WG: Blasphemy¶
Overview¶
The blasphemy concept in Greek Scripture centers on a word family (βλασ-φημ-) with verb, noun, and adjective forms, surrounded by related terms for verbal abuse, slander, and insult from the same Louw-Nida subdomain (033.042).
Word Group Members¶
| Strong's | Word | Transliteration | POS | Occurrences | Role in Concept | Library Entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G987 | βλασφημέω | blasphēmeō | verb | 35 | The action (to blaspheme/revile) | G987 |
| G988 | βλασφημία | blasphēmia | noun | 18 | The act/content (blasphemy) | G988 |
| G989 | βλάσφημος | blasphēmos | adj | 5 | The character (blasphemous) | G989 |
| G2551 | κακολογέω | kakologeō | verb | 4 | Related: to curse/speak evil of | TODO(need G2551 study) |
| G2635 | καταλαλέω | katalaleō | verb | 3 | Related: to slander/speak against | TODO(need G2635 study) |
| G1228 | διάβολος | diabolos | adj/noun | 36 | Related: the slanderer/accuser | G1228 |
Relationships¶
Shared Roots¶
- βλασφημέω (G987), βλασφημία (G988), βλάσφημος (G989) — all from root βλασ-φημ- (from βλάπτω "injure" + φήμη "speech/fame")
Co-occurrence (appear in same verses)¶
| Word A | Word B | Shared Verses | Typical Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| G987 blasphēmeō | G988 blasphēmia | 3x | Cognate pairing: "spoke blasphemy" (Mat 26:65) |
| G988 blasphēmia | G1228 diabolos | 1x | Jude 1:9 — "railing accusation" context |
The blasphemy words rarely co-occur with the broader slander terms (G2551, G2635) in the same verses, indicating they occupy distinct contextual niches despite semantic overlap.
Semantic Differentiation¶
| Term | Target | Register | Gravity |
|---|---|---|---|
| βλασφημέω (G987) | God, divine names, sacred things, dignities | Sacred/solemn | Highest — sacrilege |
| κακολογέω (G2551) | Persons (parents, rulers) | Social/legal | Medium — cursing |
| καταλαλέω (G2635) | Fellow believers, neighbors | Interpersonal | Lower — gossip/backbiting |
| διάβολος (G1228) | God's people (as accuser) | Cosmic/adversarial | Unique — satanic accusation |
Roles in the Concept¶
- Action: βλασφημέω (G987) — the verbal act of reviling, defaming, or speaking impiously
- Content: βλασφημία (G988) — what is spoken: the blasphemous words or charge
- Character: βλάσφημος (G989) — describing the person or speech as blasphemous
- Related acts: κακολογέω (G2551) — cursing; καταλαλέω (G2635) — slandering
- Archetype: διάβολος (G1228) — the slanderer par excellence
Key Passages Where Multiple Group Words Appear Together¶
- Mat 26:65 — G987 (verb) + G988 (noun): "He hath spoken blasphemy" — the high priest's charge against Jesus
- Mark 3:28-29 — G987 (verb) + G988 (noun): "all blasphemies... blaspheme against the Holy Ghost"
- Rev 13:5-6 — G988 (noun) + G989 (adj) + G987 (verb): "a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies... to blaspheme his name"
- 2 Pet 2:10-12 — G987 (verb, 3x) + G989 (adj, via v.11 context): cluster of blasphemy language about false teachers
- Jude 1:8-10 — G987 (verb, 2x) + G988 (noun, via v.9): parallel to 2 Peter, speaking evil of dignities
Generated from: gather_word_group_data.py, gather_word_data.py Last updated: 2026-04-10