βιαστής
biastēs
forceful person
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
ExploredThe word βιαστής (biastēs) is a Greek term that refers to a person who exercises force or violence. Its meaning is best understood as someone who uses coercion to get what they want. The sole occurrence of βιαστής in the Bible does not provide sufficient evidence to pinpoint its use within any specific context, genre, or social group. However, this limited sample supports the conclusion that βιαστής refers specifically to a type of person rather than an action or state of being. Its focus is on the agent rather than the act. As for its significance, the usage of βιαστής is too scarce to draw any conclusions regarding its broader implications or influence in the biblical narrative. Nonetheless, given its negative connotation, βιαστής likely carries a pejorative sense, implying someone whose behavior is unwelcomed or reprehensible by the biblical author.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence across the text