 'coupable,' and German 'schuldig' all converge on legal guilt. 9×
AR["مُذنِبًا", "مُذنِبٌ", "مُذْنِبٌ", "مُسْتَوْجِبًا", "مُسْتَوْجِبٌ"]·ben["দোষী", "যোগ্য"]·DE["schuldig"]·EN["Deserving", "deserving", "guilty", "liable"]·FR["coupable"]·heb["אָשֵׁם", "חַיָּב"]·HI["अनन्त", "दोषी", "योग्य"]·ID["Layak", "bersalah", "bersalah.", "layak"]·IT["colpevole", "enochos"]·jav["Patut", "kaluputan", "lepat", "lepat."]·KO["범한-자가.", "유죄", "유죄가", "유죄라고", "유죄이다", "죄가-있다"]·PT["Réu", "culpado", "réu"]·RU["Повинен", "виновен", "виновным.", "повинен", "повинным", "подлежать-будет"]·ES["Reo", "culpable", "reo"]·SW["Anastahili", "ana-hatia", "anastahili", "mwenye-hatia"]·TR["Suçlu", "olacak", "suçlu"]·urd["قصوروار", "قصوروار۔", "مستحق", "مستوجب"]
2. subject to, held in bondage — Adjective indicating subjection, bondage, or being held captive under a condition or power -- distinct from juridical guilt. Occurs only in Hebrews 2:15, where it describes those who through fear of death were 'subject to' lifelong slavery. The Spanish rendering 'sujetos' (subjected) rather than 'culpable' (guilty) marks the semantic shift clearly: this is about being bound under a tyrannical condition, not about deserving punishment. 1×
AR["مُقَيَّدِينَ"]·ben["বন্দী"]·DE["schuldig"]·EN["subject"]·FR["coupable"]·heb["מְשֻׁעְבָּדִים"]·HI["बंधुआ"]·ID["takluk"]·IT["enochoi"]·jav["kabekuk"]·KO["종이-되어"]·PT["sujeitos"]·RU["повинные"]·ES["sujetos"]·SW["walikuwa-chini"]·TR["tutuklu"]·urd["قید"]
Related Senses
H3548 1. priest, cultic officiant (750×)G2962 1. Lord (divine title) (661×)G5547 1. Christ, Messiah, Anointed One (540×)H0136 1. Lord (divine title) (440×)H5030 1. Prophet, divine spokesperson (317×)H5930a 1. burnt offering (sacrifice) (286×)H3881 1. Levites (priestly class) (283×)H0113 1. lord, human superior (249×)G4396 1. prophet, spokesperson of God (146×)H6944 1. sanctuary, holy place (129×)G0749 1. high priest, chief priest (123×)H6944 2. holiness, sacredness (abstract quality) (123×)G5330 1. Pharisee (99×)G1849 1. authority, power (91×)G4336 1. pray to God (86×)H6944 3. holy things, sacred offerings (plural) (86×)H3722a 1. make ritual atonement (Piel) (85×)H6912 1. bury (Qal active) (82×)H6419 1. pray (Hitpael) (80×)H6944 4. holiness (with possessive pronoun) (77×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἔνοχος, ον, ={ἐνεχόμενος}, held in, bound by, τοιαύταις δόξαις Refs 4th c.BC+; [ἔθεσι γεροντικοῖς] Refs 4th c.BC+ __2 with genitive, connected with, κοιλίης Refs 5th c.BC+ __II as law-term, liable to, subject to, νόμοις, δίκαις, NT+5th c.BC+; τοῖς ἐπιτιμίοις τοῦ φόνου Refs 5th c.BC+; ἔ. ἀνοίαις liable to the imputation of it, Refs 5th c.BC+ __II.2 ἔνοχος ψευδομαρτυρίοις liable to action for..,…