Greek word · G5565

χωρίς

chōris

without

Apart from, separately from, without; it marks separation or absence.

Appears 40 times in 38 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

χωρίς

adv.,

1. separately, apart: John 20:7.

2. As prep., with genitive,

(a) separate from, apart from, without (practically equiv. to ἄνευ; see Field, Notes, 103): Matthew 13:34, Mark 4:34, Luke 6:49, John 1:3 15:5, Romans 3:21, 28 4:6 7:8-9 10:14, 1 Corinthians 4:8 11:11, 2 Corinthians 12:3, Ephesians 2:12, Philippians 2:14, 1 Timothy 2:8 5:21, Phm 14, Hebrews 4:15 7:7, 20 9:7, 18 9:22, 28 10:25 11:6, 40 12:8, 14 (οὗ χωρίς; see Bl., § 82, 3), James 2:18, 20 2:26;

(b) besides: Matthew 14:21 15:38, 2 Corinthians 11:28.†

(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 James 2:18

Range of meaning

Apart from, separately from, without; it marks separation or absence.

Against the English

“Without” (all major versions) is fine. “Apart from” brings out the separation more clearly. The objector's position assumes faith and works can sit in separate compartments.

Used elsewhere in the period

Paul uses the same word in Romans 3:28 (“justified by faith apart from works of the law”). James also uses it in 2:20 and 2:26 (“faith apart from works is dead”). Some later Byzantine copyists replaced it with ἐκ (“out of”), probably copying the wording of the next clause.

From the study of Hebrews 4:15

Range of meaning

"Apart from sin": without involvement in sin. Chōris marks something absent or separate.

Against the English

BSB/ESV/NASB/KJV "without sin" keeps the Greek's compactness. NIV/NLT "yet he did not sin" decides one reading, that his testing never resulted in sin. That is the majority view, but it is narrower than the Greek's open phrase.

Used elsewhere in the period

Hebrews 7:26: the high priest we need is "holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners." Hebrews 9:28: he will appear a second time "apart from sin" (chōris hamartias). Compare 2 Cor 5:21, 1 Pet 2:22, 1 John 3:5. Philo describes the ideal high priest, whom he identifies with the divine Word (Logos), as free of all sin (De Fuga 108–118), but Philo's Logos is not a tested human being.

From the study of Hebrews 9:28

Range of meaning

"Apart from sin" or "without sin". Depending on context it can mean (a) sinless, (b) unconnected with sin, not for the purpose of dealing with sin, or (c) if ἁμαρτία has its Greek Old Testament sense of "sin offering", without a sin offering.

Against the English

KJV "without sin" is literal but invites the reading "he will be sinless". BSB "not to bear sin" and ESV "not to deal with sin" state the purpose sense. YLT "apart from a sin-offering" takes sense (c).

How it drifted

The KJV's literal "without sin" lets readers hear a statement about Christ's moral purity, especially since Hebrews 4:15 uses the same Greek phrase in that sense.

Used elsewhere in the period

Heb 4:15 χωρὶς ἁμαρτίας = "without sinning". In the LXX ἁμαρτία often stands for the sin offering itself (e.g. Lev 4:24; 6:25). Hebrews 10:6, 8 uses περὶ ἁμαρτίας for "sin offerings".

Where it appears

Matthew · 3

  1. Matthew 13:34 χωρὶς without

    Jesus spoke all these things to the crowds in parables. He did not tell them anything without using a parable.

    Here: 'Apart from a parable.' It shuts out any non-parable speech to this audience.

  2. Matthew 14:21 χωρὶς besides

    About five thousand men were fed, besides women and children.

    Here: "Not counting" or "leaving aside". It sets the women and children outside the number. It does not set them outside the meal: they are among "the ones eating".

  3. Matthew 15:38 χωρὶς besides

    A total of four thousand men were fed, besides women and children.

    Here: "Not counting." The women and children were there and ate, but they are outside the number. They are not missing from the scene.

Mark · 1

  1. Mark 4:34 χωρὶς Without

    He did not tell them anything without using a parable. But privately He explained everything to His own disciples.

    Here: Comes first for emphasis: 'apart from a parable' he did not speak. Together with the 'not' that follows, it makes a strong double negative: parables were his normal way of talking to the crowds.

Luke · 1

  1. Luke 6:49 χωρὶς without

    But the one who hears My words and does not act on them is like a man who built his house on ground without a foundation. The torrent crashed against that house, and immediately it fell—and great was its destruction!”

    Here: "Without." The phrase it opens comes late in the sentence and lands with weight. This is the whole defect.

John · 3

  1. John 1:3 χωρὶς without

    Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made.

    Here: "Separately from, independently of." Nothing came into existence apart from the Word's involvement. It rules out any exception, any part of creation made by some other agent.

  2. John 15:5 χωρὶς apart from

    I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing.

    Here: "Apart from" means separated, cut off, at a distance. The picture is a cut branch lying on the ground (v. 6).

  3. John 20:7 χωρὶς by itself

    The cloth that had been around Jesus’ head was rolled up, lying separate from the linen cloths.

    Here: Used here as an adverb, 'apart, separately'. It stresses that the cloth was set off from the body wrappings.

Romans · 6

  1. Romans 3:21 χωρὶς apart from

    But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, as attested by the Law and the Prophets.

    Here: 'Apart from, independently of.' God's righteousness has come into view without the Torah being the means or the boundary of it. It does not say the law is opposed or worthless (the same sentence calls the law a witness).

  2. Romans 3:28 χωρὶς apart from

    For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the law.

    Here: 'Apart from': works of the law are kept out of the basis of the verdict. It deliberately echoes 3:21, 'now apart from law (χωρὶς νόμου) the righteousness of God has been revealed.' It means 'separate from', not 'opposed to'; Paul insists in 3:31 that he upholds the law.

  3. Romans 4:6 χωρὶς apart from

    And David speaks likewise of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

    Here: 'Separately from, independently of'. It echoes 3:21 ('apart from the law') and 3:28 ('apart from works of the law'): the reckoning does not depend on works or come through them.

  4. Romans 7:8 χωρὶς apart from

    But sin, seizing its opportunity through the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from the law, sin is dead.

    Here: 'Apart from.' The same word comes back in verse 9: 'I was alive apart from law once.'

  5. Romans 7:9 χωρὶς apart from

    Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died.

    Here: "Apart from, separated from." It repeats the exact phrase of v.8 (chōris nomou, "apart from law"), tying the two verses tightly together.

  6. Romans 10:14 χωρὶς apart from

    How then can they call on the One in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in the One of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone to preach?

    Here: 'Apart from'. Hearing cannot happen unless someone is speaking.

1 Corinthians · 3

  1. 1 Corinthians 4:8 χωρὶς apart from

    Already you have all you want. Already you have become rich. Without us, you have become kings. How I wish you really were kings, so that we might be kings with you!

    Here: 'Apart from' or 'without.' It stings: they arrived at royalty without the apostles who brought them the gospel in the first place.

  2. 1 Corinthians 11:11 χωρὶς χωρὶς without

    In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman.

2 Corinthians · 2

  1. 2 Corinthians 11:28 χωρὶς Besides

    Apart from these external trials, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.

    Here: "Apart from" or "leaving aside." Paul sets the long list of physical hardships in vv. 23–27 to one side so he can name a different kind of burden.

  2. 2 Corinthians 12:3 χωρὶς out of

    And I know that this man—whether in the body or out of it I do not know, but God knows—

Ephesians · 1

  1. Ephesians 2:12 χωρὶς separate from

    remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.

    Here: "Apart from, having no part in." It describes where they stood, outside, more than what they felt.

Philippians · 1

  1. Philippians 2:14 χωρὶς without

    Do everything without complaining or arguing,

    Here: "Apart from": the two things named are to be absent from how they act. Paul uses the same construction in 1 Timothy 2:8 ("without anger or dispute").

1 Timothy · 2

  1. 1 Timothy 2:8 χωρὶς apart from

    Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands, without anger or dissension.

    Here: Free of, separated from. It names what has to be absent when men pray together.

  2. 1 Timothy 5:21 χωρὶς apart from

    I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels to maintain these principles without bias, and to do nothing out of partiality.

    Here: "With no...": excludes prejudgment entirely.

Philemon · 1

  1. Philemon 1:14 χωρὶς Apart from

    But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that your goodness will not be out of compulsion, but by your own free will.

Hebrews · 12

  1. Hebrews 4:15 χωρὶς without

    For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who was tempted in every way that we are, yet was without sin.

    Here: "Apart from." This marks the one point where his experience differs from ours. Hebrews uses chōris often (e.g. 9:22, 9:28, 11:6).

  2. Hebrews 7:7 χωρὶς Apart from

    And indisputably, the lesser is blessed by the greater.

    Here: Opens the sentence by setting argument aside: what follows stands apart from any dispute. It is a favourite word in Hebrews, as in "apart from sin" (4:15).

  3. Hebrews 7:20 χωρὶς apart from

    And none of this happened without an oath. For others became priests without an oath,

  4. Hebrews 9:7 χωρὶς without

    But only the high priest entered the second room, and then only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance.

    Here: 'Apart from.' It looks ahead to 9:22: 'without (chōris) the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.'

  5. Hebrews 9:18 χωρὶς apart from

    That is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood.

  6. Hebrews 9:22 χωρὶς apart from

    According to the law, in fact, nearly everything must be purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

    Here: "Separate from, in the absence of". A word Hebrews uses often (4:15 "without sin", 9:7 "not without blood", 9:28 "apart from sin"). It states what is required: no blood, no release.

  7. Hebrews 9:28 χωρὶς apart from

    so also Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await Him.

    Here: "Apart from". It marks what the second appearing has nothing to do with: it is not another dealing with sin.

  8. Hebrews 10:28 χωρὶς without

    Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.

    Here: 'Apart from': nothing of the following was available. It is one of Hebrews' favourite words (see 9:22, 'without shedding of blood').

  9. Hebrews 11:6 χωρὶς Without

    And without faith it is impossible to please God. For anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.

    Here: Comes first for emphasis: 'apart from faith', with faith missing. It sets up a flat rule with no exceptions.

  10. Hebrews 11:40 χωρὶς apart from

    God had planned something better for us, so that together with us they would be made perfect.

    Here: 'Apart from', 'separately from'. Placed before the verb for emphasis: the ancestors' completion is not a separate track from the community's.

  11. Hebrews 12:8 χωρίς without

    If you do not experience discipline like everyone else, then you are illegitimate children and not true sons.

  12. Hebrews 12:14 χωρὶς without

    Pursue peace with everyone, as well as holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.

    Here: 'Separated from.' It sets a necessary condition, and Hebrews uses it this way more than once: without shedding of blood no forgiveness (9:22); without faith impossible to please God (11:6).

James · 4

  1. James 2:18 χωρὶς without

    But someone will say, “You have faith and I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.

    Here: “Apart from, separated from.” This is the core of the challenge: faith cut off from deeds cannot be shown at all. James has the same word in v. 20 and v. 26 (“faith apart from works”).

  2. James 2:20 χωρὶς apart from

    O foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is worthless?

    Here: 'Cut off from' or 'standing apart from' the deeds. The picture is of faith separated from the actions that should come with it.

  3. James 2:26 χωρὶς χωρὶς apart from

    As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

    Here: 'Separated from, cut off from.' The picture is a body the breath has left: a body after death.

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