Word

ἀφορμή

aphormḗ · G874 · Greek · 7 occurrences

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Meanings

favorable circumstances, opportunity, occasion

A set of circumstances favorable for a particular activity or endeavor

Examples
Romans 7:8 But sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin is dead.
Romans 7:11 for sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me, and through it, killed me.
2 Corinthians 5:12 We are not commending ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to be proud of us, so that you will have an answer for those who take pride in appearance and not in heart.
unwarranted reason, excuse

An unwarranted reason for some event

Examples
2 Corinthians 11:12 But what I am doing I will also continue to do, so that I may eliminate the opportunity from those who want an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the matter about which they are boasting.

How it’s used In 4 roles

Every occurrence, grouped by the words it is grammatically related to.

the word studied the word it goes with

Whose, or of whatGenitive or possessive

2 occurrences in 2 groups

θέλωto want, to wish, to desire 1
καύχημαboast, reason for boasting 1

Words describing itAdjectives, demonstratives, participles

1 occurrences in 1 groups

μηδείςno one 1

What is done to itIt is the object

6 occurrences in 4 groups

δίδωμιto give, to grant 2
λαμβάνωto receive, to take 2
ἐκκόπτωto cut down 1
θέλωto want, to wish, to desire 1

After prepositionsPrepositional phrases

1 occurrences in 1 groups

εἰςto 1

When two words share a role, as in “Paul and Barnabas said”, the verse appears under each, so a section’s counts can add up to more than the number of occurrences.

MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.

Near synonyms 1 word

εὐκαιρία eukairía · G2120 · opportunity, good occasion, favorable time: Both terms denote an opportunity or occasion. The target additionally carries senses of an operational base or a pretext, while εὐκαιρία focuses specifically on a timing-sensitive, favorable moment. The convergence on 'opportunity' is genuine, with real differences in register and typical context of use.

Semantic domains 2 entries

Favorable circumstances, opportunity, occasion22.46: Used of a favorable opening for action, as of the opportunity Paul gives the Corinthians to be proud of him in 2 Corinthians 5:12 and the freedom the Galatians are warned not to turn into an opportunity for the flesh in Galatians 5:13.
Unwarranted reason, excuse89.22: Used of a pretext seized upon rather than a genuine occasion, as of sin taking an opportunity through the commandment in Romans 7:8 and 7:11.

Word family 5 words

Words formed from the same root. They share a form, not always a meaning.

ὁρμή hormḗ · G3730 · will, impulse, desire · 2×ἀφορμήaphormḗ · G874ὁρμάω hormáō · G3729 · to rush, to run · 5×ὅρμημα hórmēma · G3731 · sudden violence, sudden force · 1×προσορμίζω prosormízō · G4358 · to moor, to anchor, to tie up · 1×

Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon ἀφορμῆς, ἡ (ἀπό and ὁρμή which see); 1. properly, a place from which a movement or attack…

ἀφορμῆς, ἡ (ἀπό and ὁρμή which see);
1. properly, a place from which a movement or attack is made, a base of operations: Thucydides 1, 90 (τήν Πελοποννησον πᾶσιν ἀναχωρησιν τέ καί ἀφορμήν ἱκανήν εἶναι); Polybius 1, 41, 6.
2. metaphorically, "that by which endeavor is excited and from which it goes forth; that which gives occasion and supplies matter for an undertaking, the incentive; the resources we avail ourselves of in attempting or performing anything": Xenophon, mem. 3, 12, 4 (τοῖς ἑαυτῶν παισί καλλιους ἀφορμας εἰς τόν βίον καταλειπουσι), and often in Greek writings; λαμβάνειν, to take occasion, find an incentive, Rom 7:8, Rom 7:11 διδόναι, 2 Cor 5:12; 1 Tim 5:14 (3Macc. 3:2; both phrases often also in Greek writings); 2 Cor 11:12; Gal 5:13. On the meanings of this word see Viger. edition Herm., p. 81f; Phryn. ed. Lob., p. 223f; (Rutherford, New Phryn., p. 304).

Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (1889), public domain

Topical studies with this word 2 entries

Favorable Circumstances or State5 occurrences Cause and/or Reason2 occurrences

Meanings adapted from the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament, © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0 and the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew (from the Semantic Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew), © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0; MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.

Sources

eRhema lexical overview, based on the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew and the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament (© United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Macula Hebrew and Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0); released under CC BY-SA 4.0