"not apparent or obvious; uncertain, not distinct, Lk. 11:44; 1 Cor. 14:8*"
Definition and meaning
not apparent or obvious; uncertain, not distinct, Lk. 11:44; 1 Cor. 14:8*
In the original Greek the word is written: ἄδηλος
Historical context
Luke wrote as a historian addressing a Greek audience. He carefully interviewed eyewitnesses and arranged events in order. The social and economic realities he describes — Roman taxation, Jewish religious hierarchy, the marginalization of women and the poor — are consistent with first-century Judea under Roman administration.
The people who first heard this word were not reading a book — they were living through empires, oppression, exile, and covenant. Every word carried the weight of that reality. Understanding it changes how you read Scripture.
Scripture references
These are the most notable occurrences of adelos (G82) across the King James Bible.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.
For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?
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Common questions
Strong's G82 (adelos) is a Greek word that means: not apparent or obvious; uncertain, not distinct, Lk. 11:44; 1 Cor. 14:8* It appears 2 times in the King James Bible.
The word adelos (G82) appears 2 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G82 is adelos, a Greek word defined as: not apparent or obvious; uncertain, not distinct, Lk. 11:44; 1 Cor. 14:8*. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
adelos is a Greek word found in the New Testament.