Strong's G3541: νόθος (nóthos) Meaning

Quick Definition

νόθος, η, ον Adj illegitimate, bastard

Strong's Definition

a spurious or illegitimate son

Derivation: of uncertain affinity;

KJV Usage: bastard

UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament

νόθος (G3541)

adjc. | -η, -ον

10.39 · Kinship Terms · Kinship Relations Involving Successive Generations

illegitimate, bastard pertaining to someone who is born out of wedlock and is thus without legal status or rights There may, however, be some serious problems involved in translating νόθοι in HEB 12:8, especially if νόθοι must be rendered in some languages as ‘sons whose parents are not married,’ for νόθοι occurs here in a highly figurative passage speaking of God as one’s parent. It may, therefore, be necessary to employ an expression such as ‘this means you are not his real sons’ or ‘... not sons who truly belong to him.’

HEB 12:8

UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

νόθος, -η. -ov, illegitimate, bastard, i. e. born, not in lawful wedlock, but of a concubine or female slave: Heb. xii. 8; cf. Bleek adloc. (Sap. iv. 3; from Hom. down.)

Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary

νόθος nothos 1x

spurious, bastard, Heb. 12:8*

Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon

** νόθος, -η, -ον,

[in LXX: Wi 4:3*;]

a bastard, base born, i.e. born of a slave or concubine: He 12:8.†

Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT

νόθος [page 428] This NT ἅπ . εἰρ . ( Heb_12:8 ) is found in such passages as P Hib I. 32 .15 (return of sheep B.C. 246) ψιλὰ νόθα ῑ , 10 are shorn and half-bred, P Petr III. 59 (6) .6 (tax-return iii/ii B.C.) νόθοι ι̣δ̣̄ , and P Tebt II. 302 .24 (A.D. 71 2) τινῶν ἐκ τοῦ ἱεροῦ νόθων , certain bastards from the temple, in contrast to the legitimate (νόμιμοι ) priests : cf. Syll 734 (= .3 1106) .144 (Cos c. B.C. 300) ἂν δέ τις νόθος ὢν κρ [ιθ ]εὶς γνωσθῆι μετέχειν τῶν ἱερῶ [ν ], μὴ ἐξέστω αὐτῶι μετέχειν τῶν [ἱε ]ρωσυνῶν , and see also the sepulchral inscr. Kaibel. 120 .5f. ἑξήκοντ᾽ ἔτε [σιν μετ᾽ ἐμῆς ἐβίωσα γυναικός , ἐ ]ξ ἧς ἔσχα τέκνα γνήσια κοὐχὶ νόθα . The word is of doubtful origin.

Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon

νόθος (nothos) — illegitimate. νόθ-ος, η, ον, also ος, ον [Refs 3rd c.BC+], bastard, baseborn, i.e. born of a slave or concubine, frequently in [Refs 8th c.BC+]; opposed to γνήσιος, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ὅδ᾽, εἰ ν. τις, γνησίοις ἴσον σθένει [NT+8th c.BC+]

2. at Athens, child of a citizen father and an alien mother, [Refs 4th c.BC+]

3. plural, in Egypt, a class of temple-attendants, Wilcken [Refs 3rd c.BC+]

4. of animals, cross-bred, πρόβατα [Refs 3rd c.BC+]

II. generally, spurious, counterfeit, supposititious, of persons and things, λογισμῷ τινι ν. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἀοιδαί Call.[same place]; νόθον ἧπαρ ὁ σπλήν [Refs 4th c.BC+]; αἱ ν. πλευραί the false ribs, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]; ν. σάλπιγξ, of a serpent's hiss, [Refs 4th c.AD+]; ν. φέγγος, of the moon, opposed to γνήσιον, of the sun, [Refs 1st c.AD+]meretricious, Peripl.M. [Refs]. adverb -θως insincerely, disingenuously, [LXX+5th c.AD+]

II.2. of literary works, spurious, [Refs 3rd c.AD+]

STEPBible — Tyndale Abridged Greek Lexicon

νόθος, -η, -ον [in LXX: Wis.4:3 * ;] a bastard, base born, i.e. born of a slave or concubine: Heb.12:8.† (AS)

Bible Occurrences (1)

12:8

G3541 νόθος (nóthos)