"impious, ungodly; wicked, sinful, Rom. 4:5; 5:6"
Definition and meaning
impious, ungodly; wicked, sinful, Rom. 4:5; 5:6
In the original Greek the word is written: ἀσεβής
Historical context
Paul wrote Romans from Corinth, one of the most important commercial cities in the empire. Rome had a Jewish population of around 50,000. The letter addresses real tensions between Jewish believers with centuries of Torah tradition and Gentile believers with no such background. Emperor Nero was on the throne. Within ten years he would execute both Paul and Peter.
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 asebes (G765) across the King James Bible.
But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;
But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
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Common questions
Strong's G765 (asebes) is a Greek word that means: impious, ungodly; wicked, sinful, Rom. 4:5; 5:6 It appears 8 times in the King James Bible.
The word asebes (G765) appears 8 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G765 is asebes, a Greek word defined as: impious, ungodly; wicked, sinful, Rom. 4:5; 5:6. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
asebes is a Greek word found in the New Testament.