Brief Overview of ἆσσον (G788: ásson)

1. Brief Overview:

Transliteration: ásson

Root Words: The term ἆσσον (ásson) is derived from the comparative form of the adjective ἄσος (ásos), which means “near” or “close.”

Primary Meanings:

• Nearer: Indicates something that is closer in distance or position.
• Closer in Relation: Used to describe something that is closer in terms of time, relation, or degree.

2. Detailed Description:

BDAG: BDAG defines ἆσσον as a comparative adjective meaning “nearer” or “closer.” It is used to denote proximity, either spatially or in a more abstract sense such as time or relationship.

Thayer’s: Thayer’s Greek Lexicon describes ἆσσον as meaning “nearer” or “more near,” highlighting its use in contexts where something is closer in terms of position or time.

Vines: Vines’ Expository Dictionary defines ἆσσον as “nearer” and provides examples of its use to describe spatial or temporal closeness.

LSJ: The LSJ Lexicon gives ἆσσον as a comparative form meaning “nearer” or “closer,” noting its use in both physical and metaphorical senses.

Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance: Strong’s refers to ἆσσον as “nearer,” emphasizing its use to indicate proximity or closeness.

Bible Verses:

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• Luke 15:20 (KJV): “And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.”
• Here, ἆσσον is used to describe proximity in terms of the son’s approach to his father.
• John 2:6 (KJV): “And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.”
• The term is used to express closeness in quantity or measure.

3. Usage in Classic Greek Literature:

• Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics: ἆσσον is used to describe ethical concepts related to closeness or nearness in terms of moral virtue.
• Plato’s Phaedo: The term appears when discussing philosophical ideas about the closeness or proximity of ideas or states of being.
• Xenophon’s Anabasis: ἆσσον is used to describe physical proximity in the context of travel and movement.

4. Summary:

ἆσσον (G788: ásson) is a comparative adjective meaning “nearer” or “closer.” It denotes proximity, whether spatial, temporal, or relational. The term is used in both biblical and classic Greek literature to describe something that is closer in terms of distance or degree, reflecting its role in conveying closeness in various contexts.