Lexical Summary ekkaió: To kindle, to inflame, to burn Original Word: ἐκκαίω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance burn. From ek and kaio; to inflame deeply -- burn. see GREEK ek see GREEK kaio NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom ek and kaió Definition to kindle, to be inflamed NASB Translation burned (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 1572: ἐκκαίωἐκκαίω: 1 aorist passive ἐξεκαυθην; 1. to burn out. 2. to set on fire. passive to be kindled, to burn (Herodotus and following; often in the Sept.): properly, of fire; metaphorically, of the fire and glow of the passions (of anger, Job 3:17; Sir. 16:6, and often in Plutarch); of lust, Romans 1:27 (Alciphron 3, 67 οὕτως ἐξεκαυθην εἰς ἐρωτᾷ). Topical Lexicon Scope of the Termἐξεκαύθησαν (ekekauthēsan), the sole New-Testament appearance of the verb ekkaiō, depicts a fierce, consuming flame of emotion rather than a literal fire. The picture is of desire ignited from within until it blazes out of control, suggesting both intensity and inevitability once the spark is lit. Biblical Usage Romans 1:27 supplies the lone canonical occurrence: “In the same way the men abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error” (Berean Standard Bible). Here Paul employs ekkaiō to describe the unrestrained, reciprocal craving between men who have “abandoned” God-ordained heterosexual relations. The verb captures how sin, once cherished, kindles its own self-sustaining blaze. The middle voice underscores that the subjects themselves become both fuel and flame. Theological Significance 1. Total Inversion of Created Order Romans 1 traces a downward spiral: rejection of divine revelation (verses 18-23) leads to idolatry and, subsequently, to moral chaos (verses 24-32). Ekkaiō sits at the narrative’s midpoint, illustrating how exchanged worship (verses 23, 25) produces exchanged relations (verse 26) and finally an exchanged passion that burns beyond created boundaries. 2. Divine Judicial Abandonment Three times Paul repeats “God gave them over” (verses 24, 26, 28). The inflaming of unnatural desire is not merely permitted but portrayed as a form of judgment. The fire is both sin’s expression and its punishment, foreshadowing the “due penalty” carried in the body and, ultimately, divine wrath (Romans 2:5). 3. Contrast with Holy Fire Scripture frequently employs fire for sanctifying presence (Exodus 3, Acts 2), purification (Zechariah 13:9), and zeal for righteousness (2 Timothy 1:6). Ekkaiō presents the antithesis: a fire stoked by rebellion, destructive rather than cleansing. Historical Context First-century Greco-Roman culture normalized same-sex acts, particularly pederasty and temple prostitution. By selecting a verb of intense combustion, Paul confronts cultural mores head-on, attributing such practices not to an alternative moral order but to the collapse of moral order itself. His Jewish heritage (Leviticus 18:22; 20:13) and familiarity with Hellenistic vice lists converge here, reinforcing that the Gospel does not accommodate prevailing pagan ethics. Pastoral and Ministry Implications 1. Diagnosing Desire Paul identifies misplaced worship as the root of disordered passion. Effective ministry must therefore address idolatry of heart, not merely external behavior. 2. Gospel Hope While ekkaiō describes a fire of corruption, the same epistle proclaims the Spirit’s power to mortify the deeds of the body (Romans 8:13). Transformation comes through union with Christ, not moral reformation alone. 3. Discipleship and Accountability The verb warns believers against nurturing any spark of sin that could blaze uncontrollably (cf. James 1:14-15). Churches cultivate holiness by fostering transparent relationships, scriptural instruction, and Spirit-empowered self-control. Connections with Other Fire Imagery • Destructive passion: “Set on fire by hell” (James 3:6). These parallels sharpen the contrast between fires that refine and fires that consume. Doctrinal Emphasis Ekkaiō underlines the consistency of biblical sexual ethics: God created male and female for complementary union (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4-6). Deviations are not harmless alternatives but indicators of humanity’s estrangement from the Creator. Yet Romans continues to unfold a righteousness from God, available to all who believe (Romans 3:22), demonstrating that even those inflamed by sinful desires are invited to the cleansing fire of the Gospel. Summary Strong’s Greek 1572 paints a vivid, singular picture of sin’s combustible power in Romans 1:27. Far from a peripheral term, ekkaiō exposes the inner mechanics of moral collapse: wrong worship ignites wrong desire, culminating in actions contrary to nature and accountable before God. Its solitary appearance magnifies its force, reminding readers that what sin ignites, only divine grace can extinguish. Forms and Transliterations έκαυσαν εκκαή εκκαήναι εκκαίει εκκαυθή εκκαυθήσεται εκκαυθήσονται εκκαύσαι εκκαύσας εκκαύσει εκκαύσω εκκεκαυμένη εκκέκαυται εξεκαύθη εξεκαυθησαν εξεκαύθησαν ἐξεκαύθησαν εξέκαυσα εξέκαυσαν εξεκαύσατε εξέκαυσε καύσονται exekauthesan exekauthēsan exekaúthesan exekaúthēsanLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |
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