Greek word · G153

αἰσχύνω

aischynō

be ashamed

Active: to dishonour or disgrace someone. Middle/passive: to be ashamed, to feel shame, to be put to shame or disgraced. In biblical Greek it often means public humiliation when a hope proves false or an allegiance is exposed.

Appears 5 times in 5 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

αἰσχύνω

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

1. to disfigure (Hom.).

2. to dishonour (Proverbs 29:15).

3. to make ashamed (Sirach 13:7). Pass., to be put to shame, be ashamed: 2 Corinthians 10:8; Philippians 1:20, 1 Peter 4:16, 1 John 2:28; with inf. (M, Pr., 205), Luke 16:3 (cf. ἐπ- (-ομαι), κατ- αἰσχύνω).

† (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 1 John 2:28

Range of meaning

Active: to dishonour or disgrace someone. Middle/passive: to be ashamed, to feel shame, to be put to shame or disgraced. In biblical Greek it often means public humiliation when a hope proves false or an allegiance is exposed.

Against the English

KJV, BSB, NIV: "(not) be ashamed / unashamed before him". ESV, NASB, NLT: "shrink (away/back) from him in shame". The second group takes ἀπό as movement away.

Used elsewhere in the period

In the Septuagint, those who trusted idols or false allies are "put to shame" (Isaiah 1:29; Jeremiah 2:36; 12:13), sometimes with ἀπό marking the source of the shame. The Gospel tradition has the same picture of shame at the Son of Man's coming (Mark 8:38).

From the study of 1 Peter 4:16

Range of meaning

In the middle/passive form used here: to feel shame, to be ashamed, to be disgraced or put to shame. In an honor-and-shame society, 'shame' was not chiefly a private feeling. It meant losing standing in the eyes of the community: being publicly discredited, mocked and excluded.

Against the English

'Be ashamed' in modern English usually means an inward emotion of embarrassment or guilt. The Greek includes that feeling, but its weight falls on public disgrace. Being 'put to shame' in Scripture often means being shown up as in the wrong, with one's trust proved empty.

How it drifted

Modern Western culture puts shame inside the individual (psychology, self-esteem). In the ancient Mediterranean world, honor and shame were a public social currency.

Used elsewhere in the period

In the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint), 'not be put to shame' is the standard promise to those who trust God (e.g. Ps 25[24]:2–3; Isa 28:16). 1 Peter quotes Isa 28:16 at 2:6: 'whoever believes in him will never be put to shame' (using the compound kataischunthē). Compare 3:16, where the slanderers 'will be put to shame'. Jesus warns against being 'ashamed of me and my words' (Mark 8:38).

From the study of 2 Corinthians 10:8

Range of meaning

In the passive: to feel shame or embarrassment; to be put to shame, that is, publicly disgraced or exposed when a claim or hope turns out empty. In a culture that ran on honour and shame, it had to do with public standing, not only private feeling.

Against the English

'I will not be ashamed' (BSB, ESV, WEB) can sound like a private feeling: 'I won't feel embarrassed'. 'I will not be put to shame' (e.g. NASB) better catches the public, outward side: Paul's boast will not be shown up as hollow.

How it drifted

Modern English treats shame mainly as an inner emotion. In the ancient Mediterranean world, being 'put to shame' was a public loss of honour. Your claims were tested before others and found false.

Used elsewhere in the period

In the Septuagint Psalms, those who trust God 'will not be put to shame' (e.g. Ps 25[24]:2–3, 20), meaning God will vindicate their trust. Paul uses the idea in Rom 5:5 ('hope does not put to shame') and Phil 1:20. In 2 Cor 7:14 he writes that his boasting to Titus about the Corinthians did not put him to shame (κατῃσχύνθην), because it proved true.

Similar words

Where it appears

Luke · 1

  1. Luke 16:3 αἰσχύνομαι. I am ashamed.

    The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, now that my master is taking away my position? I am too weak to dig and too ashamed to beg.

2 Corinthians · 1

  1. 2 Corinthians 10:8 αἰσχυνθήσομαι· I will be ashamed;

    For even if I boast somewhat excessively about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than tearing you down, I will not be ashamed.

    Here: A future passive: 'I will not be put to shame'. Paul does not mainly mean he won't feel embarrassed. He means his claim will not be publicly exposed as hollow when it is tested, since he expects to come and show his authority in person (10:11; 13:10).

Philippians · 1

  1. Philippians 1:20 αἰσχυνθήσομαι I will be ashamed

    I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have complete boldness so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.

    Here: A future passive: 'I will be put to shame.' In the biblical idiom from the Psalms and Isaiah, this means being publicly disgraced because the God you trusted seems not to come through. It is less about an inner feeling of embarrassment.

1 Peter · 1

  1. 1 Peter 4:16 αἰσχυνέσθω, he should be ashamed,

    But if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but glorify God that you bear that name.

    Here: A third-person command in the present tense: 'he must not be (or keep being) ashamed.' The word covers both feeling shame and actually being publicly disgraced. The readers are told not to accept the verdict of dishonor that the label is meant to stamp on them.

1 John · 1

  1. 1 John 2:28 αἰσχυνθῶμεν may be ashamed

    And now, little children, remain in Christ, so that when He appears, we may be confident and unashamed before Him at His coming.

    Here: Aorist passive, "be put to shame". It means public disgrace, losing face before a superior, not only a private feeling of embarrassment.

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