G989 — βλάσφημος (blasphemos)¶

Core Data¶

Strong's: G989
Original: βλάσφημος
Transliteration: blasphemos
Pronunciation: blas'-fay-mos
Part of Speech: Adjective
Root: From βλάπτω (blapto, "to injure") + φήμη (pheme, "speech") — injurious speech
Occurrences: 5 in NT
First Occurrence: Acts 6:11 — "We have heard him speak blasphemous (blasphemos) words against Moses, and against God."
Hapax Legomenon: No

Lexicon Definition¶

Scurrilous, i.e. calumnious (against man), or (specially) impious (against God). From a derivative of βλάπτω and φήμη. Used of speech or persons characterized by injurious, slanderous, or irreverent language.

Louw-Nida Semantic Domain¶

Domain: 33 — Communication
Subdomain: 33.042 — Insult, Slander
Glosses: insulting, slanderous, blasphemous
Other words in subdomain: βλασφημέω (blasphemeo, G987), βλασφημία (blasphemia, G988), λοιδορέω (loidoreo, G3058), καταλαλέω (katalaleo, G2635), ὀνειδίζω (oneidizo, G3679)

UBS Semantic Domains¶

[033] Communication — search_relationships.py keeps βλάσφημος in the speech/defamation field, focusing on language or persons marked by slanderous or irreverent speech.

Translation Distribution (KJV)¶

Translation	Count	%
blasphemous	2	40%
a blasphemer	1	20%
blasphemers	1	20%
railing	1	20%

Distribution by Book¶

Book	Count	Per 100 Verses
2 Peter	1	1.6
2 Timothy	1	1.2
1 Timothy	1	0.9
Acts	2	0.2

All 5 occurrences are in the Pauline/Petrine epistles and Acts. The word is absent from the Gospels, where the verb βλασφημέω (G987) and noun βλασφημία (G988) appear instead. Note: the BLB outline also lists Rev 13:5, but the KJV Strong's tagging assigns that occurrence to G988 (βλασφημία).

Semantic Categories¶

1. Blasphemous Speech Against God / Sacred Things¶

Acts 6:11 — "We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God."
Acts 6:13 — "This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law."

Both occurrences modify ῥήματα (rhemata, "words") — blasphemos describes the character of speech directed against God, Moses, the temple, or the law. The charges are presented through false witnesses, but the adjective itself characterizes speech as irreverent toward the sacred.

2. A Blasphemous Person (Substantive Use)¶

1 Tim 1:13 — "Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief."
2 Tim 3:2 — "For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy."

Used substantively (without a modified noun) to describe a person characterized by blasphemous behavior. In 1 Tim 1:13, Paul applies it to his pre-conversion self. In 2 Tim 3:2, it appears in a vice list describing people of the "last days."

3. Railing / Slanderous Accusation (Against Spiritual Beings)¶

2 Pet 2:11 — "Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord."

Here blasphemos is translated "railing" and describes an accusation (krisis) — the word characterizes speech that is reviling or slanderous, directed against spiritual authorities (cf. parallel in Jude 1:9 using G988).

Common Collocations¶

Word	Strong's	Co-occurrences	Typical Pattern
ῥῆμα (rhema)	G4487	2x (40%)	"blasphemous words" (rhemata blasphema)
λαλέω (laleo)	G2980	2x (40%)	"speak blasphemous [words]"
ἄνθρωπος (anthropos)	G444	2x (40%)	"men shall be... blasphemers"
λέγω (lego)	G3004	2x (40%)	witnesses "said" re: blasphemous speech

The strongest collocation is with ῥῆμα — blasphemos characterizes the kind of words being spoken. The Acts occurrences pair it with λαλέω (to speak), forming the phrase "speak blasphemous words."

Word Family / Cognates¶

G987 βλασφημέω (blasphemeo) — verb: to blaspheme, speak impiously, revile (35 occurrences)
G988 βλασφημία (blasphemia) — noun: blasphemy, slander, railing (19 occurrences)
G989 βλάσφημος (blasphemos) — adjective: blasphemous, slanderous (5 occurrences)

The adjective (G989) is the rarest member of the word family. The verb (G987) dominates NT usage, especially in the Gospels and Revelation.

Synonyms¶

No direct synonyms were returned by search_relationships.py for G989.

Antonyms¶

No antonyms were returned by search_relationships.py for G989.

Easily Confused Words¶

Word	Strong's	Shared Translation	Key Difference
βλασφημέω (blasphemeo)	G987	"blasphemers" (1x each)	G987 is the verb (the act of blaspheming); G989 is the adjective (describing speech or a person as blasphemous)
λοιδορία (loidoria)	G3059	"railing" (G989 1x, G3059 2x)	G3059 is a noun meaning slander/insult generally; G989 as "railing" describes the character of an accusation, often with religious overtones
βλασφημία (blasphemia)	G988	"railings" (G988 1x) / "railing" (G989 1x)	G988 is the noun (the act or content of blasphemy); G989 is the adjective (describing something as blasphemous in character)

Domain Neighbors (Louw-Nida 33.042 — Insult, Slander)¶

Word	Strong's	Verses	Primary KJV	Key Difference
βλασφημέω	G987	35	blasphemed	Verb form — the act of blaspheming
βλασφημία	G988	18	blasphemy	Noun — the blasphemy itself
ὀνειδίζω	G3679	10	shall revile	Insult/reproach, usually person-to-person; less religious weight
ὑβρίζω	G5195	5	spitefully	Mistreat with insolence, physical or verbal
κακολογέω	G2551	4	curseth	To speak evil of, denounce — broader than blasphemy
λοιδορέω	G3058	4	revilest thou	To slander or insult strongly — secular tone
καταλαλέω	G2635	3	speaketh evil	To speak evil of, slander — less intense
λοιδορία	G3059	2	railing	Slander/insult as a noun

Hebrew Source¶

No Hebrew source found via LXX mapping. The βλασφημ- word group has no consistent single Hebrew equivalent — the concept of blasphemy in the OT is expressed through various phrases (e.g., נָאַץ na'ats H5006 "to despise/blaspheme," גָּדַף gadaph H1442 "to revile") rather than a single lexical root.