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Bible Lexicons
Old & New Testament Greek Lexical Dictionary Greek Lexicon
Strong's #731 - ἄῤῥητος
- Thayer
- Strong
- Mounce
- unsaid, unspoken
- unspeakable (on account of its sacredness)
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- Parsing
ἄρρητος, ον, also η, ον E. Hec. 201: —
I unspoken, ἔπος προέηκεν ὅ πέρ τ' ἄρρητον ἄμεινον Od. 14.466; ἄνδρες.. ῥητοί τ' ἄ. τε Hes. Op. 4; ἔστω ἄ. τὰ εἰρημένα Pl. Smp. 189b, etc., cf. Aeschin. 3.217; οὐκ ἐπ' ἀρρήτοις γε τοῖς ἐμοῖς λόγοις not without warning spoken by me, S. Ant. 556; ἄ. κἀτελῆ φυλάξομαι Id. El. 1012. Adv. -τως, σιγᾶν Arist. Fr. 44 codd. (ἀρρήκτως Reiske, ἀρράτως Bernays).
II that cannot be spoken or expressed, ἀδιανόητον καὶ ἄ. καὶ ἄφθεγκτον καὶ ἄλογον Pl. Sph. 238c: hence, unspeakable, immense, App. BC 3.4; ἐπιθυμία Phld. Ir. p.50 W.; εὐχαριστία Id. Lib. p.51 O.
III not to be spoken: hence,
1. not to be divulged, ἱροργίαι, ἱρά, Hdt. 5.83, 6.135; σέβας ἀρρήτων ἱερῶν Ar. Nu. 302; ἄ. σφάγια E. IT 41; ἄ. ἀβακχεύτοισιν εἰδέναι Id. Ba. 472; διδακτά τε ἄρρητά τ', i.e.things profane and sacred, S. OT 301; ἄ. κόρη the maid whom none may name (i.e. Persephone), E. Fr. 63, cf. Hel. 1307; ἀρρήτων θέσμια, sc. of Demeter and Persephone, IG 3.713.6.
2. unutterable, horrible, δεῖπνα S. El. 203 (lyr.); λώβη E. Hec. 200 (lyr.); ἄρρητ' ἀρρήτων 'deeds without a name', S. OT 465 (lyr.).
3. shameful to be spoken, ῥητόν τ' ἄ. τ' ἔπος Id. OC 1001, cf. Aj. 214 (lyr.), 773; ῥητὰ καὶ ἄ. ὀνομάζων 'dicenda tacenda locutus', D. 18.122; πάντας ἡμᾶς ῥητὰ καὶ ἄ. κακὰ ἐξεῖπον Id. 21.79. Adv. -τως D.L. 7.187. of numbers, ἄρρητα, τά, irrationals, surds, opp. ῥητά, Pl. Hp.Ma. 303b, cf. R. 546c.
ἄρρητος, ἀρρητον (ῤητός, from Ρ᾽ΑΩ);
a. unsaid, unspoken: Homer, Odyssey 14, 466, and often in Attic.
b. unspeakable (on account of its sacredness) (Herodotus 5, 83, and often in other writings): 2 Corinthians 12:4, explained by what follows: ἅ οὐκ ἐξόν ἀνθρώπῳ λαλῆσαι.
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** ἄρρητος , -ον
(<ἀ - neg., ῥητός , ῥέω ),
[in Sm.: Leviticus 18:23 *;]
1. unspoken (Hom., al.).
2. unspeakable (Hat., al.; freq. in Inscr.; MM, s.v.): 2 Corinthians 12:4.†
Copyright © 1922 by G. Abbott-Smith, D.D., D.C.L.. T & T Clarke, London.
ἄρρητος is common in sacred inscriptions, e.g. Michel 992.21 (Mantinea, B.C. 61) ἐσκέπασεν καὶ εὐσχημόνισεν τὰ περὶ τὰν θεὸν ἄρρητα μυστήρια. The word is thus associated with the Mysteries, and in 2 Corinthians 12:4 (ἄρρητα ῥήματα) suggests words too sacred to be uttered. Vettius Valens p. 19.1 has περὶ τὰ ἄρρητα ποιητικαί. P Leid Wxvii. 16, with κρυπτόν.
Copyright © 1914, 1929, 1930 by James Hope Moulton and George Milligan. Hodder and Stoughton, London.
Derivative Copyright © 2015 by Allan Loder.
