Bible Lexicons

† ἱλαστήριος , -α , -ον

(< ἱλάσκομαι ),

[in LXX: 4 Maccabees 17:22; neut., Exodus 25:16 (17) ff. Exodus 31:7; Exodus 35:12; Exodus 37:6 ff., Leviticus 16:2; Leviticus 16:13 ff. Numbers 7:89 (H3727), Ezekiel 43:14; Ezekiel 43:17; Ezekiel 43:20 (H5835) Amos 9:1 (on the original here, v. Deiss., BS, 127)*;]

propitiatory (μνῆμα , FlJ, Ant., xvi, 7, 1; θάνατος , 2Mac, l.c.): of Christ, Romans 3:25; as subst., το ἱ . (sc. ἐπίθεμα , Exodus 25:16-17, where the word first occurs in LXX and where ἱ . ἐ . = H3727 (q.v. in BDB, s.v.), elsewhere rendered simply τὸ ἱ ; cf. Deiss., 124 ff.; Westc., He., in l), Hebrews 9:5.†

The meaning of ἱλαστήριον in the important passage Romans 3:25 has recently been fully discussed by Deissmann in BS p. 124 ff. and ZNTW iv. (1903) p. 193 ff., where he comes to the conclusion that the word must be understood not as a term. techn. for theכַּפֹּרֶת or cover (of the ark of the covenant), but as an adj. = ";of use for propitiation,"; on the analogy of such word-formations as σωτήριον or χαριστήριον with reference to votive offerings. And in support of this view, he is able to appeal, not only as Light foot had already done (Notes on Epistles of St. Paul, p. 271), to such a passage as Dion Chrys. Or. xi. p. 355 ed. Reiske : καταλείψειν γὰρ αὐτοὺς ἀνάθημα κάλλιστον καὶ μέγιστον τῇ Ἀθηνᾷ καὶ ἐπιγράψειν · ἱλαστήριον Ἀχαιὸν τῇ Ἀθηνᾷ τῇ Ἰλιάδι, but to two interesting exx. of the word from the inscrr. of Cos. The first, Cos 81, is found on a votive-gift which the people of Cos erected as a ἱλαστήριον for the welfare of the Emperor Augustus—ὁ δᾶμος ὑπὲρ (τ)ᾶς Αὐτοκράτορος Καίσαρος, θεοῦ υἱοῦ, Σεβαστοῦ σωτηρίας θεοῖς ἱλαστήριον. The second, Cos 347, which also belongs to the Imperial period, runs—ὁ δᾶμος ὁ Ἁλεντίων. . . . . . . Σε ]βασ [τ ]ῷ Διῒ Σ [τ ]ρατίῳ ἱλαστήριον, δαμαρχεῦντος Γαΐου Νωρβανοῦ Μοσχίωνο [ς φι ]λοκαίσαρος. Nor is this all, but, as he points out, the adjectival use of ἱλαστήριος is now definitely established by the fragment of a philosophical work concern-the gods, P Fay 337i. 3 ff. (ii/A.D.) τοῖς θεοῖς εἱλαστη [ρίο ]υς (for from cf. εἱλαστήριον Romans 3:25 B*D*) θυσίας ἀξιω [θέ ?]ντες ἐπιτελεῖσθαι : cf. 4 Maccabees 17:22 διὰ. . τοῦ ἱλαστηρίου θανάτου, where, however, some MSS. read διὰ τοῦ ἱλαστηρίου τοῦ θανάτου αὐτῶν (see SH, p. 88). The theological consequences of the above interpretation cannot be discussed here, but reference may be made, in addition to the commentators, to an art. by C. Bruston in ZNTW vii. (1906), p. 77 ff. It should be added, however, that, whatever view is taken of Romans 3:25, in Hebrews 9:5, the only other place where the word occurs in the NT, ἱλαστήριον must mean ";place of propitiation"; or ";mercy-seat,"; as in the LXX of the Pentateuch.