Bible Lexicons

ζωή

(ζωιή (prob. an error) SIG 577.34 (Milet., iii/ii B.C.)), Dor. ζωά: Ion. and poet. ζόη, Hdt. 1.32, Herod. 10.4, S. Fr. 556, etc. (v. infr.), cf. IG 9(1).86 (Hyampolis), Dor. ζόα: Aeol. ζοΐα Theoc. 29.5: ἡ: —

I

1. living, i.e. one's substance, property, ἦ γάρ οἱ ζ. γ' ἦν ἄσπετος Od. 14.96; τοὶ δὲ ζωὴν ἐδάσαντο ib. 208; κατὰ ζωὴν φαγέειν 16.429; τὴν ζόην ποιέεσθαι or καταστήσασθαι ἀπὸ or ἐκ.. to get one's living by.., Hdt. 8.105, cf. 2.36, Arist. HA 608b21; ἐξ ἁλός Theoc. Beren. 2.

2. after Hom., life, existence, opp. death, Tyrt. 15.5, Pi. N. 8.36, etc.; θανάτου πέρι καὶ ζωᾶς ib. 9.29; οὐδὲν γὰρ ἄλγος οἷον ἡ πολλὴ ζόη S. Fr. 556; ζόας (ζωᾶς codd.) βιοτά E. HF 664 (lyr.); τοῦ βίου ζωή Pl. Ti. 44c; ὁ τῆς ζ. χρόνος SIG 1210 (Calymna), etc.: as a term of affection, ζωή mylife ! Juv. 6.195: pl., ζόαι A. Fr. 99.13; ζωαί LXX Psalms 63:3-4(62).3(4); μετὰ τὴν μίαν ζ. πολλαὶ ζ. Dam. Pr. 100; αἱ τῆς ψυχῆς ζ. καὶ δυνάμεις Iamb. Comm.Math. 3.

3. way of life, ζόην ἔζωον τὴν αὐτήν Hdt. 4.112, cf. 114.

II ζωή,= γραῦς 11, the scum on milk, Eust. 906.52; ζόη· τὸ ἐπάνω τοῦ μέλιτος, Hsch. [The form ζόη (paroxyt.) is required by the metre in trimeters in S. Fr. 556, E. Hec. 1108, and in lyrics S. Fr. 592, E. Med. 976, al., ζωή never: ζόη in other Poets, Call. Fr. 114, Theoc. 18.9, Herod. 10.4.] (For the root, cf. ζῶ: fancifully connected with ζέω and ζητέω, Dam. Pr. 81: in signf. 11 ζόη prob. fr. ζέω.)

ζωή, ζωῆς, ἡ (from ζάω, ζῶ), the Sept. chiefly for חַיִּים; life;

1. universally, life, i. e. the state of one who is possessed of vitality or is animate: 1 Peter 3:10 (on which see ἀγαπάω); Hebrews 7:3, 16; αὐτός (ὁ Θεός) διδούς πᾶσιν ζωήν καί πνοήν, Acts 17:25; πνεῦμα ζωῆς ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ, the vital spirit, the breath of (i. e. imparting) life, Revelation 11:11 (Ezekiel 37:5); πᾶσα ψυχή ζωῆς, genitive of possess, every living soul, Revelation 16:3 G L T Tr text WH; spoken of earthly life: ἡ ζωή τίνος, Luke 12:15; Acts 8:33 (see αἴρω, 3 h.); James 4:14; ἐν τῇ ζωή σου, whilst thou wast living on earth, Luke 16:25 (ἐν τῇ ζωή αὐτοῦ, Sir. 30:5 Sir. 50:1); ἐν τῇ ζωή ταύτῃ, 1 Corinthians 15:19; πᾶσαι αἱ ἡμέραι τῆς ζωῆς τίνος, Luke 1:75 Rec. (Genesis 3:14; Psalm 127:5 (); Sir. 22:12 (10)). ἐπαγγελία ζωῆς τῆς νῦν καί τῆς μελλούσης, a promise looking to the present and the future life, 1 Timothy 4:8; ζωή and θάνατος are contrasted in Romans 8:38; 1 Corinthians 3:22; Philippians 1:20; of a life preserved in the midst of perils, with a suggestion of vigor, 2 Corinthians 4:12 (the life of Paul is meant here, which exerts a saving power on the Corinthians by his discharge of his apostolic duties); of the life of persons raised from the dead: ἐν καινότητι ζωῆς, figuratively spoken of a new mode of life, dedicated to God, Romans 6:4; of the life of Jesus after his resurrection, Acts 2:28; Romans 5:10; of the same, with the added notion of vigor, 2 Corinthians 4:10f.

2. used emphatically,

a. "of the absolute fullness of life, both essential and ethical, which belongs to God, and through him both to the hypostatic λόγος and to Christ" in whom the λόγος put on human nature: ὥσπερ ὁ πατήρ ἔχει ζωήν ἐν ἑαυτῷ, οὕτως ἔδωκεν καί τῷ υἱῷ ζωήν ἔχειν ἐν ἑαυτῷ, John 5:26; ἐν αὐτῷ (namely, τῷ λόγῳ) ζωή ἦν καί ἡ ζωή ἦν τό φῶς τῶν ἀνθρώπων, in him life was (comprehended), and the life (transfused from the Logos into created natures) was the light (i. e. the intelligence) of men (because the life of men is self-conscious, and thus a fountain of intelligence springs up), John 1:4; ὁ λόγος τῆς ζωῆς, the Logos having life in itself and communicating it to others, 1 John 1:1; ἡ ζωή ἐφανερώθη, was manifested in Christ, clothed in flesh, 1 John 1:2. From this divine fountain of life flows forth that life which is next to be defined: viz.

b. life real and genuine, vita quae sola vita nominanda (Cicero, de sen. 21, 77), "a life active and vigorous, devoted to God, blessed, the portion even in this world of those who put their trust in Christ, but after the resurrection to be consummated by new accessions (among them a more perfect body), and to last forever" (the writers of the O. T. have anticipated the conception, in their way, by employing חַיִּים to denote a happy life and every kind of blessing: Deuteronomy 30:15, 19; Malachi 2:5; Psalm 33:13 () 13; Proverbs 8:35; Proverbs 12:28, etc.): John 6:51, 63; John 14:6; Romans 7:10; Romans 8:6, 10; 2 Corinthians 2:16; Philippians 2:16; (Colossians 3:4); 2 Peter 1:3; 1 John 5:11, 16, 20; with the addition of τοῦ Θεοῦ, supplied by God (Winer's Grammar, 186 (175)), Ephesians 4:18; ἡ ἐν Χριστῷ, to be obtained in fellowship with Christ, 2 Timothy 1:1; μεταβεβηκέναι ἐκ τοῦ θανάτου εἰς ζωήν, John 5:24; 1 John 3:14; ὄψεσθαί τήν ζωήν, John 3:36; ἔχειν ζωήν, John 5:40; John 10:10; 1 John 5:12; with ἐν ἑαυτῷ (or ἑαυτοῖς) added, John 5:26; (); διδόναι, John 6:33; χάρις ζωῆς, the grace of God evident in the life obtained, 1 Peter 3:7; τό πνεῦμα τῆς ζωῆς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, the Spirit, the repository and imparter of life, and which is received by those united to Christ, Romans 8:2; ὁ ἄρτος τῆς ζωῆς (see ἄρτος, at the end), John 6:35, 48; τό φῶς τῆς ζοης, the light illumined by which one arrives at life, John 8:12. more fully ζωή αἰώνιος and ἡ ζωή ἡ αἰώνιος ((cf. Buttmann, 90 (79)); see below): John 4:36; (John 12:50); ; 1 John 1:2; 1 John 2:25; (ῤήματα ζωῆς αἰωνίου, John 6:68); εἰς ζωήν αἰώνιον, unto the attainment of eternal life (cf. εἰς, B. II. 3 c. δ., p. 185a), John 4:14; John 6:27; διδόναι ζωήν αἰώνιον, John 10:28; John 17:2; 1 John 5:11; ἔχειν ζωήν αἰώνιον, John 3:15 (and John 3:16) (opposed to ἀπολλυσθαι), John 3:36; John 5:24, 39; John 6:40, 47, 54; John 20:31 L brackets; 1 John 5:13; οὐκ ἔχειν ζωήν αἰώνιον ἐν ἑαυτῷ, 1 John 3:15; (in Enoch 15:4,6 the wicked angels are said before their fall to have been spiritual and partakers of eternal and immortal life). ζωή and ἡ ζωή, without epithet, are used of the blessing of real life after the resurrection, in Matthew 7:14; John 11:25; Acts 3:15; Acts 5:20; Acts 11:18; Romans 5:17, 18 (on which see δικαίωσις, at the end); 2 Corinthians 5:4; Colossians 3:3; 2 Timothy 1:10; Titus 1:2; Titus 3:7; ζωή ἐκ νεκρῶν, life breaking forth from the abode of the dead, Romans 11:15; εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τήν ζωήν, Matthew 18:8; Matthew 19:17; Mark 9:43, 45; ἀνάστασις ζωῆς equivalent to εἰς ζωήν (2 Macc. 7:14), John 5:29 (on the genitive, cf. Winer's Grammar, 188 (177)); στέφανος τῆς ζωῆς equivalent to ἡ ζωή ὡς στέφανος, James 1:12; Revelation 2:10; ξύλον τῆς ζωῆς, the tree whose fruit gives and maintains eternal life, Revelation 2:7; Revelation 22:2, 14, 19 (G L T Tr WH) (cf. Genesis 2:9; Proverbs 3:18; δένδρον ζωῆς, Proverbs 11:30; Proverbs 13:12); cf. Bleek, Vorless. üb.

d. Apokalypse, p. 174f; ὕδωρ ζωῆς, water the use of which serves to maintain eternal life, Revelation 21:6; Revelation 22:1, 17; in the same sense ζωῆς πηγαί ὑδάτων, Revelation 7:17 G L T Tr WH; ἡ βίβλος and τό βιβλίον τῆς ζωῆς, the book in which the names of those are recorded to whom eternal life has been decreed: Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:5; Revelation 13:8; Revelation 17:8; Revelation 20:12, 15; Revelation 21:27; (Revelation 22:19 Rec.; cf. Lightfoot on Philippians, the passage cited), more fully ἡ ὄντως (Rec. αἰώνιος) ζωή, 1 Timothy 6:19; ζωή αἰώνιος (cf. above) (Justin Martyr, de resurr. i., p. 588 c. ὁ λόγος ... διδούς ἡμῖν ἐν ἑαυτῷ τήν ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀνάστασιν καί τήν μετά ταῦτα ζωήν αἰώνιον), Matthew 25:46 (opposed to κόλασις αἰώνιος); Acts 13:46, 48; Romans 2:7; Romans 6:22; Galatians 6:8; 1 Timothy 6:12; after ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τῷ ἐρχομένῳ, Mark 10:30; Luke 18:30; ἔχειν ζωήν αἰώνιον Matthew 19:16; κληρονομεῖν, Matthew 19:29; Mark 10:17; Luke 10:25; Luke 18:18; εἰς ζωήν αἰώνιον, unto the attainment of life eternal, John 12:25; Romans 5:21; 1 Timothy 1:16; Jude 1:21 (Daniel 12:2; 4 Macc. 15:2; ἀενναος ζωή, 2 Macc. 7:36; ἀΐδιος ζωή, Ignatius ad Eph. 19 [ET]). Cf. Köstlin, Lehrbegriff des Ev. Johann. etc., pp. 234ff, 338ff; Reuss, Johann. Theologie (in Beiträge zu d. theol. Wissenschaften, vol. i.), p. 76ff (cf. his Hist. de la Theol. Chret., book vii., chapter xiv.); Lipsius, Paulin. Rechtfertigungslehre, pp. 152ff 185f; Güder in Herzog viii. 254 (2nd edition, 509ff); B. B. Brückner, De notione vocis ζωή in N. T. Lipsius 1858; Huther,

d. Bedeut. d. Begriffe ζωή u. πιστεύειν im N. T., in the Jahrbb. f. deutsche Theol. 1872, p. 1ff (For the relations of the term to heathen conceptions cf. G. Teichmüller, Aristotle, Forsch. iii., p. 127ff) Some, as Bretschneider, Wahl, Wilke, especially Käuffer (in his book De biblica ζωῆς αἰωνίου notione. Dresd. 1838), maintain that ζωή αἰώνιος everywhere even in John's writings refers to life after the resurrection; but in this way they are compelled not only to assume a prophetic use of the perfect in the saying ἐκ τοῦ θανάτου μεταβεβηκέναι εἰς τήν ζωήν (John 5:24; 1 John 3:14), but also to interpret the common phrase ἔχει ζωήν αἰώνιον as meaning he has eternal life as his certain portion though as yet only in hope, as well as to explain ζωήν αἰώνιον οὐκ ἔχειν ἐν ἑαυτῷ μένουσαν (1 John 3:15) of the hope of eternal life. (Synonym: see βίος, at the end.)

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.