Lexical Summary anomós: Lawless, without law Original Word: ἄνομος Strong's Exhaustive Concordance lawlesslyAdverb from anomos; lawlessly, i.e. (specially) not amenable to (the Jewish) law -- without law. see GREEK anomos HELPS Word-studies Cognate: 460 anómōs (an adverb) – lawlessly, acting without God's light (the written revelation of the Bible). 460 (anómōs) particularly refers to pagan behavior (perspective). See 458 (anomia). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originadverb from anomos Definition lawlessly NASB Translation without the law (2). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 460: ἀνόμωςἀνόμως, adverb, without the law (see ἄνομος, 1), without a knowledge of the law: ἀνόμως ἁμαρτάνειν, to sin in ignorance of the Mosaic law, Romans 2:12; ἀπολλυσθαι to perish, but not by sentence of the Mosaic law, ibid. (ἀνόμως ζῆν to live ignorant of law and discipline, Isoc. panegyr. c. 10 § 39; ἀνόμως ἀπολλυσθαι to be slain contrary to law, as in wars, seditions, etc., ibid. c. 44 § 168. In Greek writings generally unjustly, wickedly, as 2 Macc. 8:17.) Topical Lexicon Overview Strong’s Greek 460 (ἀνόμως) describes action that takes place in a sphere where the written code of God’s Law is absent or disregarded. Paul employs the adverb twice in Romans 2:12, using it to draw a sharp line between sin committed without the Mosaic revelation and sin committed with it. Biblical Usage Romans 2:12 reads, “For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law.” The double use of ἀνόμως (“without the law”) underscores two distinct yet equally serious classes of sinners: 1. Gentiles who sin apart from possessing the Torah. Paul’s Argument in Romans 2 1. Universal Accountability. By pairing “without law” with “under law,” Paul affirms that sin brings divine judgment regardless of whether one has explicit Scripture. Creation and conscience leave no one excused (Romans 2:14-15). Historical Interpretation Early church writers such as Chrysostom took ἀνόμως to show God’s impartiality: Gentiles perish not because they never received the Law but because they transgressed the internal witness given to them. Reformation commentators (Luther, Calvin) highlighted the word to demonstrate that legal privilege cannot save; only faith in Christ can. Ministry Implications • Evangelism. Mission work among unreached peoples must reckon with real guilt before God even where Scripture is unknown. ἀνόμως reminds believers that the gospel is urgent for all. Contemporary Application In pluralistic societies, many live functionally ἀνόμως—outside conscious regard for God’s commands. Romans 2:12 warns that ignorance is no shield against judgment and urges the church to proclaim Christ crucified and risen as the sole remedy for every sinner, whether living with or without direct exposure to God’s written Law. Forms and Transliterations ανομως ανόμως ἀνόμως anomos anomōs anómos anómōsLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Romans 2:12 AdvGRK: Ὅσοι γὰρ ἀνόμως ἥμαρτον ἀνόμως NAS: have sinned without the Law KJV: have sinned without law shall INT: as many as indeed without law sinned without law Romans 2:12 Adv |