νεκρός

dead, a corpse

Definition

The Greek word νεκρός (nekros) primarily means 'dead' or 'a dead body.' As an adjective, it describes what is lifeless, whether physically deceased (Matthew 8:22), spiritually dead in sin (Ephesians 2:1), or pertaining to mortal existence (Hebrews 6:1). As a noun, it specifically denotes a corpse or dead body (Matthew 14:2). A key theological nuance is its use for those who have died and await resurrection, as seen in Jesus' debate with the Sadducees about the God of the living, not the dead (Matthew 22:32).

Biblical Usage

Νεκρός appears 123 times across the New Testament, with significant usage in the Gospels, Acts, and the Pauline epistles. It is used literally for physical death (e.g., raising the dead in Matthew 10:8) and metaphorically for spiritual condition (e.g., 'dead in trespasses' in Ephesians 2:5). In Romans, it describes being 'dead to sin' through Christ (Romans 6:11). The word also features in resurrection contexts, contrasting the dead with the living (1 Corinthians 15:35).

Etymology

Derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *nek- meaning 'death' or 'to perish,' νεκρός is a native Greek adjective meaning 'dead.' It is cognate with Latin 'nex' (violent death) and possibly Sanskrit 'naśyati' (to perish). In Greek, it formed the basis for words like 'nekropolis' (city of the dead). Its meaning remained stable, encompassing both the state of being dead and the physical corpse.

Semantic Range

Νεκρός is theologically central to understanding death and resurrection. It highlights humanity's natural state of spiritual death apart from God (Ephesians 2:1) and the transformative power of Christ, who brings life from death. Jesus' statement that 'God is not God of the dead, but of the living' (Matthew 22:32) uses νεκρός to affirm resurrection hope. In Pauline theology, being 'dead to sin' (Romans 6:11) and 'raised from the dead' (Colossians 2:12) are key soteriological concepts, emphasizing both forensic and experiential new life in Christ.

In the first-century Greco-Roman and Jewish world, death was a definitive, unclean state. Contact with a νεκρός (corpse) incurred ritual impurity (Numbers 19:11). Culturally, the dead were often feared, and elaborate funeral practices existed. The Jewish hope, affirmed by Pharisees but denied by Sadducees, was for bodily resurrection, making Jesus' miracles of raising the dead (like Lazarus) and his own resurrection revolutionary assertions of God's power over the ultimate cultural boundary of death.

θάνατος (thanatos, G2288) — focuses on the event or power of death itself, rather than the state. ἀποθνῄσκω (apothnēskō, G599) — a verb meaning 'to die,' describing the action. πτῶμα (ptōma, G4430) — emphasizes a fallen corpse or carcass, often with a sense of ruin.

Word Details

Scripture References