ἀκάθαρτος

ἀκάθαρτος, ον (Soph., Hippocr.+; ins; except for Mag. pap perh. PTebt 1043, 42 [II B.C.], LXX, TestSol, Test12Patr, EpArist, Philo, Joseph., Just.)

① pert. to that which may not be brought into contact w. the divinity, impure, unclean (the cultic sense, mostly LXX, also Jos., C. Ap. 1, 307; SIG 1042, 3; Just., D. 20, 4): of foods (Orig., C. Cels. 3, 11, 9) w. κοινός: πᾶν κοινὸν καὶ ἀ. anything common or unclean Ac 10:14, 11:8; GJs 6:1; w. μεμισημένος of birds (and other animals Lev 11:4ff; Dt 14:7ff; Did., Gen. 52, 22) Rv 18:2; (τὸ) ἀ. what is unclean 2 Cor 6:17 (Is 52:11; Hippol., Ref. 9, 12, 23).—Esp. of everything connected w. polytheism, which defiles whatever it touches (Am 7:17; Is 52:1 ἀπερίτμητος κ. ἀ.; SibOr 5, 264) of gentiles ἄνθρωπος κοινὸς ἢ ἀ. Ac 10:28; τέκνα ἀ (opp. ἅγια) 1 Cor 7:14 (on the question of child baptism s. τέκνον 1a). As the ceremonial mng. fades, the moral sense becomes predominant.

② pert. to moral impurity (since Pla., Leg. 4, 716e; Is 6:5; 64:5; Sir 51:5; Pr 3:32 al.; Philo, Deus Imm. 132, Spec. Leg. 3, 209; Jos., Bell. 4, 562; Just., D. 141, 3) unclean, impure (s. ἀκαθαρσία 2) B 10:8. W. πόρνος (Plut., Oth. 1067b [2, 2] ἐν γυναιξὶ πόρναις κ. ἄκαθάρτοις. Cp. Vett. Val. 76, 1), πλεονέκτης and εἰδωλολάτρης Eph 5:5.—τὰ ἀ. (w. πονηρά) impure things Hv 1, 1, 7. τὰ ἀ. τῆς πορνείας the impurities of fornication Rv 17:4 (ἀ. of actions, such as adultery, that defile one TestJos 4:6; on the constr. s. B-D-F §136, 1).—Esp. of evil spirits πνεῦμα, πνευματα ἀ. (cp. Zech 13:2; TestBenj 5:2; Cat. Cod. Astr. X 179, 19; 181, 5; Just., D. 7, 3 al.) Mt 10:1; 12:43; Mk 1:23, 26f; 3:11, 30; 5:2, 8, 13; 6:7; 7:25; 9:25. Ending of Mk in Freer ms. 3; Lk 4:36; 6:18; 8:29; 9:42; 11:24; Ac 5:16; 8:7; Rv 16:13; 18:2. πνεῦμα δαιμονίου ἀκαθάρτου Lk 4:33 (cp. PGM 4, 1238). On ἐν πνεύματι ἀ. s. GBjörck, ConNeot 7, ’42, 1–3.—B. 1081. DELG s.v. καθαρός. M-M. TW.