Greek word · G53

ἁγνός

hagnos

pure

Originally ritually pure, fit for contact with the sacred. It is related to the Greek root for awe before the holy. It came to mean morally pure, innocent or blameless, and very often sexually chaste. For a virgin that meant virginity; for a wife, faithfulness to her marriage.

Appears 8 times in 8 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

ἁγνός, -ή, -όν

(ἅγος, see: ἅγιος), [in LXX chiefly for טָהוֹר (Pss, and Pr. only), also 2Ma.13:8, 4Ma.18:7, al. ;]

1. free from ceremonial defilement, in a condition prepared for worship (for exx. of pagan usage, V. MM, VGT, see word).

2. holy, sacred, venerable (II Mac, l.with).

3. As in OT (cl.), pure, chaste, undefiled, guiltless;

(a) of persons: 2 Corinthians 7:11 11:12, 1 Timothy 5:22, Titus 2:5, 1 John 3:3;

(b) of things: Philippians 4:8, James 3:17, 1 Peter 3:2.

† SYN.: εἰλικρινής (which see), pure, primarily as winnowed, purged, first found in ethical sense in NT (sincere). On the equivalence of ἁ. and καθαρός (which see), see DCG, ii, 459a though Westc. (Epp. Jo., 101) notes a distinction between them. (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 Peter 3:2

Range of meaning

Originally ritually pure, fit for contact with the sacred. It is related to the Greek root for awe before the holy. It came to mean morally pure, innocent or blameless, and very often sexually chaste. For a virgin that meant virginity; for a wife, faithfulness to her marriage.

Against the English

KJV and NASB (1995) have 'chaste'; BSB, ESV, NIV, NLT and WEB have 'pure'. 'Chaste' to modern ears often means abstinence and is too narrow for a married woman. 'Pure' is closer but can sound only sexual or only sentimental.

How it drifted

Modern 'chaste' has narrowed to sexual abstinence. In Greek the word kept its wider sense of integrity before the divine.

Used elsewhere in the period

Ps 11:7 LXX (12:6), 'the words of the Lord are pure words'; 4 Macc 18:7, the martyr-mother as 'a pure virgin'; 2 Cor 11:2, the church as 'a pure virgin' presented to Christ; Titus 2:5, young wives to be 'pure' (hagnas); Phil 4:8; Jas 3:17. Greek and Roman funeral inscriptions praise wives for exactly this virtue (Latin pudicitia).

From the study of James 3:17

Range of meaning

Originally a word from worship: ritually clean, fit to approach the holy (people, offerings, places). By the Hellenistic and New Testament period it also meant morally pure, chaste, innocent, blameless, free from defilement or mixed motives. It is related to hagios ('holy') and hagnizō ('to purify').

Against the English

All the major versions say 'pure'. That is accurate. But modern English 'pure' tends to suggest sexual purity, or among Christians doctrinal correctness. Neither is the focus here.

How it drifted

'Purity' in modern church language has narrowed toward sexual ethics ('purity culture') or toward correct doctrine and separation from error.

Used elsewhere in the period

In the Greek Old Testament (LXX) hagnos describes the words of the LORD as 'pure' (Ps 12:6 [11:7 LXX]; Prov 20:9 relates to a clean heart). Hagnizō is used for ritual purification (Num 6; Exod 19:10). In the New Testament: 2 Cor 11:2; Phil 4:8; 1 Tim 5:22; 1 John 3:3 ('purifies himself as he is pure'). James himself uses the verb in 4:8: 'purify your hearts, you double-minded.'

From the study of Philippians 4:8

Range of meaning

Pure, undefiled, holy. It began in cultic purity (fit to approach the gods) and widened to moral purity, chastity, innocence and sincerity of motive.

Against the English

Universally 'pure'. That is accurate, but many modern readers hear only sexual purity.

How it drifted

In modern church usage 'purity' is often narrowed to sexual ethics.

Used elsewhere in the period

2 Cor 11:2 (a 'pure virgin'), 1 Tim 5:22, Titus 2:5, Jas 3:17 ('wisdom from above is first pure'), 1 John 3:3. In Phil 1:17 the related adverb hagnōs means 'sincerely'.

Where it appears

2 Corinthians · 2

  1. 2 Corinthians 7:11 ἁγνοὺς innocent

    Consider what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what zeal, what vindication! In every way you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.

    Here: Untainted, clean of guilt — specifically 'in the matter', i.e. not implicated in the offence. Not a claim of general sinlessness.

  2. 2 Corinthians 11:2 ἁγνὴν pure

    I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. For I promised you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.

    Here: Pure and untouched. Here that means kept for her pledged husband alone. Verse 3 explains it as undivided devotion to Christ that has not been led astray.

Philippians · 1

  1. Philippians 4:8 ἁγνά, pure,

    Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think on these things.

    Here: Undefiled, clean and blameless, with roots in the language of ritual purity before the gods. It covers sexual chastity but is broader: sincere, with no mixed motives. In 1:17 Paul uses the related adverb for preachers who act 'not purely', meaning not sincerely.

1 Timothy · 1

  1. 1 Timothy 5:22 ἁγνὸν pure

    Do not be too quick in the laying on of hands and thereby share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.

    Here: 'Pure' in the sense of clean-handed and uncontaminated. Coming straight after 'do not share in others' sins', it means mainly 'not implicated, free of guilt by association', though the word also carries the moral integrity Timothy is to model generally (4:12; 5:2).

Titus · 1

  1. Titus 2:5 ἁγνάς, pure

    to be self-controlled, pure, managers of their households, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be discredited.

    Here: Morally clean. Placed beside sōphrōn in a list for young wives, it points especially to sexual faithfulness, but it is not limited to that.

James · 1

  1. James 3:17 ἁγνή pure

    But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peace-loving, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere.

    Here: Clean through and through, with no mixed motives. It is the opposite of the 'double-minded' person James tells to 'purify (hagnisate) your hearts' in 4:8.

1 Peter · 1

  1. 1 Peter 3:2 ἁγνὴν pure

    when they see your pure and reverent demeanor.

    Here: Moral and religious purity: a life without stain. For a married woman in that culture the word strongly suggested marital fidelity and sexual integrity, but it is wider than that and covers blameless character in general.

1 John · 1

  1. 1 John 3:3 ἁγνός pure

    And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as Christ is pure.

    Here: Free from any defilement or stain, fit to stand in God's presence. It is said of Christ as a permanent quality of his.

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