Original Word: ἄσυνθετος
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: asunthetos
Pronunciation: ah-SOON-the-tos
Phonetic Spelling: (as-oon'-thet-os)
KJV: covenant-breaker
NASB: untrustworthy
Word Origin: [from G1 (α - Alpha) (as a negative particle) and a derivative of G4934 (συντίθεμαι - agreed)]

1. (properly) not agreed, i.e. treacherous to compacts

covenant-breaker.

From a (as a negative particle) and a derivative of suntithemai; properly, not agreed, i.e. Treacherous to compacts -- covenant-breaker.

see GREEK a

see GREEK suntithemai

Word Origin
from alpha (as a neg. prefix) and suntithémi
Definition
not keeping covenant
NASB Translation
untrustworthy (1).

STRONGS NT 802: ἀσύνθετος

ἀσύνθετος, ἀσυνθετον,

1. uncompounded, simple (Plato, Aristotle, others.).

2. (συντίθεμαι to covenant), covenant-breaking, faithless: Romans 1:31 (so in Jeremiah 3:8, 11; Demosthenes de falsa leg., p. 383, 6; cf. Pape and Passow under the word; ἀσυνθέτειν to be faithless (Psalm 72:15 (); 2 Esdr. 10:2; Nehemiah 1:8, etc.); ἀσυνθεσία transgression, 1 Chronicles 9:1 (Ald., Complutensian; 2 Esdr. 9:2, 4; Jeremiah 3:7); ἐυσυνθέτειν to keep faith; (cf. Trench, § lii.)).

Concept of Covenant Faithfulness

The Greek term ἀσύνθετος (Strong’s 802) highlights the tragic opposite of one of Scripture’s most celebrated virtues—steadfast covenant loyalty. Throughout the Bible, God is portrayed as “abounding in faithfulness,” while His people are repeatedly called to mirror that character trait in their relationships with Him and with one another. ἀσύνθετος identifies the person who repudiates that calling, refusing to be bound by promises, treaties, contracts, or any moral obligation arising from covenant commitments.

Biblical Usage and Context

Romans 1:31 lists ἀσύνθετος among the evidences of a society that has suppressed the knowledge of God, exchanging His truth for a lie: “They are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless” (Romans 1:31). In Paul’s carefully structured indictment, each adjective traces a progressive disintegration of human relationships once worship has been severed from the Creator. ἀσύνθετος stands at the relational core of this list; where faithfulness collapses, every other social virtue soon follows.

Old Testament Foundations

The Old Testament consistently equates covenant faithfulness with righteousness (for example, Genesis 15:6; Deuteronomy 7:9). Violating covenant oaths placed the offender under divine judgment (Joshua 9:20; Ezekiel 17:15–20). When Israel “broke faith” (2 Chronicles 29:6), prophets likened the nation to an unfaithful spouse. Against this extensive backdrop, Paul’s one-word diagnosis in Romans exposes the Gentile world as suffering the same terminal breach Israel experienced whenever she betrayed her covenant Lord.

New Testament Emphasis in Romans

Romans 1:18–32 catalogues the downward spiral from idolatry to moral anarchy. ἀσύνθετος functions as a hinge between internal corruption (“senseless”) and external cruelty (“heartless, ruthless”). By using a covenant-laden term, Paul reminds readers that the moral law is written on every human heart (Romans 2:14–15). Even without Sinai’s tablets, people know that promises matter; to flout that knowledge is to rebel against the Creator’s moral order.

Doctrinal Significance

1. Anthropology: Humanity was created as covenantal beings, designed for truthful, reliable relationships. ἀσύνθετος exposes the radical extent of the Fall: sinners no longer honor even the most basic commitments.
2. Hamartiology: Faithlessness ranks alongside idolatry, sexual immorality, and violence as evidence of divine wrath already at work in the present age (Romans 1:18).
3. Soteriology: By contrast, the gospel reveals “the righteousness of God” (Romans 1:17)—a saving faithfulness that answers humanity’s unfaithfulness and restores covenant communion through Christ’s obedient life and atoning death.

Historical and Cultural Background

In Greco-Roman society, covenant-breaking carried severe civic penalties, from loss of honor to legal prosecution. Treaties among city-states, marriage contracts, and patron–client relationships depended on good faith. Paul’s use of ἀσύνθετος would have resonated with readers who knew that communal life disintegrates when oath-taking becomes meaningless. Early Christian apologists (e.g., Aristides, Athenagoras) later highlighted believers’ truthfulness as a distinctive mark contrasting pagan unreliability.

Implications for Ministry and Discipleship

• Marriage: Husbands and wives are called to embody covenant fidelity that reflects Christ and the Church (Ephesians 5:25–33).
• Church Membership: Baptismal vows and church covenants must be upheld, modeling the steadfast love of God (Hebrews 10:23).
• Stewardship and Vocation: Employers and employees who honor contracts bear witness to the gospel’s transforming power (Colossians 3:22–24).
• Evangelism: A life marked by dependable word-keeping validates the message we proclaim (2 Corinthians 1:18–20).

Practical Application for Believers Today

1. Examine speech: “Let your ‘Yes’ be yes and your ‘No,’ no” (Matthew 5:37).
2. Guard the marriage bed: “Marriage should be honored by all” (Hebrews 13:4).
3. Pay debts promptly: “Owe no one anything, except to love each other” (Romans 13:8).
4. Pursue reconciliation swiftly when covenants are strained (Matthew 5:23–24).

Warnings and Promises

Scripture warns that habitual covenant-breaking invites judgment (Malachi 2:13–16; Revelation 21:8), yet promises restoration for the repentant. God’s new covenant secures hearts able to keep His statutes (Ezekiel 36:26–27), making faithfulness a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22).

Worship and Homiletical Suggestions

• Call to Worship: Psalm 89 celebrates God’s unwavering covenant love; juxtapose it with Romans 1:31 to emphasize grace triumphing over human faithlessness.
• Illustrations: Use the account of the Gibeonites (Joshua 9) to underscore the seriousness of oath-keeping.
• Benediction: “May the God of peace… equip you in every good thing to do His will” (Hebrews 13:20–21), sending the congregation forth as covenant-keepers in Christ.

In stark brevity, ἀσύνθετος unmasks the sinful heart; yet by pointing to what humanity has lost, it magnifies the glory of the One whose “faithfulness reaches to the skies” (Psalm 36:5).

ασύνθετος ασυνθέτου ασυνθετους ασυνθέτους ἀσυνθέτους asunthetous asynthetous asynthétousInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts