Lexical Summary orexis: Desire, longing, appetite Original Word: ὄρεξις Strong's Exhaustive Concordance lust. From oregomai; excitement of the mind, i.e. Longing after -- lust. see GREEK oregomai NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom the mid. of oregó Definition desire, longing NASB Translation desire (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 3715: ὄρεξιςὄρεξις, ὀρέξεως, ἡ (ὀρέγομαι, which see), desire, longing, craving, for; eager desire, lust, appetite: of lust, Romans 1:27. It is used both in a good and a bad sense, as well of natural and lawful and even of proper cravings (of the appetite for food, Wis. 16:2f; Plutarch, mor., p. 635 c.; others; ἐπιστήμης, Plato, de fin., p. 414 b.), as also of corrupt and unlawful desires, Sir. 18:30 Sir. 23:6; ἄλογοι and λογιστικαι ὀρεξεις are contrasted in Aristotle, rhet. 1, 10, 7. (Cf. Trench, § lxxxvii.) Topical Lexicon Definition and Semantic RangeThe term denotes a strong inward drive or appetite. In secular Greek literature it can describe any intense longing, whether wholesome or corrupt. Scripture employs it in a moral context, exposing an urge that has departed from the Creator’s design. Biblical Occurrence Romans 1:27 supplies the word’s sole appearance in the Greek New Testament. Paul is diagnosing the downward spiral that follows willful suppression of God’s self-revelation. “In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and burned with lust for one another” (Romans 1:27). Here ὀρέξις is the consuming, self-centered craving that fuels the exchange of natural for unnatural relations. It stands as evidence of divine wrath already “revealed from heaven” (Romans 1:18) in the form of God giving people over to the very passions they prefer. Theological Significance 1. Indicator of Moral Disorder Scripture never treats desire as neutral; it is either directed Godward or warped inward. Ὀρέξις appears when desire is surrendered to autonomy, becoming a destructive force rather than a servant of love. 2. Fruit of Idolatry Paul links this appetite to the prior refusal to honor God (Romans 1:21-23). When worship is misplaced, so is desire. Unchecked appetite becomes a signpost pointing back to idolatry at the heart level. 3. Retributive Aspect of Divine Judgment The passage presents ὀρέξις not merely as sin but as part of the judgment itself: God “gave them over” (Romans 1:26). Desire that was meant to be governed by righteousness now governs the sinner, evidencing the justice of God even before final judgment. Relationship to Other New Testament Terms for Desire • ἐπιθυμία (epithymia) often includes legitimate longings, qualified by context; ὀρέξις appears only in an illicit sense. Old Testament Background The Hebrew Scriptures use terms such as תַּאֲוָה (taavah, craving) and יֵצֶר (yetzer, inclination). When taavah turns from Yahweh’s provision to self-gratification, judgment follows (Numbers 11:4-34). The Septuagint rarely employs ὀρέξις, but the conceptual link is strong: unbridled appetite leads to slavery (Proverbs 11:6) and death (Proverbs 21:25). Second Temple and Greco-Roman Context In Philo and later Hellenistic Jewish writers, ὀρέξις is the lower part of the soul needing restraint by reason and law. Stoic philosophers likewise cataloged orexis among passions that disturb moral equilibrium. Paul’s usage resonates with this moral awareness yet anchors the solution not in human reason but in the gospel’s power to regenerate desire. Early Church Interpretation • Irenaeus cited Romans 1:27 against Gnostic libertinism, arguing that the gospel reforms, not indulges, desire. Pastoral and Discipleship Application 1. Diagnosis in Counseling Romans 1 warns that habitual surrender to corrupt cravings is symptomatic of deeper idolatry. Effective pastoral care addresses both the surface behavior and the worship disorder beneath. 2. Formation of Holy Desires The antidote to ὀρέξις is not stoic suppression but Spirit-empowered replacement: “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). Prayer, Scripture meditation, and accountable fellowship cultivate new appetites. 3. Sexual Ethics The verse informs a biblical worldview on sexuality: desires are legitimate only within the covenant parameters God established. The church’s mission includes proclaiming both truth and grace—calling sinners to repentance while offering the transforming mercy of Christ. Homiletical Insights • Illustrate the progression: suppression of truth → idolatry → disordered desire → visible immorality. Summary Ὀρέξις in Romans 1:27 functions as a window into the human heart estranged from God and a clarion call to the redemption that re-orders desire. The church, armed with the gospel, offers not mere behavior modification but the renewal that channels longing back to its rightful object—God Himself. Forms and Transliterations ορεξει ορέξει ὀρέξει orexei oréxeiLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |