Greek word · G145

αἰσθητήριον

aisthētērion

sense

An organ or instrument of perception (eye, ear, palate). By extension it means a faculty of perception or judgment, including moral and mental perception.

Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

αἰσθητήριον, -ου, τό

(αἰσθάνομαι), [in LXX: Jeremiah 4:19 (קִיר), 4Ma.2:22 * ;]

sense, organ of perception: Hebrews 5:14 (MM, VGT, see word).†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Hebrews 5:14

Range of meaning

An organ or instrument of perception (eye, ear, palate). By extension it means a faculty of perception or judgment, including moral and mental perception.

Against the English

KJV/WEB/NASB/BSB 'senses' is literal. ESV 'powers of discernment' and NIV 'trained themselves' interpret or flatten it. 'Senses' can make a modern reader think of the five physical senses or of a vague intuition or 'sixth sense'.

How it drifted

Origen and later Christian mystical writers built a doctrine of 'spiritual senses' partly on this verse. That later development is more elaborate than what the author says.

Used elsewhere in the period

Jeremiah 4:19 LXX: 'the aisthētēria of my heart' (inner faculties). 4 Maccabees 2:22 speaks of God implanting the senses and the passions. Greek medical writers (e.g. Galen) use it for sense organs. This is its only NT use.

Where it appears

Hebrews · 1

  1. Hebrews 5:14 αἰσθητήρια senses

    But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained their senses to distinguish good from evil.

    Here: Literally the organs we perceive with, like the tongue and palate. Here the image is used for the inner powers of judgment. It fits the eating picture: an adult palate can tell wholesome food from bad.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.