Quick Definition
νόμος, ου, ὁ n.m. a law, the Mosaic Law
Strong's Definition
from a primary nemo (to parcel out, especially food or grazing to animals); law (through the idea of prescriptive usage), genitive case (regulation), specially, (of Moses (including the volume); also of the Gospel), or figuratively (a principle)
KJV Usage: law
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
noun, m. | -ου | νομίζω
33.333 · Communication · Law, Regulation, Ordinance
law, ordinance, rule a formalized rule (or set of rules) prescribing what people must do The difference between ‘a law’ and ‘a command’ is that a law is enforced by sanctions from a society, while a command carries only the sanctions of the individual who commands. When, however, the people of Israel accepted the commands of God as the rules which they would follow and enforce, these became their laws.
The occurrence of νόμος two times in ROM 8:2 poses certain problems of both translation and interpretation: ὁ γὰρ νόμος τοῦ πνεύματος τῆς ζωῆς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ ἠλευθέρωσέν σε ἀπὸ τοῦ νόμου τῆς ἁμαρτίας καὶ τοῦ θανάτου ‘for the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus freed you from the law which leads to sin and death.’ In the second occurrence of νόμος, the meaning is clearly the rules and regulations of the OT law, but in the case of the first occurrence of νόμος, there is no such formulation of decrees. The reference in this instance must therefore be to certain basic principles. If, however, one understands νόμος in the sense of a type of abstract ‘governing power,’ it is possible that the reference in the phrase νόμος τοῦ πνεύματος τῆς ζωῆς is to this governing power of the Spirit of life which frees one from the law which stipulates sin and death.
JHN 18:31 · JHN 19:7 · JHN 19:7 · ROM 2:14 · ROM 3:21 · ROM 3:27 · ROM 3:27 · ROM 3:28 · ROM 3:31 · ROM 3:31 · ROM 6:14 · ROM 6:15 · ROM 7:21 · ROM 7:23 · ROM 7:23 · ROM 7:23 · ROM 7:25 · ROM 8:2 · ROM 9:31 · ROM 9:31 · GAL 3:21 · GAL 3:21 · GAL 5:23 · GAL 6:2 · 1TI 1:9 · HEB 7:12 · HEB 7:16 · HEB 8:10 · HEB 10:8 · HEB 10:16 · JAS 1:25 · JAS 2:8 · JAS 2:12
33.55 · Communication · Written Language
the Law the first five books of the OT called the Torah (often better rendered as ‘instruction’) In a number of languages it is not possible to use a singular expression such as ‘the Law,’ for since the Torah consisted of five books and included a number of regulations and instructions, it is necessary in many languages to use ‘the laws.’ Furthermore, to distinguish this body of laws from common, ordinary customs or legal regulations, it may be necessary to employ a phrase such as ‘the laws given to Moses’ or simply ‘the laws of Moses.’
MAT 5:18 · MAT 12:5 · MAT 22:36 · MAT 23:23 · LUK 2:22 · LUK 2:23 · LUK 2:24 · LUK 2:27 · LUK 2:39 · LUK 16:16 · LUK 16:17 · LUK 24:44 · JHN 1:17 · JHN 1:45 · JHN 7:19 · JHN 7:19 · JHN 7:23 · JHN 7:51 · JHN 8:5 · JHN 8:17 · ACT 6:13 · ACT 7:53 · ACT 13:38 · ACT 15:5 · ACT 18:15 · ACT 21:20 · ACT 21:24 · ACT 21:28 · ACT 22:3 · ACT 22:12 · ACT 23:3 · ACT 23:29 · ACT 24:14 · ACT 25:8 · ROM 2:12 · ROM 2:12 · ROM 2:13 · ROM 2:13 · ROM 2:14 · ROM 2:14 · ROM 2:14 · ROM 2:15 · ROM 2:17 · ROM 2:18 · ROM 2:20 · ROM 2:23 · ROM 2:23 · ROM 2:25 · ROM 2:25 · ROM 2:26 · ROM 2:27 · ROM 2:27 · ROM 3:19 · ROM 3:19 · ROM 3:20 · ROM 3:20 · ROM 4:13 · ROM 4:14 · ROM 4:15 · ROM 4:15 · ROM 4:16 · ROM 5:13 · ROM 5:13 · ROM 5:20 · ROM 6:14 · ROM 6:15 · ROM 7:1 · ROM 7:1 · ROM 7:2 · ROM 7:4 · ROM 7:5 · ROM 7:6 · ROM 7:7 · ROM 7:7 · ROM 7:7 · ROM 7:8 · ROM 7:9 · ROM 7:12 · ROM 7:14 · ROM 7:16 · ROM 7:22 · ROM 7:25 · ROM 8:2 · ROM 8:3 · ROM 8:4 · ROM 8:7 · ROM 10:4 · ROM 10:5 · ROM 13:8 · ROM 13:10 · 1CO 9:8 · 1CO 9:9 · 1CO 9:20 · 1CO 9:20 · 1CO 9:20 · 1CO 9:20 · 1CO 15:56 · GAL 2:16 · GAL 2:16 · GAL 2:16 · GAL 2:19 · GAL 2:19 · GAL 2:21 · GAL 3:2 · GAL 3:5 · GAL 3:10 · GAL 3:10 · GAL 3:11 · GAL 3:12 · GAL 3:13 · GAL 3:17 · GAL 3:18 · GAL 3:19 · GAL 3:21 · GAL 3:23 · GAL 3:24 · GAL 4:4 · GAL 4:5 · GAL 4:21 · GAL 4:21 · GAL 5:3 · GAL 5:4 · GAL 5:14 · GAL 5:18 · GAL 6:13 · EPH 2:15 · PHP 3:5 · PHP 3:6 · PHP 3:9 · 1TI 1:8 · HEB 7:5 · HEB 7:19 · HEB 7:28 · HEB 7:28 · HEB 8:4 · HEB 9:19 · HEB 9:22 · HEB 10:1 · HEB 10:8 · HEB 10:28 · JAS 2:9 · JAS 2:10 · JAS 2:11 · JAS 4:11 · JAS 4:11 · JAS 4:11 · JAS 4:11
33.56 · Communication · Written Language
holy writings, Scriptures, sacred writings the sacred writings of the OT It is clear from the content of the quotation in JHN 10:34 that the reference of νόμος is not restricted to the first five books of the OT, for the passage comes from the Psalms.
MAT 5:18 · LUK 10:26 · JHN 7:49 · JHN 10:34 · JHN 12:34 · JHN 15:25 · ACT 18:13 · 1CO 14:21 · 1CO 14:34 · HEB 10:8
33.341 · Communication · Law, Regulation, Ordinance
Collocation: νόμος τοῦ ἀνδρός
marriage law (an idiom, literally: law of the man, or: law of the husband) the law which binds a woman to a man in marriage It may be especially difficult in some languages to speak of ‘being free from the marriage law.’ An appropriate equivalent in some languages may be ‘she is no longer obliged to remain the wife of the dead man,’ but in other languages it is more meaningful to say ‘she is then permitted to marry another man.’
33.58 · Communication · Written Language
Collocation: ὁ νόμος καὶ οἱ προφῆται
the sacred writings, the Law and the Prophets (an idiom, literally: the Law and the Prophets) all of the sacred writings of the OT, including the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings
MAT 5:17 · MAT 7:12 · MAT 11:13 · MAT 22:40 · ACT 13:15 · ACT 28:23 · ROM 3:21
1 The phrase ὁ νόμος καὶ οἱ προφῆται is classified as an idiom, since the meaning of this fixed phrase is really different from the total of the constituent parts, in that more is included than merely the Law and the Prophets.
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
νόμος, -ov, 6, (νέμω to divide, distribute, apportion), in prof. auth. fr. Hes. down, anything established, anything received by usage, a custom, usage, law; in Sept. very often for ΓΙ ΓΙ, also for 7p, ΠῚ, ete. In the N. T. a command, law; and 1. of any law whatsoever: διὰ ποίου νόμου; Ro. iii. 27; νόμος δικαιοσύνης, a law or rule producing a state approved of God, i. e. by the observance of which we are approved of God, Ro. ix. 31, ef. Meyer [see ed. Weiss], Fritzsche, Philippi ad loe.; α precept or injunction: κατὰ νόμον ἐντολῆς σαρκ. Heb. vii. 16; plur. of the things prescribed by the divine will, Heb. viii. 10; x. 16; νόμος τοῦ νοός, the rule of action prescribed by reason, Ro. vii. 23; the mention of the divine law causes those things even which in opposition to this law impel to action, and therefore seem to have the force of a law, to be designated by the term νόμος, as ἕτερος νόμος ἐν τοῖς μέλεσί μου, a different law from that which God has given, i. 6. the impulse to sin inherent in human nature, or 6 νόμος τῆς ἁμαρτίας (gen. of author), Ro. vii. 23, 25; viii. 2, also ὁ v. τοῦ θανάτου, emanating from the pewer of death, Ro. viii. 2; with which is contrasted 6 νόμος τοῦ πνεύματος, the impulse to (right) action emanating from the Spirit, ibid. 2. of the Mosaic law, and referring, ace. to the context, either to the volume of the law or to its contents: w.thearticle, Mt.v.18; xii.5; xxii.36; Lk. ii. 27; x. 26; xvi.17; Jn.i.17,45 (46); vii. 51; viii. 17; x. 84; xv.25; Acts vi. 18; vii. 53; xviii. 13, 15; xxi. 20; xxiii. 3; Ro. ii. 13 [(bis) here L T Tr WH om. art. (also G in 13°) ], 15, 18, 20, 23%, 26; iv. 15"; vii. 1°, 5, 14, 21 (on the right interpretation of this difficult passage ef. Knapp, Scripta varii Argumenti, ii. p. 385 sqq. and Fritzsche, Com. ad Rom. ii. p. 57; [others take vou. here generally, i. q. controlling principle; see 1 above sub fin. and ef. W. 557 (578); B.§ 151, 15]); Ro. viii. 3 sq. ; 1 Co. ix. 8; xv. 56; Gal. iii. 18, 24; Eph. ii. 15 (on which pass. see δόγμα, 2); 1 Tim. i. 8; Heb. vii. 19, 28; x. 1, ete.; with the addition of Μωσέως, Lk. ii. 22; Jn. vii. 23; vili.5; Acts xiii. 38 (39) [here L T Tr WII om. art.]; xv.5; xxviii. 23; 1Co.ix.9; of κυρίου, Lk. 11. 39; of τοῦ θεοῦ, [ Mt. xv.6T WII mrg.]; Ro. vii. 22; viii. 7. κατὰ Tov νόμον, ace. to the (standard or requirement of the) law, Acts xxii. 12; Heb. vii. 5; ix. 22. νόμος without the art. (in the Epp. of Paul and James and the Ep. to the Heb.; ef. W. p. 123 (117); B. 89 (78); [some interpreters contend that νόμος without the art. denotes not the law of Moses but law viewed as ‘a principle’, ‘abstract and universal’; ef. Bp. Lghtft. on Gal. ii. 19; also “ l’resh Revision,” ete. p. 99; Vaughan on Ro. ii. 23; esp. Van Hengel on Ro. ii. 12; Gifford in the Speaker’s Com. on Rom. p. 41 sqq. (cf. Cremer s. v.). This distinction is contrary to usage (as exhibited e. g. in Sap. xviii. 4; Sir. xix. 17; xxi. 11; xxxi. 8; xxxii. 1; XXXV. (Xxxii.) 15, 24; xxxvi. (xxxiil.) 2, 3; 1 Mace. ii. 21; 4 Mace. vii. 7, and many other exx. in the Apoer.; see Wahl, Clavis Apocrr. s. v. p. 8343), and to the context in such Pauline pass. as the foll.: Ro. ii. 17, 25, 27; vii. 1 (7); xiii. 8, 10; Gal. iii. 17, 18, 23, 24, (cf. Ro. ii. 12 and iii. 19; v. 13 and 14); etc. It should be added, perhaps, that neither the list of pass. with the art. nor of those without it, as given by Prof. Grimm, claims to be complete]): Ro. ii. 28", 25; iii. 31; iv. 15°, v. 133 vii. 1", 2°; x.4; xiil. 10; Gal. iii. 21°; v. 28; 1 Tim.1.9; Heb. vii. 12, ete.; with the addition of κυρίου, Lk. ii. 23 [here Lhas the art.], 24 [LT Tr WH add the art. ]; of θεοῦ, Ro. vii. 25; of Μωῦσέως, Heb. x. 28; esp. after prepositions, as διὰ νόμου, Ro. ii. 12; iii. 20; Gal. 11. 21; χωρὶς νόμου, without the co-operation of the law, Ro. iii. 21; destitute or ignorant of the law, Ro. vii. 9; where no law has been promulged, Ro. vii. 8; οἱ ἐκ νόμου, those who rule their life by the law, Jews, Ro. iv. 14, 16 [here all edd. have the art.]; of ἐν νόμῳ, who are in the power of the law, i. e. bound to it, Ro. iii. 19 [but all texts here ἐν τῷ v.]; ὑπὸ νόμον, under dominion of the law, Ro. vi. 14 sq.; Gal. iii. 235 Iv. 4, 21; v. 18; οἱ ὑπὸ νόμον, 1 Co. ix. 20; δικαιοῦσθαι ἐν νόμῳ, Gal. v. 4; ἔργα νόμου (see ἔργον, sub fin.) ; ἐν νόμῳ ἁμαρτάνειν, under law i. e. with knowledge of the law, Ro. ii. 12 (equiv. to ἔχοντες νόμον, ef. vs. 14); they to whom the Mosaic law has not been made known are said νόμον μὴ ἔχειν, ibid. 14; ἑαυτοῖς εἰσι νόμος, their natural knowledge of right takes the place of the Mosaic law, ibid. ; νόμος ἔργων. the law demanding works, Ro. iii. 27; διὰ νόμου νόμῳ ἀπέθανον, by the law itself (when I became convinced that by keeping it I could not attain to salvation, cf. Ro. vii. 9-24) I became utterly estranged from the law, Gal. ii. 19 [ef. W. 210 (197); B.§ 133,12]. κατὰ νόμον. as respects the interpretation and observance of the law, Phil. ui. 5. The observance of the law is vous designated by the foll. phrases: πληροῦν νόμον, Ro. xiii. 8; τὸν ν. Gal. v. 14; πληροῦν τὸ δικαίωμα τοῦ νόμου, Ro. Vili. 4; φυλάσσειν (τὸν) v., Acts xxi. 24; Gal. vi. 18; τὰ δικαιώμ. τοῦ v. Ro. ii. 26; πράσσειν νόμον, Ro. ii. 25; ποιεῖν τὸν v., Jn. vii. 19; Gal. ν. 8; τηρεῖν, Acts xv. 5, 24 [Rec.]; Jas. ii. 10; τελεῖν, Ro: ii. 27 (ef. Jas. ii. 8); [on the other hand, ἀκυροῦν τὸν νόμ. Mt.xv. 6 T Wii mrg.]. ὁ νόμος is used of some particular ordinance of the Mosaic law in Jn. xix. 7; Jas. ii. 8; with a gen. of the obj. added, τοῦ ἀνδρός, the law enacted respecting the husband, i. e. binding the wife to her husband, Ro. vii. 2 where Rec.*!
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
νόμος nomos 194x
a law, Rom. 4:15; 1 Tim. 1:9; the Mosaic law, Mt. 5:17, et al. freq.; the Old Testament Scripture, Jn. 10:34; a legal tie, Rom. 7:2, 3; a law, a rule, standard, Rom. 3:27; a rule of life and conduct, Gal. 6:2, Jas. 1:25
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
νόμος, -ου, ὁ
(< νέμω, to deal out, distribute), [in LXX chiefly for תּוֹרָה, also for חֻקָּה, etc.;]
that which is assigned, hence, usage, custom, then law; in NT (only in Mt, Jo, Ja, and the Lucan and Pauline bks.); of law in general: Ro 3:27 5:13b; pl., of divine laws, He 8:10 10:16; ὁ ν. τ. Χριστοῦ, Ga 6:2; (τ.) ἐλευθερίας, Ja 1:25 2:12; βασιλικιός (Hort., in l.; Deiss., LAE, 3673), Ja 2:8.
Of a force or influence impelling to action: Ro 7:21, 23a, 25 8:2.
Of the Mosaic law: Mt 5:18, Lk 2:27, Jo 1:17, Ac 6:13, Ro 2:15, I Co 9:8, I Ti 1:8, He 7:19, al.; ν. Μωυσέως, Lk 2:22, Jo 7:23, Ac 15:5, al.; κυρίου, Lk 2:39; κατὰ τὸν ν., Ac 22:12, He 7:5 9:22.
Anarthrous (Bl., § 46, 8; ICC on Ro 2:12, 13), νόμος, of law in general: Ro 2:12, 14b 3:20, 21 4:15, al.;
of the Mosaic law in its quality as law: Ro 2:14a 5:20 10:4, Ga 2:19, al.; οἱ ἐκ ν., Ro 4:14; ὑπὸ νόμον, I Co 9:20, Ga 4:5; ν. πράσσειν (πληροῦν), Ro 2:25 13:8.
Of Christian teaching: ν. πίστεως, Ro 3:27; τ. Χριστοῦ, Ga 6:2.
By meton., of the books which contain the law; of the Pentateuch: Mt 12:5, Jo 1:45, al.; ὁ ν. καὶ οἱ προφῆται, Mt 5:17, Lk 16:16, al.; ὁ ν. καὶ προφῆται κ. ψαλμοί, Lk 24:44;
of the OT Scriptures in general (as Heb. תּוֹרָה): Jo 10:34 12:34 15:25, I Co 14:21, al.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
νόμος (nomos) — law. νόμος, ὁ, (νέμω) that which is in habitual practice, use or possession, not in [Refs 8th c.BC+]
I. usage, custom, [Μοῦσαι] μέλπονται πάντων τε νόμους καὶ ἤθεα κεδνά [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἔνθα ν. (i.e. ἐστί) with infinitive, where it is the custom.., [Refs 7th c.BC+]; ν. πάντων βασιλεύς custom is lord of all, [Refs 5th c.BC+]: hence, law, ordinance, τόνδε.. ν. διέταξε Κρονίων.. θηρσὶ.. ἐσθέμεν ἀλλήλους [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ν. κοινός, ={ὀρθὸς λόγος}, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
I. b in VT, of the law of God, ἐν τῷ νόμῳ Κυρίου τὸ θέλημα αὐτοῦ [LXX]; νόμον ὃν ἐνετείλατο ὑμῖν Μωϋσῆς[LXX]; so in NT, ὁ ν. Μωϋσέως [NT]; ὁ ν. τοῦ Πνεύματος τῆς ζωῆς, opposed to ὁ ν. τῆς ἁμαρτίας καὶ τοῦ θανάτου, [NT]
I. c with Preps., κατὰ νόμον according to custom or law, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; οἱ κατὰ ν. ὄντες θεοί the established deities, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; παρὰ νόμον contrary to.., [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐν Ἀδραστείῳ νόμῳ by the law of Adrastus, i.e. at the Nemean games, [Refs] by custom, conventionally, opposed to φύσει, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ν. γλυκύ, ν. πικρόν, [Refs 3rd c.AD+]; ὅσον νόμου χάριν just for form's sake, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
I. d statute, ordinance made by authority, [Σόλων] νόμους ἔθηκεν ἄλλους, τοῖς δὲ Δράκοντος θεσμοῖς ἐπαύσαντο χρώμενοι πλὴν τῶν φονικῶν [Refs]; νόμον τιθέναι, τίθεσθαι, see at {τίθημ; βασιλικὸς ν}. [NT+2nd c.AD+]: frequently of general laws, opposed to ψηφίσματα (special decrees), [Refs 5th c.BC+]: generally, law, ἄνευ ὀρέξεως νοῦς ὁ ν. ἐστίν [Refs]; ἄγραφος ν. Legal cited in [Refs 5th c.BC+]; opposed to γεγραμμένος, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; ὁ ν. frequently as subject, οἱ ν. διδόασι τιμωρίας [Refs 4th c.BC+]; μὴ ὁ ν. κρίνει τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἐὰν μὴ ἀκούσῃ πρῶτο; [NT]
I. e with genitive of things, οὗτός τοι πεδίων πέλεται ν. [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ὁ ν. τοῦ κριοῦ, τοῦ ἀνδρός, τῶν ἐρανιστῶν, [LXX+NT+3rd c.BC+]; ἐς χειρῶν νόμον ἀπικέσθαι to come to blows, into action, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐν χειρῶν νόμῳ ἀπόλλυσθαι, περιπεσεῖν, die in action, [Refs 2nd c.BC+]; τοὺς ἐν χ. ν. τὰς πολιτείας καταλύοντας by 'direct action', [Refs 4th c.BC+]under martial law, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
I.2. Νόμος personified, οἱ θεοὶ σθένουσι χὡ κείνων κρατῶν N. [Refs 5th c.BC+]
II. melody, strain, οἶδα δ᾽ ὀρνίχων νόμως πάντων [Refs 7th c.BC+]
II.2. especially a type of early melody created by Terpander for the lyre as an accompaniment to Epic texts, ν. ὄρθιος [Refs 5th c.BC+]; also for the flute, ν. αὐλῳδικός [Refs 1st c.AD+]; without sung text, ν. αὐλητικός [Refs 2nd c.AD+]; later, composition including both words and melody, e.g. [Refs]
III. ={νοῦμμος} (which see), [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ν. σηστέρτιοι, = Latin nummi sestertii, [Refs 2nd c.BC+]
IV. Architecture texts, course of masonry, [Refs]