Brief Overview of παρανομία (Strong’s G3892: paranomia)

παρανομία refers to the state or act of lawlessness, specifically violating or acting contrary to established law. In the New Testament, it appears in contexts addressing deliberate transgression of divine and moral law.

U- Unveiling the Word

παρανομία is a compound word combining παρά (beside/against) with νόμος (law), with the suffix -ία indicating a state or condition. In New Testament usage, it describes the condition or act of transgressing established law, particularly divine law. The early church used this term to describe both specific violations and the general state of lawlessness, emphasizing the serious nature of acting contrary to God’s established order. Today, this concept remains relevant in discussions of moral authority, religious obedience, and the relationship between divine and human law.

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N – Necessary Information

• Greek Word: παρανομία, paranomia, /par-an-om-ee’-ah/
• Detailed Pronunciation: par (as in ‘par-ent’) – an (as in ‘un-der’) – om (as in ‘home’) – ee (as in ‘see’) – ah (as in ‘father’)
• Part of Speech: Noun (Feminine)
• Etymology:
• παρά (para): prefix meaning “beside, contrary to”
• νόμος (nomos): root word meaning “law”
• -ία (ia): suffix indicating state or condition

D – Defining Meanings

• Primary meaning: The state or condition of being contrary to law
• For compound word components:
• παρά contributes the sense of opposition or contradiction
• νόμος provides the reference to established law
• -ία makes it an abstract noun describing the state
• Translation options:

1. “Lawlessness” – emphasizes the state of being without or against law
2. “Transgression” – focuses on the active violation of law
3. “Iniquity” – captures the moral and religious aspects

E – Exploring Similar Words

• ἀνομία (anomia, /an-om-ee’-ah/) – lawlessness, but emphasizing absence rather than opposition
• παράβασις (parabasis, /par-ab’-as-is/) – transgression, emphasizing the act of crossing boundaries
• ἀδικία (adikia, /ad-ee-kee’-ah/) – unrighteousness, focusing on moral wrong rather than legal violation

R – Reviewing the Word’s Morphology

Noun Features:

• Case: All cases
• Number: Singular/Plural
• Gender: Feminine
• Declension: First

Examples of case changes:

• Nominative: παρανομία
• Genitive: παρανομίας
• Dative: παρανομίᾳ
• Accusative: παρανομίαν

Related words:

• παρανομέω (verb) – to act contrary to law
• παράνομος (adjective) – lawless, contrary to law

S – Studying Lexicon Insights

BDAG emphasizes παρανομία’s connection to willful violation of established law. Thayer’s notes its use in both religious and civil contexts. LSJ documents its frequent appearance in classical Greek legal texts. Vine’s connects it to moral transgression, while Strong’s emphasizes its compound nature. LEH and Moulton-Milligan highlight its use in both religious and secular contexts of law violation.

T – Tracing the Scriptures

First appearance:

“But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing [παρανομία] when a donkey—an animal without speech—spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.” (2 Peter 2:16)

Additional References:
2 Corinthians 6:14

A – Analyzing Classical Usage

N – Noteworthy Summary

παρανομία represents both the act and state of transgressing established law, particularly divine law. Its usage emphasizes the serious nature of deliberately acting contrary to established order, whether religious or civil.

D – Did You Know?

1. The term was frequently used in Athenian legal proceedings
2. Early Christian writers used it to describe persecution of Christians
3. The concept influenced the development of canon law

Strong’s G3892: παρανομία – A compound noun combining παρά (contrary to) and νόμος (law), denoting the state or act of lawlessness. Used in both religious and civil contexts to describe deliberate transgression of established law, particularly divine law.

Part of Speech: Noun (Feminine)

Tags: #lawlessness #transgression #violation #GreekNouns #PeterVocabulary #BiblicalLaw #ReligiousAuthority #BiblicalGreek #NewTestamentWords #StrongsG3892