Greek word · G152

αἰσχύνη

aischynē

shame

Shame, disgrace, dishonour: a loss of public standing. It can also mean the feeling of shame, or modesty.

Appears 6 times in 6 verses of the Greek New Testament. · Updated October 22, 2026

What it means

αἰσχύνη, -ης, ἡ

(αἶσχος, shame, disgrace), [in LXX chiefly for בּשֶׁת ;]

shame (MM, VGT, see word): subjectively, Luke 14:19, 2 Corinthians 4:2; objectively, Philippians 3:19, Hebrews 12:2; as something to be ashamed of, Revelation 3:18; pl. (Bl., §32, 6), shameful deeds, Jude 1:13.†

SYN.: αἰδώς, which see (AS)

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

Range of meaning: Shame, disgrace, dishonour: a loss of public standing. It can also mean the feeling of shame, or modesty.
Against the English: KJV/Brenton 'reproach' and WEB 'reproach' point to public blame. NRSV-style 'disgrace' is clearer for modern readers.
Used elsewhere in the period: Sirach has a whole section on true and false shame (Sir 4:20–26; 41:14–42:8). Ben Sira treats honour and shame as central measures of a man's life.

Range of meaning: Shame, disgrace, dishonor. This covers the feeling, the shameful act, and public humiliation. It can be the shame of judgment day, and sometimes it refers to what is indecent or must be covered (Rev 3:18, 'the shame of your nakedness').
Against the English: All versions say 'shame' or 'shameful'. NLT's 'shameful things' makes it the content of their boasting. That is one valid reading, but it drops the possibility that the 'shame' is the disgrace coming to them at the judgment.
Used elsewhere in the period: In the LXX, aischynē sometimes stands for an idol. Hebrew scribes substituted bōshet ('shame') for the name Baal, and LXX 1 Kings (3 Kingdoms) 18:19, 25 calls Baal's prophets 'the prophets of shame'. Daniel 12:2 (LXX and Theodotion) speaks of some rising 'to everlasting shame (aischynē)'. In Phil 1:20 Paul hopes that he 'will not be put to shame' at Christ's coming.

Range of meaning: Aischynē: shame as public disgrace or loss of honour; the shameful thing itself; by extension (following Hebrew idiom) the private parts. Gymnotēs: nakedness, lack of adequate clothing, destitution.
Against the English: KJV/WEB/ESV keep 'the shame of your nakedness'. BSB and NIV merge it into 'shameful nakedness'. NLT turns it into a feeling: 'not be shamed by your nakedness'. Modern English 'shame' tends to mean an inner emotion. Here it is mainly public disgrace before onlookers.
How it drifted: Modern psychology has moved 'shame' inward, toward self-esteem and inner pain. In the ancient Mediterranean world, honour and shame were public goods, given or removed by the community's eyes. That is why the verb is 'be made visible'.
Used elsewhere in the period: Isaiah 47:3 LXX, against Babylon: 'your shame (αἰσχύνη) will be uncovered'. Nahum 3:5 and Ezekiel 16:36–39 picture judgment on a city as stripping it naked before the nations. Deut 28:48 LXX lists 'nakedness' (γυμνότης) among the covenant curses. Rev 16:15 is a close parallel: 'blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his garments, so that he may not walk naked and they see his shame (ἀσχημοσύνη)'.

Luke · 1

Luke 14:9 αἰσχύνης shame

Then the host who invited both of you will come and tell you, ‘Give this man your seat.’ And in humiliation, you will have to take the last place.

2 Corinthians · 1

2 Corinthians 4:2 αἰσχύνης of shame

Instead, we have renounced secret and shameful ways. We do not practice deceit, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by open proclamation of the truth, we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.

Here: Shame: what would bring public disgrace if it came out. 'Hidden things of shame' means things people hide because they are shameful.

Philippians · 1

Philippians 3:19 αἰσχύνῃ shame

Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and their glory is in their shame. Their minds are set on earthly things.

Here: Disgrace, the opposite of honor. It covers both shameful conduct and the public humiliation God's judgment will bring. It can also refer to what should be kept covered (Rev 3:18).

Hebrews · 1

Hebrews 12:2 αἰσχύνης [its] shame

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Here: Public disgrace, the loss of honor in other people's eyes. Crucifixion was designed to produce exactly this.

Jude · 1

Jude 1:13 αἰσχύνας, shame,

They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.

Here: The word is plural, "shames". It means shameful deeds and disgraceful conduct out in the open, not an inner feeling of embarrassment. Like foam and debris dumped on the shore, their disgraceful behaviour is on show for everyone to see.

Revelation · 1

Revelation 3:18 αἰσχύνη shame

I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, white garments so that you may be clothed and your shameful nakedness not exposed, and salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.

Here: Public disgrace and loss of honour. Like the Hebrew idiom behind Isaiah 47:3, it can also mean the body parts that should be covered. 'The shame of your nakedness' means the disgraceful exposure of a naked body.

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