Bible Lexicons

ζωή , -ῆς , ἡ

(ζάω ),

[in LXX chiefly for H3117 H2416;]

life (in Hom., Hdt., = βίος , q.v.; later, existence, vita qua vivimus, as distinct from βίος , vita quam vivimus; opp. to θάνατος );

1. of natural life: Luke 16:26, Acts 8:33, 1 Corinthians 15:19, 1 Timothy 4:8, Hebrews 7:3, James 4:14; πνεῦμα ζωῆς , Revelation 11:11; ψυχὴ ζωῆς (Genesis 1:30), Revelation 16:3; of the life of one risen from the dead, Romans 5:10, Hebrews 7:16.

2. Of the life of the kingdom of God, the present life of grace and the life of glory which is to follow (Dalman, Words, 156 n'.; Westc., Epp. J0., 214 ff.; Cremer, 272 ff.): John 6:51; John 6:53 Romans 7:10; Romans 8:6; Romans 8:10 Philippians 2:16, Colossians 3:4, 2 Peter 1:3; αἰώνιος (reff. supr.; DCG, i, 538a, ii, 30 f.), John 4:36; John 12:50; John 17:3, 1 John 1:2, al.; τ . φῶς τῆς ζ ., John 8:12; ὁ Λόγος τ . ζ ., 1 John 1:1; ὁ ἄρτος τ . ζ ., John 6:35; John 6:48; δικαίωσις ζωῆς , Romans 5:18; μετάνοια εἰς ζ ., Acts 11:18; ἐν αὐτῷ ζ . ἦν , John 1:4; ζ . ἡ ἐν . Χ . Ἰ ., 2 Timothy 1:1; τὰ πρὸς ζωήν , 2 Peter 1:3, al.; στέφανος τῆς ζ ., James 1:12, Revelation 2:10; χάρις ζωῆς (gen. expl.), 1 Peter 3:7; ζ . καὶ εἰρήνη , Romans 8:6; ζ . καἰ ἀφθαροέα , 2 Timothy 1:10; ἀνάστασις ζωῆς , John 5:29; βίβλος ζωῆς , Philippians 4:3, Revelation 3:6; ξύλον ζωῆς , Revelation 2:7; ὕδωρ ζωῆς , Revelation 22:17; meton., of that which has life: τ . πνεῦμα , Romans 8:10; ῥήματα , John 6:63; of one who gives life, John 11:25; John 14:6, 1 John 1:2; ἡ ἐντολή , John 12:50.

SYN.: see βίος G979.

P Lond 177.11 (A.D. 40–1) (= II. p. 168) ἐπὶ τὸν τῆς ζωῆς αὐτῆς χρόνον, and so often, P Oxy VII. 1070.9 (iii/A.D.) τὸν μέγαν θεὸν Σαρᾶπιν παρακαλῶ περί τε τῆς ζωῆς ὑμῶν καὶ τῶν ἡμῶν πάν [τ ]ων, P Leid Wxvii. 16 (ii/iii A.D.) ὁ ἐνφυσήσας πνεῦμα ἀνθρώποις εἰς ζωήν. For OGIS 266.29 (iii/B.C.) ἕως ζωῆς καὶ θανά [του = ἐν ζωῇ ἕως θανάτου see Dittenberger’s note ad loc. We may also refer to the touching inscr. cited s.v. γλυκύς sub fin. In contrast to the classical usage in which βίος is the ethical term (see further s.v. βίος), the ";nobler"; connotation is attached in Biblical Greek to ζωή, which is generally used as equivalent to ";the very highest blessedness"; : see Trench Syn. p. 86 ff., and cf. Hort Hulsean Lectures, pp. 98 ff., 189 ff., for an important discussion on the Biblical doctrine of Life. In ZNTW xii. p. 228 ff. Burkitt treats the relation of ζωή to hayy+m. The noun survives in MGr.