ἐπιθυμία

ἐπιθυμία, ας, ἡ (s. ἐπιθυμέω; Pre-Socr., Hdt.+)

① a great desire for someth., desire, longing, craving

ⓐ as a neutral term, in Hdt., Pla., Thu. et al. αἱ περὶ τὰ λοιπὰ ἐ. desires for other things Mk 4:19. ἐ. πράξεων πολλῶν desire for much business Hm 6, 2, 5 (but mng. 2 below is also poss.). ἐ. τῆς ψυχῆς desire of the soul Rv 18:14.

ⓑ of desire for good things (Diod S 11, 36, 5 ἐπιθ. τῆς ἐλευθερίας=for freedom; Pr 10:24 ἐ. δικαίου δεκτή; ἄνερ ἐπιθυμιῶν GrBar 1:3; Jos., C. Ap. 1, 111) ἐπιθυμίαν ἔχειν εἴς τι have a longing for someth. Phil 1:23 (ἐ. ἔχειν as Jos., C. Ap. 1, 255; ἐ. εἰς as Thu. 4, 81, 2). ἐπιθυμίᾳ ἐπιθυμεῖν (Gen 31:30) eagerly desire Lk 22:15 (s. on ἐπιθυμέω); ἐν πολλῇ ἐ. w. great longing 1 Th 2:17. ἐλπίζει μου ἡ ψυχὴ τῇ ἐπιθυμίᾳ μου μὴ παραλελοιπέναι τι I hope that, in accordance with my desire, nothing has been omitted B 17:1. ἡ ἐ. καὶ ἡ ἀγρυπνία 21:7. ε. ἀγαθὴν καὶ σεμνήν Hm 12, 1, 1.

② a desire for someth. forbidden or simply inordinate, craving, lust (as early as Plato, Phd. 83b ἡ τοῦ ὡς ἀληθῶς φιλοσόφου ψυχὴ οὕτως ἀπέχεται τ. ἡδονῶν τε καὶ ἐπιθυμιῶν κτλ.; Polystrat. p. 30; Duris [III B.C.]: 76 Fgm. 15 Jac.; then above all, the Stoics [EZeller, Philos. d. Griechen III/1⁴, 1909, 235ff], e.g. Epict. 2, 16, 45; 2, 18, 8f; 3, 9, 21 al.; Maximus Tyr. 24, 4a μέγιστον ἀνθρώπῳ κακὸν ἐπιθυμία; Herm. Wr. 1, 23; 12, 4, also in Stob. p. 444, 10 Sc.; Wsd 4:12; Sir 23:5; 4 Macc 1:22; 3:2 al.; ApcMos 19 ἐ. … κεφαλὴ πάσης ἁμαρτίας; Philo, Spec. Leg. 4, 93, Leg. All. 2, 8, Vi. Cont. 74; Jos., Bell. 7, 261, Ant. 4, 143) Ro 7:7f; Js 1:14f; 2 Pt 1:4. ἐ. πονηρά (X., Mem. 1, 2, 64; Ar. 8, 4) Hv 1, 2, 4; 3, 7, 3; 3, 8, 4; m 8:5. ἐ. κακή (Pla., Leg. 9, 854a; Pr 12:12; 21:26; Just., A I, 10, 6) Col 3:5.—Of sexual desire (as early as Alcaeus [acc. to Plut., Mor. 525ab]; lead tablet fr. Hadrumetum 7 in Dssm., B 28 [BS 273ff] and IDefixWünsch no. 5 p. 23; PGM 17a, 9; 21; Sus Theod. 8; 11; 14 al., LXX 32; Jos., Ant. 4, 130; 132; Ath. 33, 1 μέτρον ἐπιθυμίας ἡ παιδοποιία; Did., Gen. 151, 27 ἄλογος ἐ.) D 3:3. πάθος ἐπιθυμίας 1 Th 4:5. κατʼ ἐπιθυμίαν (cp. Epict. 3, 15, 7; M. Ant. 2, 10, 1; 2; 3; Just., A II, 5, 4; Ath. 21, 1) in accordance with physical desire alone IPol 5:2. πρὸς ἐπιθυμίαν τ. ἀνθρώπων Ox 840, 38 (Ps.-Pla., Eryx. 21, 401e πρὸς τὰς ἐπιθυμίας τοῦ σώματος=to satisfy the desires of the body; cp. 405e: gambling, drunkenness and gluttony are called ἐπιθυμίαι.—In Ox 840, 38, since the ν in ἐπιθυμίαν is missing and restored, the word might also be ἐπιθυμίας.). ἐ. γυναικός (Da 11:37) Hm 6, 2, 5; 12, 2, 1. Pl. (oft. LXX; EpArist 256; Philo) w. παθήματα Gal 5:24. In a list of vices (cp. Philo, Congr. Erud. Grat. 172, Migr. Abr. 60, Vi. Cont. 2) 1 Pt 4:3; D 5:1. ἐ. πολλαὶ ἀνόητοι many foolish desires 1 Ti 6:9; νεωτερικαὶ ἐ. youthful desires 2 Ti 2:22 (WMetzger, TZ 33, ’77, 129–36); κατὰ τὰς ἰδίας ἐ. in accordance w. their own desires 4:3; cp. πρὸς τὰς ἰ. ἐ. Pol. 7:1; κατὰ τὰς ἐ. αὐτῶν AcPl Ha 8, 20 (for this: ἀνομίας AcPl BMM recto, 26, restored after Ox 1602, 27). αἱ πρότερον ἐν τῇ ἀγνοίᾳ ἐ. the desires that ruled over you formerly, when you were ignorant 1 Pt 1:14.—W. gen.: subjective gen. ἐ. ἀνθρώπων 1 Pt 4:2; τοῦ πατρὸς ὑμῶν J 8:44; gen. of quality ἐ. μιασμοῦ defiling passion 2 Pt 2:10; cp. μιαρὰς ἐ. 1 Cl 28:1; βδελυκτὰς ἐ. 30:1. ἐ. τῆς ἀπάτης deceptive desires Eph 4:22. τῶν ἐ. τῶν ματαίων 2 Cl 19:2; cp. Hm 11, 8. ἐ. τῶν ἀσεβειῶν Jd 18. ἐ. τῆς πονηρίας evil desire Hv 1, 1, 8. ἐ. τῆς ἀσελγείας 3, 7, 2; the gen. can also indicate the origin and seat of the desire ἐ. τῶν καρδιῶν of the hearts (Sir 5:2) Ro 1:24. τῆς καρδίας … τῆς πονηρᾶς 1 Cl 3:4. ἐ. τοῦ θνητοῦ σώματος Ro 6:12 (Ps.-Pla., Eryx. 21, 401e, s. above; Sextus 448 ἐπιθυμίαι τοῦ σώματος). τῆς σαρκός Eph 2:3; 1J 2:16; 2 Pt 2:18; B 10, 9. τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν 1J 2:16; to denote someth. to which desire belongs gener. vs. 17; σαρκικαὶ ἐ. (Hippol., Ref. 5, 9, 22; Did., Gen. 62, 3) 1 Pt 2:11; D 1:4; σωματικαὶ ἐ. (4 Macc 1:32) ibid.; κοσμικαὶ ἐ. worldly desires Tit 2:12; 2 Cl 17:3; ἐ. τῶν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ Pol 5:3; εἰς ἐ. to arouse desires Ro 13:14; ποιεῖν τὰς ἐ. act in accordance w. the desires J 8:44. τελεῖν ἐ. σαρκός gratify the cravings of the flesh Gal 5:16; ὑπακούειν ταῖς ἐ. obey the desires Ro 6:12; δουλεύειν ἐ. be a slave to the desires Tit 3:3; cp. δοῦλος ἐπιθυμίας IPol 4:3. ἄγεσθαι ἐπιθυμίαις be led about by desires 2 Ti 3:6. πορεύεσθαι κατὰ τὰς ἐ. Jd 16; 18; 2 Pt 3:3; ἐν ἐπιθυμίαις (Sir 5:2) 1 Pt 4:3; ταῖς ἐ. τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου Hs 6, 2, 3; 6, 3, 3; 7:2; 8, 11, 3. ἀναστρέφεσθαι ἐν ταῖς ἐ. Eph 2:3.—BEaston, Pastoral Ep. ’47, 186f; RAC II 62–78. S. πόθος.—Schmidt, Syn. III 591–601. M-M. TW. Sv.