ἱλασμός
Propitiation
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What does ἱλασμός (hilasmós) mean in the Bible?
ἱλασμός (hilasmós) is a Greek word meaning "propitiation". ἱλασμός, -οῦ (ἱλάσκομαι), [in LXX: Lev. Affirms that Christ’s death satisfies divine justice, securing forgiveness without compromising God’s holiness. This term runs through the canonical themes of Holiness, Justice, Messiah.
Full entry for ἱλασμός (G2434) · Browse the biblical lexicon
Meaning
Satisfaction or appeasement of God's wrath through a sacrificial offering that restores relationship
(ἱλάσκομαι), [in LXX: Lev.25:9, Num.5:8 (כִּפֻּר), Psa.130:4, Da TH Dan.9:9 (סְלִיחָה), Amo.8:14 (אַשְׁמָה), Eze.44:27 (חַטָּאָה), 1Ch.28:20, Sir.18:20 A, 2Ma.3:33 * ;]
Why This Word Matters
Affirms that Christ’s death satisfies divine justice, securing forgiveness without compromising God’s holiness. 1 John 2:1-2
Forgiveness is not sentimental overlooking of sin but the result of Christ bearing its penalty and satisfying God’s justice. 1 John 4:7-12
God’s love addresses sin through righteous atonement, not by ignoring guilt.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Canonical Themes
Biblical Occurrences
Each occurrence shows the passage reference, the original language term as it appears in that context, its transliteration, and the contextual sense.