G458 — ἀνομία (anomía)¶

Core Data¶

Strong's: G458
Original: ἀνομία
Transliteration: anomía
Pronunciation: an-om-ee'-ah
Part of Speech: Feminine noun
Root: Compound of α- (privative, "not") + νόμος (G3551, nomos, "law") — literally "not-law" / "lawlessness"
Occurrences: 15 tokens across 13 unique verses (NT, Byzantine/TR); 2 Thess 2:3 shows ἀνομίας as a textual variant for ἁμαρτίας ("man of lawlessness" vs. "man of sin")
Books: 7 (Matthew, Romans, 2 Corinthians, 2 Thessalonians, Titus, Hebrews, 1 John)
First Occurrence: Matt 7:23 — "depart from me, ye that work iniquity (ἀνομίαν)"
Hapax Legomenon: No

Lexicon Definition¶

From ἄνομος (G459) + the α- privative prefix on νόμος (G3551): illegality, violation of law. Abstract noun denoting the condition or act of being without law, operating contrary to law, or disregarding divine statute. Sometimes concrete ("a lawless deed"), sometimes abstract ("the state of lawlessness"). In genitive constructions it functions as a descriptive qualifier ("of lawlessness" = "lawless").

Semantic Domains¶

Louw-Nida: - 088.018 — Act Lawlessly - Domain 088: Moral and Ethical Qualities and Related Behavior - Gloss: to live lawlessly | lawlessness | lawless living

Other words in 088.018: ἄνομος (G459, ánomos), παρανομία (G3892, paranomía), ἄθεσμος (áthesmos), ἀθέμιτος (athémitos)

UBS Semantic Domains: - [088] Moral and Ethical Qualities and Related Behavior

Translation Distribution (KJV)¶

Translation	Verses	%
iniquity	7	53.8%
iniquities	3	23.1%
of iniquity	1	7.7%
the law (as object of "transgresseth")	1	7.7%
to iniquity	1	7.7%
transgression of the law	1	7.7%
unrighteousness	1	7.7%

KJV overwhelmingly renders ἀνομία as "iniquity" (≈77% combined). In 1 John 3:4 the same word is translated twice in one verse — once "transgresseth the law" (verbal construction with ποιέω) and once "transgression of the law."

Distribution by Book¶

Book	Count	Per 100 Verses
Titus	1	2.2
2 Thessalonians	1	2.1
Hebrews	3	1.0
1 John	1	1.0
Romans	2	0.5
Matthew	4	0.4
2 Corinthians	1	0.4

Patterns: Highest density in the Pauline Pastoral/Eschatological cluster (Titus, 2 Thess). Matthew holds the largest raw count (4), and those four uses cluster in judgment/eschatological sayings (7:23; 13:41; 23:28; 24:12). Hebrews uses it in liturgical/covenant-quotation settings (1:9 quoting Ps 45:7; 8:12 and 10:17 quoting Jer 31:34). Absent from the Synoptic Gospels apart from Matthew, and absent from Acts and the Johannine Gospel.

Semantic Categories¶

1. Lawless deeds / acts contrary to God's will (concrete, often plural)¶

Rom 4:7 — "Blessed are they whose iniquities (ἀνομίαι) are forgiven" (quoting Ps 32:1 LXX)
Heb 8:12 — "their sins and their iniquities (ἀνομιῶν) will I remember no more" (quoting Jer 31:34)
Heb 10:17 — parallel to 8:12 — "their sins and iniquities (ἀνομιῶν) will I remember no more"
Titus 2:14 — "redeem us from all iniquity (ἀνομίας)"

2. Lawlessness as character / moral condition¶

Matt 23:28 — "within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity (ἀνομίας)"
Heb 1:9 — "Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity (ἀνομίαν)" (quoting Ps 45:7)
2 Cor 6:14 — "what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness (ἀνομίᾳ)?"

3. Lawlessness personified in active agents / workers¶

Matt 7:23 — "depart from me, ye that work iniquity (ἐργαζόμενοι τὴν ἀνομίαν)"
Matt 13:41 — "gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity (τοὺς ποιοῦντας τὴν ἀνομίαν)"
Rom 6:19 — "ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity (τῇ ἀνομίᾳ εἰς τὴν ἀνομίαν)" (double use — instrument and result)

4. Eschatological intensification of lawlessness¶

Matt 24:12 — "because iniquity (τὴν ἀνομίαν) shall abound (πληθυνθῆναι), the love of many shall wax cold"
2 Thess 2:7 — "the mystery of iniquity (τὸ μυστήριον τῆς ἀνομίας) doth already work"
2 Thess 2:3 — textual variant: "man of sin" (ἁμαρτίας, TR/Byzantine) vs. "man of lawlessness" (ἀνομίας, Alexandrian — NA/UBS). The same figure is called ὁ ἄνομος (G459) in v.8.

5. Definitional identification with sin¶

1 John 3:4 — "Whosoever committeth sin (ἁμαρτίαν) also committeth lawlessness (τὴν ἀνομίαν ποιεῖ): for sin is lawlessness (ἡ ἁμαρτία ἐστὶν ἡ ἀνομία)" — the only NT text that equates the two terms outright.

Common Collocations¶

Word	Strong's	Co-occurrences	Typical Pattern
ἁμαρτία (hamartía)	G266	4x (31%)	paired in sin-lists and forgiveness formulas (Rom 4:7; Heb 8:12; 10:17; 1 Jn 3:4)
δικαιοσύνη (dikaiosýnē)	G1343	3x (23%)	antithetical pairing "righteousness vs. lawlessness" (2 Cor 6:14; Heb 1:9; Rom 6:19)
πᾶς (pâs)	G3956	3x (23%)	"all iniquity" / "all that work iniquity" (Titus 2:14; Matt 7:23; 13:41)
ποιέω (poiéō)	G4160	2x (15%)	"to do/commit lawlessness" — agent constructions (Matt 13:41; 1 Jn 3:4)
ἄνθρωπος (ánthrōpos)	G444	2x (15%)	"man of lawlessness" / "sons of men" judgment contexts
μιμνήσκομαι (mnáomai)	G3415	2x (15%)	"remember no more" — negated in new-covenant forgiveness (Heb 8:12; 10:17)

Word Family / Cognates¶

G3551 νόμος (nómos) — law (the base from which ἀνομία is negated); 197 NT uses
G459 ἄνομος (ánomos) — lawless (adjective); 10 NT uses; 2 Thess 2:8 ("that Wicked/Lawless One") is the personal counterpart to ἡ ἀνομία in 2:7
G460 ἀνόμως (anómōs) — lawlessly (adverb); Rom 2:12
G3892 παρανομία (paranomía) — transgression/lawless act; 2 Pet 2:16 only
G3891 παρανομέω (paranoméō) — to act contrary to law; Acts 23:3 only
G1772 ἔννομος (énnomos) — within/under law; antonym

Synonyms¶

G265 ἁμάρτημα (hamartēma) — sin, sinful deed; concrete wrongdoing closely adjacent to anomia's lawbreaking sense

Easily Confused Words¶

Word	Strong's	Shared KJV	Key Difference
ἀδικία (adikía)	G93	"iniquity," "unrighteousness"	Focuses on injustice / wrong done to another; relational/ethical wrong
ἀδίκημα (adíkēma)	G92	"iniquity"	A specific unjust act (concrete noun from ἀδικέω)
ἁμαρτία (hamartía)	G266	"sin" (not "iniquity" in KJV)	Missing the mark; broader term — 1 Jn 3:4 explicitly equates the two but they carry distinct lexical profiles
παρανομία (paranomía)	G3892	"iniquity"	A single transgressive act alongside the law
παράβασις (parábasis)	G3847	"transgression"	Crossing a specific boundary/commandment
ἀσέβεια (asébeia)	G763	"ungodliness"	Impiety — vertical/Godward irreverence, not law-breaking per se

Hebrew Source (via LXX)¶

Hebrew Source	Strong's	Co-occ	PMI Score	Semantic Note
עָוֺן (ʻâvôn)	H5771	70	22.69	primary — iniquity, guilt, punishment for iniquity
פֶּשַׁע (peshaʻ)	H6588	29	17.93	transgression, revolt, rebellion
אָוֶן (ʼâven)	H205	27	17.85	trouble, wickedness, nothingness
פָּעַל (pâʻal)	H6466	18	15.59	used esp. in the phrase פֹּעֲלֵי אָוֶן "workers of iniquity"
תּוֹעֵבָה (tôʻêbah)	H8441	25	15.54	abomination
חַטָּאָה (chaṭṭâʼâh)	H2403	31	13.19	sin, sin-offering
עֶוֶל (ʻevel)	H5766	12	12.36	unjust deed, injustice
זִמָּה (zimmâh)	H2154	9	12.25	wicked plan, lewdness
רִשְׁעָה (rishʻâh)	H7564	7	12.08	wickedness
רֶשַׁע (reshaʻ)	H7562	6	9.02	wrong, wickedness

The LXX uses ἀνομία as a broad cover term for Hebrew words denoting violation of Torah — with עָוֺן (iniquity/guilt) and פֶּשַׁע (transgression/revolt) as the two strongest bridges. This Septuagintal breadth underlies the NT's use of ἀνομία in quotations drawn from the Psalms and Jeremiah (Rom 4:7 < Ps 32; Heb 1:9 < Ps 45; Heb 8:12; 10:17 < Jer 31).

All Verse Texts (KJV)¶

Matthew - 7:23 — "And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." - 13:41 — "The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity" - 23:28 — "ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity" - 24:12 — "because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold"

Romans - 4:7 — "Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered" - 6:19 — "ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity" (double use)

2 Corinthians - 6:14 — "what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?"

2 Thessalonians - 2:3 — (variant reading) "man of sin / man of lawlessness" - 2:7 — "the mystery of iniquity doth already work"

Titus - 2:14 — "that he might redeem us from all iniquity"

Hebrews - 1:9 — "Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity" (quoting Ps 45:7) - 8:12 — "their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more" (quoting Jer 31:34) - 10:17 — "their sins and iniquities will I remember no more"

1 John - 3:4 — "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law"