G459 — ἄνομος (ánomos)¶

Core Data¶

Strong's: G459
Original: ἄνομος
Transliteration: ánomos
Pronunciation: an'-om-os
Part of Speech: Adjective
Root: ἀ- (negative particle, "without") + νόμος (G3551, "law") — literally "without law, not-law"
Occurrences: 10 tokens in 7 unique NT verses, across 7 books
First Occurrence: Mark 15:28 — "And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors (ἀνόμων)."
Hapax Legomenon: No

Lexicon Definition¶

From Strong's: "from ἀ- (as a negative particle) and νόμος; lawless, i.e. (negatively) not subject to (the Jewish) law; (by implication, a Gentile), or (positively) wicked."

The word denotes one who stands outside or against νόμος (law). The adjective can be used substantively with the article (ὁ ἄνομος, "the lawless one") to designate a specific referent. Semantic range: (a) without-the-Law in the sense of Gentile / non-Jew (neutral), (b) lawless / wicked as moral designation (negative), (c) substantival "the lawless one" (definite singular referent).

Louw-Nida Semantic Domain¶

Primary Domain: 88 — Moral and Ethical Qualities and Related Behavior
Subdomain: 88.018 — Act Lawlessly
Secondary Domain: 11.002 — Groups and Classes of Persons: Socio-Religious (as "Gentile")
Other words in 88.018:
ἀθέμιτος — not allowed, forbidden
ἄθεσμος — lawless, unruly
ἀνομία (G458) — lawlessness, lawless living
παρανομία (G3892) — lawless act, evildoing
Glosses (Louw-Nida): "lawless | without the Law | Gentile"

UBS Semantic Domains: - [088] Moral and Ethical Qualities and Related Behavior - [033] Communication - [011] Groups and Classes of Persons and Members of Such Groups and Classes

Translation Distribution (KJV)¶

Translation	Verses	%
the transgressors	2	28.6%
Wicked (substantival, capitalized)	1	14.3%
wicked	1	14.3%
for the lawless	1	14.3%
that are without law	1	14.3%
them that are without law	1	14.3%
without law	1	14.3%
unlawful	1	14.3%

The KJV renders ἄνομος with three principal English glosses: "transgressors" (plural of Isa 53:12 quotation), "without law / lawless" (descriptive), and "wicked / unlawful" (morally negative). Only in 2 Thess 2:8 is it capitalized as a proper designation ("that Wicked"), reflecting the articular Greek ὁ ἄνομος.

Distribution by Book¶

Book	Count	Per 100 Verses
2 Thessalonians	1	2.1
2 Peter	1	1.6
1 Timothy	1	0.9
1 Corinthians	1	0.2
Mark	1	0.1
Luke	1	0.1
Acts	1	0.1

The word is scattered broadly but thinly across the NT (Gospels, Acts, Pauline, Pastorals, General Epistles). Highest density in 2 Thessalonians and 2 Peter (short eschatological/polemical letters). The word is absent from Matthew, John, Romans, Galatians, Hebrews, and Revelation — notable since cognate ἀνομία (G458) is heavily used in Matthew and 1 John.

Semantic Categories¶

1. Articular Substantive — "The Lawless One" (definite singular referent)¶

2 Thess 2:8 — "And then shall that Wicked (ὁ ἄνομος) be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming" — the only NT occurrence of ἄνομος with the definite article functioning as a title for a specific end-time figure.

2. Plural — "Transgressors / Lawless Men" (Isa 53:12 citation)¶

Mark 15:28 — "And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors (μετὰ ἀνόμων)" — quotation of Isa 53:12 LXX applied to Christ's crucifixion.
Luke 22:37 — "that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors (μετὰ ἀνόμων)" — same Isaiah quotation, spoken by Jesus.

3. Adverbial / Agentive — "By Lawless Hands"¶

Acts 2:23 — "ye have taken, and by wicked hands (διὰ χειρὸς ἀνόμων) have crucified and slain" — Peter's Pentecost sermon; ἀνόμων here modifies "hands," describing the agents of the crucifixion as lawless. Genitive plural.

4. Gentile / Outside-the-Mosaic-Law (neutral socio-religious)¶

1 Cor 9:21 — "To them that are without law (τοῖς ἀνόμοις), as without law (ὡς ἄνομος), (being not without law to God (μὴ ὢν ἄνομος θεοῦ), but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law (τοὺς ἀνόμους)" — four occurrences in one verse; Paul's missional self-description regarding Gentiles outside the Torah-covenant. Neutral covenantal sense rather than moral condemnation.

5. Moral Designation — "Lawless" in Vice Lists¶

1 Tim 1:9 — "the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless (ἀνόμοις) and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane…" — heading position in a vice list; paired with ἀνυπότακτος ("disobedient"), ἀσεβής ("ungodly"), ἁμαρτωλός ("sinner").

6. Adjectival — "Unlawful Deeds"¶

2 Pet 2:8 — "that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds (ἀνόμοις ἔργοις)" — describing the deeds of Sodom's inhabitants; adjective modifying ἔργοις.

Common Collocations¶

Word	Strong's	Co-occurrences	Typical Pattern
δίκαιος (díkaios)	G1342	2x (29%)	"righteous vs. lawless" antithesis (1 Tim 1:9; 2 Pet 2:8)
θεός (theós)	G2316	2x (29%)	God / covenant frame (1 Cor 9:21; Acts 2:23)
λέγω (légō)	G3004	2x (29%)	speech-framing verbs introducing quotations (Mark 15:28; Luke 22:37)
λογίζομαι (logízomai)	G3049	2x (29%)	"numbered / reckoned with" in Isa 53:12 citation (Mark 15:28; Luke 22:37)
ἁμαρτωλός (hamartōlós)	G268	1x (14%)	paired in vice list — "lawless and sinners" (1 Tim 1:9)
ἀσεβής (asebḗs)	G765	1x (14%)	paired in vice list — "lawless and ungodly" (1 Tim 1:9)
ἀνόσιος (anósios)	G462	1x (14%)	paired in vice list — "unholy and profane" (1 Tim 1:9)
ἀνυπότακτος (anypótaktos)	G506	1x (14%)	paired in vice list — "lawless and disobedient" (1 Tim 1:9)
βέβηλος (bébēlos)	G952	1x (14%)	paired in vice list — "profane" (1 Tim 1:9)
ἀνδροφόνος (androphónos)	G409	1x (14%)	paired in vice list — "manslayer" (1 Tim 1:9)
ἀποκαλύπτω (apokalýptō)	G601	1x (14%)	the lawless one "shall be revealed" (2 Thess 2:8)
ἀναλίσκω (analískō)	G355	1x (14%)	the Lord shall "consume" the lawless one (2 Thess 2:8)
γραφή / γράφω	G1124/G1125	1x (14%)	"scripture fulfilled / written" (Mark 15:28; Luke 22:37)

Word Family / Cognates (νομ- root)¶

νόμος (nómos) — G3551 — law; the root noun that ἄνομος negates
ἀνομία (anomía) — G458 — lawlessness, the abstract/nominal counterpart; 15× NT
ἔννομος (énnomos) — G1772 — in-law, subject to law; antonym, 2× NT (Acts 19:39; 1 Cor 9:21)
παρανομία (paranomía) — G3892 — transgression of law; 1× NT (2 Pet 2:16)
νομικός — G3544 — lawyer, expert in the Law
νομίμως — G3545 — lawfully
νομοθέτης — G3550 — lawgiver

Synonyms¶

G113 ἄθεσμος (áthesmos) — lawless, unruly
G94 ἄδικος (ádikos) — unjust, wicked
G2873 κόπος (kópos) — toil, painful trouble
G5004 ταλαιπωρία (talaipōría) — misery, wretchedness
G5244 ὑπερήφανος (hyperḗphanos) — proud, haughty

Antonyms¶

G3551 νόμος (nómos) — law; the direct lexical opposite built into ἄ-νομος itself
G4678 σοφία (sophía) — wisdom; positive moral order opposed to lawless folly
G2917 κρίμα (kríma) — judgment; the judicial verdict standing over lawless conduct
G1654 ἐλεημοσύνη (eleēmosýnē) — alms, mercy-giving; concrete righteous practice opposite lawless self-assertion
G1343 δικαιοσύνη (dikaiosýnē) — righteousness; the clearest ethical counter-pole in the law / lawlessness field
G225 ἀλήθεια (alḗtheia) — truth; opposed to the deceptive, anti-law sphere around the lawless one

Easily Confused Words (KJV overlap)¶

Word	Strong's	Shared Translation	Key Difference
ἀνομία	G458	"transgression," "iniquity"	Abstract noun (lawlessness as state/act); ἄνομος is the adjective/person characterized by it
ἁμαρτωλός	G268	overlap with "sinners"	ἁμαρτωλός = missing the mark; ἄνομος = outside/against the law specifically
ἀσεβής	G765	overlap with "wicked/ungodly"	ἀσεβής = impious toward God; ἄνομος = lawless toward law/covenant
ἄδικος	G94	overlap with "unrighteous/wicked"	ἄδικος = unjust; ἄνομος = without-law
πονηρός	G4190	overlap with "wicked"	πονηρός = evil in general nature; ἄνομος = specifically lawless

Hebrew Source (LXX back-mapping, ranked by PMI)¶

Hebrew Source	Strong's	Co-occ	PMI	Notes
רָשָׁע (râshâʻ)	H7563	28	4.77	"wicked person" — primary Hebrew bridge
רָשַׁע (râshaʻ)	H7561	11	6.24	"to be wicked" (verb)
רֶשַׁע (reshaʻ)	H7562	8	6.06	"wrong, wickedness" (noun)
פָּשַׁע (pâshaʻ)	H6586	7	5.51	"to transgress" (Isa 53:12: נִמְנָה — "numbered with פֹּשְׁעִים/transgressors"; LXX: ἐν τοῖς ἀνόμοις)
רִשְׁעָה (rishʻâh)	H7564	5	6.33	"wickedness" (feminine noun)
אָוֶן (ʼâven)	H205	8	4.61	"iniquity, trouble"
זֵד (zêd)	H2086	4	6.21	"arrogant, presumptuous"
עָוָה (ʻâvâh)	H5753	4	5.83	"to commit iniquity"
חַטָּא (chaṭṭâʼ)	H2400	4	5.67	"sinner, criminal"
צַדִּיק (tsaddîyq)	H6662	12	3.88	"righteous" — co-occurs in antithetical contexts

The dominant LXX bridge is רָשָׁע (rasha‘, "wicked"), used frequently in Proverbs and Psalms for the wicked in antithesis to the righteous. The Isa 53:12 citation in Mark 15:28 / Luke 22:37 specifically renders פֹּשְׁעִים (poshe‘im, from פָּשַׁע) with ἀνόμοις.

Grammatical Notes¶

Articular vs. anarthrous: The articular form ὁ ἄνομος (with definite article) occurs only at 2 Thess 2:8, where it functions as a definite singular substantival title. The other NT occurrences are all anarthrous — either plural substantives (Mark 15:28; Luke 22:37; Acts 2:23; 1 Cor 9:21 three of four instances; 1 Tim 1:9) or attributive adjectives (2 Pet 2:8, modifying ἔργοις).
1 Cor 9:21 contains the densest concentration: four occurrences in one verse, including one predicate usage (ὡς ἄνομος, "as without law") and one with a genitive complement (ἄνομος θεοῦ, "lawless toward God").
Case distribution across 10 tokens: nominative (2 Thess 2:8; 1 Cor 9:21 predicate); dative plural (Mark 15:28, Luke 22:37, 1 Cor 9:21 initial, 1 Tim 1:9, 2 Pet 2:8); accusative plural (1 Cor 9:21 final); genitive plural (Acts 2:23 — χειρὸς ἀνόμων); genitive singular with complement (1 Cor 9:21 — ἄνομος θεοῦ).