Greek word · G178

ἀκατάκριτος

akatakritos

uncondemned

'Uncondemned', 'not sentenced', 'without due legal process'. It is built from a- ('not') and katakrinō ('to condemn, pass sentence'), so it describes someone who has had no trial and no verdict.

Appears 2 times in 2 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

ἀ-κατά-κριτος, -ον

(κατακρίνω),

1. uncondemned (EV): Acts 16:37, 22:25.

2. = cl. ἄκριτος, without trial, not yet tried (MM, VGT, see word) Ac, ll. cc.

† (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 Acts 16:37

Range of meaning

'Uncondemned', 'not sentenced', 'without due legal process'. It is built from a- ('not') and katakrinō ('to condemn, pass sentence'), so it describes someone who has had no trial and no verdict.

Against the English

KJV and YLT keep the literal 'uncondemned'. BSB, NIV and WEB say 'without a trial'. The legal point is the same, but 'uncondemned' brings out more clearly that a punishment was carried out with no sentence behind it.

Used elsewhere in the period

In the New Testament it appears only in Acts, here and at 22:25. In both places Paul is claiming his rights as a citizen against an unlawful beating. It is rare in Greek generally. Lexicons (BDAG) give 'uncondemned, without a proper trial'. It matches Latin legal language: the Vulgate translates it indemnatos. W. M. Ramsay suggested it reflects the Latin phrase re incognita, 'without the case being investigated'.

Where it appears

Acts · 2

  1. Acts 16:37 ἀκατακρίτους, uncondemned

    But Paul said to the officers, “They beat us publicly without a trial and threw us into prison, even though we are Roman citizens. And now do they want to send us away secretly? Absolutely not! Let them come themselves and escort us out!”

    Here: They were never tried or sentenced, so the punishment came before any verdict. This is the second count.

  2. Acts 22:25 ἀκατάκριτον uncondemned

    But as they stretched him out to strap him down, Paul said to the centurion standing there, “Is it lawful for you to flog a Roman citizen without a trial?”

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