"guiltless, innocent, Mt. 12:5, 7*"
Definition and meaning
guiltless, innocent, Mt. 12:5, 7*
In the original Greek the word is written: ἀναίτιος
Historical context
Rome had controlled Judea since 63 BC. Herod the Great rebuilt the Temple into one of the most magnificent structures in the ancient world — and simultaneously murdered members of his own family. The common people paid multiple layers of taxation and were politically powerless. Into that world a carpenter from Galilee began teaching that the kingdom of God had arrived.
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 anaitios (G338) across the King James Bible.
Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?
But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.
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Common questions
Strong's G338 (anaitios) is a Greek word that means: guiltless, innocent, Mt. 12:5, 7* It appears 2 times in the King James Bible.
The word anaitios (G338) appears 2 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G338 is anaitios, a Greek word defined as: guiltless, innocent, Mt. 12:5, 7*. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
anaitios is a Greek word found in the New Testament.