χάσμα

a gap, gulf, chasm

Definition

χάσμα (chasma) refers to a deep, impassable gap or chasm, often implying a fixed separation. In its sole New Testament occurrence in Luke 16:26, it describes a great, unbridgeable gulf fixed between the realm of the blessed (Abraham's side) and the place of torment (Hades). The word conveys not just a physical ravine but a divinely established, permanent barrier. While its classical usage could denote a yawning opening or cleft in the earth, the biblical context emphasizes its function as an irreversible boundary in the afterlife.

Biblical Usage

This word is used only once in the New Testament, in Luke 16:26, within Jesus's parable of the rich man and Lazarus. It is employed to describe the definitive, uncrossable separation between two distinct post-mortem states. The context is eschatological, illustrating the finality of divine judgment and the fixed nature of one's eternal destiny after death.

Etymology

Derived from the Greek verb χάσκω (chaskō), meaning 'to yawn,' 'to gape,' or 'to open wide.' Thus, χάσμα literally means 'that which is yawned or gaped open'—a yawning chasm or abyss. It shares a root with other words denoting openings or voids.

Semantic Range

This word is theologically significant as it vividly illustrates the finality and permanence of the afterlife states described in Jesus's teaching. The 'great chasm' in Luke 16:26 underscores the doctrine of divine judgment and the irreversible consequences of one's earthly life. It challenges notions of post-mortem second chances and emphasizes the urgency of repentance and faith in the present life. Understanding this Greek term enriches reading by highlighting the deliberate, fixed, and impassable nature of the separation Jesus describes.

In the ancient Greco-Roman world, concepts of the afterlife often included divisions between realms for the blessed and the wicked (e.g., Hades' Elysian Fields and Tartarus). Jesus's use of a 'great chasm' would resonate with this cultural understanding of separated domains, but He uniquely attributes its establishment to divine authority ('fixed,' Luke 16:26), moving it from a mythological landscape feature to a theological reality of judgment.

ἄβυσσος (abyssos, G12) — typically a bottomless pit or abyss, often associated with the underworld or prison for spirits, whereas χάσμα is a separating gap. φάραγξ (pharanx, G5327) — a ravine or valley cut by a stream, a geographical feature without the theological connotation of a fixed, judicial barrier.

Word Details

Scripture References