νεκρός G3498
Dead — as a substantive, the dead (deceased persons collectively); as an adjective, lifeless, whether literally or figuratively.
Nekros is among the most theologically charged words in the New Testament, appearing at the heart of Christianity's central claim: resurrection from the dead. As a substantive ('the dead'), it denotes the collective realm of deceased persons from which Christ rose and believers will rise (1 Cor 15:12-21). As an adjective, it describes both literal death — the young man at Nain (Luke 7:15), Eutychus after his fall (Acts 20:9) — and a powerful figurative state: the prodigal son was 'dead and is alive again' (Luke 15:24, 32), and James declares faith without works 'dead' (Jas 2:26). Spanish muertos, French mort, and German Tote/tot preserve this same substantive-adjective flexibility.
Senses
1. the dead (persons) — The dead as a collective substantive — deceased persons considered as a group, especially in eschatological and resurrection contexts. Central to New Testament proclamation: 'God raised him from the dead' (Rom 10:9), 'resurrection of the dead' (1 Cor 15:12-21), 'judge the living and the dead' (2 Tim 4:1). The 111 occurrences cluster heavily in Paul and Acts. All target languages use substantivized forms (muertos, mort, Tote), confirming the nominal reading. 111×
AR["أَمواتٌ", "أَمواتٍ", "أَمواتِ", "أَمْواتَ", "الأَمواتِ", "الأَمْواتِ", "الأَمْوَاتِ", "الْأَمْوَاتِ", "مَوتاهُم", "مَوتى", "مَوْتاهُمْ"]·ben["মৃত", "মৃতদের", "মৃতরা"]·DE["Tote", "tot"]·EN["dead", "dead-ones", "the-dead", "they-believed"]·FR["mort"]·heb["הַ-מֵּתִים", "מֵתִים"]·HI["कार्य-करती-हैं", "मरे-हुओं", "मरे-हुओं-के", "मुरदे", "मुर्दे", "मुर्दों", "मुर्दों-को", "म्रितोन"]·ID["kematian", "orang-mati"]·IT["nekroi", "nekron", "nekrous"]·jav["pejah", "pejah,", "pejah;", "sèda", "tiyang-pejah", "tiyang-pejah)", "tiyang-pejah,", "tiyang-pejah."]·KO["죽은-자들", "죽은-자들)", "죽은-자들,", "죽은-자들-중에서", "죽은-자들로", "죽은-자들로부터", "죽은-자들에서", "죽은-자들을", "죽은-자들의", "죽은-자들이"]·PT["mortos"]·RU["мёртвые", "мёртвым", "мёртвых"]·ES["a-muertos", "muertos"]·SW["kwa-wafu", "wafu", "wafu."]·TR["ölüler", "ölülerden", "ölülerden;", "ölüleri", "ölülerin", "ölülerini", "ölülerini;"]·urd["مردوں", "مردوں-میں-سے", "مردے", "مُردوں", "مُردوں-میں-سے", "مُردوں-کو", "مُردوں-کی", "مُردے"]
2. dead, lifeless, deceased — Dead as an adjective describing a person or thing in a state of death — literal or metaphorical. Literally: the boy appeared dead (Mark 9:26), the widow's son sat up (Luke 7:15), Ananias fell dead (Acts 5:10). Figuratively: the prodigal was 'dead and alive again' (Luke 15:24, 32), Abraham's body 'as good as dead' (Rom 4:19), and faith without works is 'dead' (Jas 2:17, 26). Spanish distinguishes muerta/muertas (feminine/plural adjective), while German uses the bare adjective tot alongside the substantive Tote. 19×
AR["مَيِّتاً", "مَيِّتًا", "مَيِّتٌ", "مَيِّتٍ", "مَيِّتَةً", "مَيِّتَةٌ", "مَيِّتَةٍ", "مَيِّتُ"]·ben["মৃত", "মৃতের"]·DE["Tote", "tot"]·EN["dead", "dead-man", "of-a-dead-one"]·FR["mort"]·heb["מֵת", "מֵתִים", "מֵתָה"]·HI["गाड़-दिया", "मरा-हुआ", "मरा-हुआ।", "मुर्दा", "मृत", "मृत,", "मृत-का", "मृत।"]·ID["itu", "mati", "mati,", "mati.", "mati;", "orang-mati", "yang-mati"]·IT["morto", "nekros"]·jav["mayit", "pejah", "pejah.", "pejèn", "séda;", "tiyang-pejah", "tiyang-péjah"]·KO["좽은-자-의", "죽어-있는", "죽었던", "죽은", "죽은-것", "죽은-것이다", "죽은-자", "죽은-자-처럼", "죽은-자가", "죽은-자다", "죽은-자로"]·PT["de-morto", "morta", "mortas", "morto", "morto."]·RU["-греха", "мертва", "мертво", "мёртв", "мёртв,", "мёртвого;", "мёртвой", "мёртвый", "мёртвый.", "мёртвым.", "мёртвых"]·ES["de-muerto", "muerta", "muertas", "muerto"]·SW["aliyekufa", "amekufa", "imekufa", "mauti", "mfu", "mfu,", "mfu.", "umekufa", "ya-maiti;"]·TR["ölü", "ölü,", "ölünün", "ölüsün"]·urd["اور", "مردہ", "مُردہ", "مُردہ۔", "مُردے-کا"]
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
νεκρός, ὁ (of a woman, Refs 4th c.BC+, corpse, Refs 8th c.BC+: as substantive, in early writers always of mankind, νεκροὺς συλήσετε τεθνηῶτας Refs 8th c.BC+: frequently of those killed in battle, τοὺς ν. ὑποσπόνδους ἀνείλοντο Refs 5th c.BC+; later, of a fish, ν. ἰχθύος Refs 1st c.AD+ __2 dying person, μυχθισμὸς νεκρῶν Refs 5th c.BC+ __3 metaphorically, ὁ υἱός μου ν. ἦν καὶ ἀνέζησε NT __4 in…