Understanding βδελυκτός (bdelyktos) Strong’s G947: The Deeply Repulsive Nature That Provokes Divine Abhorrence

Pronunciation Guide: bdel-ook-TOS (emphasis on final syllable)

Basic Definition

Strong’s G947: The Greek term βδελυκτός (bdelyktos) describes something utterly detestable, abominable, or loathsome—that which provokes intense revulsion or disgust. It conveys a visceral sense of moral repugnance, particularly in relation to spiritual corruption that is offensive to God’s holy nature. In its only New Testament occurrence, it characterizes those whose actions are completely contrary to God’s character, making them objects of divine abhorrence.

Etymology and Morphology

• Part of Speech: Verbal adjective
• Root Word: βδελύσσομαι (bdelyssomai, G948) – to detest, abhor, be disgusted with
• Ultimate Root: βδέω (bdeo) – to stink, emit a foul odor
• Language Origin: Classical Greek
• Primary Usage: Ethical/moral contexts, especially regarding religious defilement
• Biblical Genre Usage: Primarily in teaching/didactic passages

βδελυκτός Morphology:

• βδελυκτός (nominative masculine singular) – detestable, abominable
• βδελυκτή (nominative feminine singular) – detestable, abominable
• βδελυκτόν (nominative/accusative neuter singular) – detestable thing
• βδελυκτοί (nominative masculine plural) – detestable ones
• βδελυκτῶν (genitive plural) – of detestable ones/things

Origin & History

The term βδελυκτός derives from the verb βδελύσσομαι (bdelyssomai), which originally conveyed a sensory response to something foul-smelling or revolting. Its ultimate root, βδέω (bdeo), means “to stink” or “emit a foul odor,” suggesting that the concept of moral repugnance was initially connected to physical disgust at offensive smells. This etymology reveals how ancient Greek thought connected physical repulsion with moral judgment.

In classical Greek literature, related words appear in authors like Aristophanes, who uses the noun form βδέλυγμα (bdelygma) in his comedy “Peace” to describe disgusting behavior. The Septuagint (LXX) significantly expanded the word family’s usage by employing related terms to translate Hebrew words connected to ritual impurity and idolatry, particularly שִׁקּוּץ (shiqquts) and תּוֹעֵבָה (to’evah). This semantic development firmly established the βδελ- word group within the realm of religious and ethical abomination, especially regarding practices that defile worship and violate covenant faithfulness to יהוה (Yahweh).

Expanded Definitions & Translation Options

• A person or thing so morally corrupt as to provoke intense disgust or revulsion
• That which is utterly incompatible with divine holiness and therefore abhorrent to God
• An object or action that violates sacred boundaries and defiles religious purity
• Someone whose character or conduct is characterized by spiritual corruption

βδελυκτός Translation Options:

• Abominable – Captures the sense of moral repugnance and violation of divine standards
• Detestable – Emphasizes the emotional response of disgust toward something morally offensive
• Loathsome – Highlights the visceral response of revulsion toward reprehensible behavior
• Abhorrent – Conveys the sense of something that provokes active rejection and distancing
• Utterly repulsive – Compounds the intensity of the disgust response with the totality of rejection

Biblical Usage

The term βδελυκτός appears only once in the New Testament, in Titus 1:16, where Paul describes false teachers who “profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being βδελυκτός [detestable] and disobedient and worthless for any good deed.” This strong condemnation places their hypocrisy in the category of things that provoke divine abhorrence. The singularity of this usage makes it particularly significant—Paul reserves this exceptionally harsh term for those who claim godliness while living in opposition to God’s character.

While βδελυκτός itself appears only once, related words from the same root appear throughout the Septuagint and New Testament. The verb βδελύσσομαι occurs in contexts of religious defilement and moral corruption, while the noun βδέλυγμα describes abominable practices connected to idolatry and covenant violation. This word family consistently communicates divine judgment against that which corrupts true worship and violates holiness.

• “They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being βδελυκτοί [detestable] and disobedient and worthless for any good deed.” Titus 1:16

Related words from the same root appear in:

• “To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.” Titus 1:15
• “But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable [ἐβδελυγμένοις] and murderers and immoral persons…” Revelation 21:8
• “So when you see the abomination [βδέλυγμα] of desolation standing where it should not be…” Mark 13:14
• “For what is highly esteemed among men is detestable [βδέλυγμα] in the sight of God.” Luke 16:15

Cultural Insights

In the ancient Mediterranean world, the concept of disgust and defilement was deeply connected to cultural and religious boundaries. The sensation of revulsion served as a protective mechanism to guard against contamination—both physical and spiritual. For ancient Jews, the Torah’s purity laws created clear distinctions between the clean (טָהוֹר, tahor) and unclean (טָמֵא, tamei), with abominations (תּוֹעֵבָה, to’evah) representing the most severe violations of divine order.

The imagery behind βδελυκτός would have evoked powerful sensory associations for first-century readers. The implicit connection to foul odors (from its root βδέω) reflects the ancient understanding that moral corruption, like physical decay, produces a stench that offends the senses. This sensory metaphor appears throughout Jewish literature, with the Rabbis often describing sin as having a “putrid smell” that was offensive to God. In contrast, righteous actions were described as a “sweet aroma” (רֵיחַ נִיחוֹחַ, reiach nichoach) ascending to heaven. Paul’s use of βδελυκτός in Titus would have triggered this entire constellation of cultural associations, portraying false teachers not simply as incorrect, but as producing a spiritual stench that violated the sacred atmosphere of the Messianic community.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of βδελυκτός reveals the profound incompatibility between God’s holiness and certain human behaviors. This term doesn’t merely indicate divine displeasure but expresses the active revulsion that holiness experiences when confronted with deliberate corruption. This concept illuminates the distance between divine purity and human sinfulness—God, by His very nature, cannot abide that which contradicts His character of perfect righteousness and truth.

Yet the context of βδελυκτός in Titus also illuminates the particular offense of hypocrisy. Those condemned are not simply sinners, but people who “profess to know God” while their actions deny Him. This reveals that claiming relationship with God while living contrary to His nature is especially offensive to divine holiness. The Messiah Yeshua consistently demonstrated this principle in His confrontations with religious leaders, reserving His strongest condemnations for those who maintained external religious appearances while harboring corrupt hearts. This teaches us that God values authenticity over religious performance, and that alignment between profession and practice is essential to true godliness.

Personal Application

Reflecting on the concept of βδελυκτός invites us to examine our own lives for inconsistencies between what we profess and how we live. Do our actions align with our claims to know and follow God? The severity of this term should prompt sincere self-examination, not to induce shame but to cultivate integrity. When we discover areas where our lives contradict our professed beliefs, we’re called to repentance—turning back to alignment with God’s character and commands.

This word also offers a window into understanding God’s perspective on sin. Rather than seeing divine commands as arbitrary restrictions, we can recognize them as expressions of God’s holy nature and what is truly good. When we develop spiritual sensitivity to what is βδελυκτός, we’re not simply conforming to rules but growing in our ability to discern what honors or dishonors the God we serve. This transformed perception helps us love what God loves and turn away from what contradicts His character, leading to greater spiritual maturity and genuine transformation.

Related Words

• βδέλυγμα (bdelygma, “abomination”) – A detestable thing that provokes disgust, particularly used of idols and practices connected to false worship. While βδελυκτός describes the quality of being detestable, βδέλυγμα refers to the concrete object or action that embodies this quality. See G946
• βδελύσσομαι (bdelyssomai, “to detest, abhor”) – The verb form expressing active revulsion or disgust toward something. This term emphasizes the emotional response of rejection rather than the quality that provokes it, showing the action of turning away from something considered repulsive. See G948
• μιαίνω (miaino, “to defile, pollute”) – To make ritually or morally impure. While βδελυκτός focuses on the quality that provokes disgust, μιαίνω emphasizes the action that causes something to become impure or contaminated. See G3392
• ἀκάθαρτος (akathartos, “unclean, impure”) – Ritually or morally impure. Unlike βδελυκτός which describes what actively provokes revulsion, ἀκάθαρτος focuses on the state of ceremonial or moral impurity that makes something unfit for sacred purposes. See G169
• ἀσεβής (asebes, “ungodly, impious”) – Acting without proper reverence for God. This term emphasizes the attitude toward God rather than the quality that provokes divine disgust, focusing on the absence of proper respect rather than the presence of detestable qualities. See G765

Did you Know?

• Did you know? The root of βδελυκτός is connected to the instinctive human reaction of disgust, which modern psychological research has identified as one of the six basic human emotions with universal facial expressions. This suggests that moral repugnance has a physiological component—our bodies physically react to moral violations much as they do to spoiled food or foul odors. This connection between physical and moral disgust appears throughout Scripture, where sin is often described in sensory terms of contamination, corruption, and stench.
• Did you know? In modern Greek, the related word βδελυρός (bdelyros) is still used to describe something disgusting or revolting, showing the enduring nature of this concept in Greek thought. However, its contemporary usage has largely lost the specific religious and moral dimensions that characterize its biblical usage, demonstrating how language evolves as cultural frameworks shift.
• Did you know? The concept behind βδελυκτός appears prominently in the Dead Sea Scrolls, where the Qumran community described those outside their group (particularly corrupt priests in Jerusalem) as “men of the pit” whose practices were detestable to God. This shows how the concept of moral abomination was weaponized in sectarian conflicts during the Second Temple period. Yeshua’s ministry challenged this exclusionary application, teaching that true defilement comes from within the heart rather than from external associations (Mark 7:14-23).

Remember This

βδελυκτός reveals the profound reality that some attitudes and actions are not merely mistaken but actively offensive to God’s holy nature, calling us to align our lives with divine truth rather than merely professing it with our lips.