Pronunciation Guide: PAH-thos (πάθος)
Quick Answer: πάθος (pathos) Strong’s G3806 refers to ungoverned emotional passions, particularly lustful desires that operate outside of God’s design. In the New Testament, this Greek word consistently describes destructive emotions that enslave the soul and distance believers from Yahweh’s intended holiness, appearing in Romans 1:26, Colossians 3:5, and 1 Thessalonians 4:5.
What Does πάθος Mean?
Strong’s G3806: πάθος represents the dangerous realm of uncontrolled emotional passion that operates independently from divine governance. This neuter Greek noun, derived from the verb πάσχω (pascho, “to suffer”), literally means “suffering, emotion, depraved passion, lust” and specifically describes the passive experience of being overwhelmed by powerful desires. Unlike healthy emotions that submit to Yahweh’s (יהוה) design, πάθος characterizes emotions that have become masters rather than servants, driving individuals toward spiritual destruction. The word properly denotes “raw, strong feelings (emotions) which are not guided by God (like consuming lust)” and reveals how the human heart, when disconnected from the Messiah, becomes enslaved to its own corrupted longings. The term carries the weight of suffering and affliction because ungoverned passion always leads to spiritual, emotional, and relational devastation.
Key Insight: πάθος describes emotions that have become tyrants rather than tools—powerful drives that control rather than serve God’s purposes.
Where Does πάθος Come From?
- Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter
- Root Words: From πάσχω (pascho) – “to suffer, experience”
- Language Origin: Classical Greek, used from Aeschylus and Herodotus onward
- Primary Usage: Emotional suffering, passionate desire, affliction
- Hebrew Equivalents: סֵבֶל (sevel) – suffering, pain; תַּאֲוָה (ta’avah) – desire, longing
What Is the Historical and Cultural Context of πάθος?
In classical Greek philosophy, πάθος carried both positive and negative connotations, referring broadly to “experience, misfortune, emotion, condition” and representing whatever happens to a person from external forces. Aristotle developed πάθος as one of the three modes of persuasion in rhetoric (alongside ethos and logos), describing it as “awakening emotion in the audience so as to induce them to make the judgment desired”. For the Greeks, πάθος represented the passive reception of experiences—things that happened to you rather than things you controlled.
The Philosophical Development
Plato preceded Aristotle in discussing πάθος, particularly in his dialogue Gorgias, where he explored the relationship between pleasure and pain within emotional experience. However, the Epicureans later interpreted πάθος “in much more colloquial means and situations, placing it in pleasure, and studying it in almost every facet in regard to pleasure”. This philosophical evolution shows how Greek thinkers increasingly focused on πάθος as emotional experience tied to human desires.
Biblical Context and Hebrew Background
When the New Testament writers employed πάθος, they drew from this rich Greek heritage while infusing it with Hebrew theological concepts. In Hebrew thought, concepts like סֵבֶל (sevel) described “physical, spiritual, mental, emotional or psychological pain and agony one may feel”, connecting suffering directly to the consequences of separation from Yahweh. The biblical use of πάθος thus carries the dual meaning of passionate desire and the suffering that results from uncontrolled emotion.
Historical Summary: πάθος evolved from describing passive experience in classical Greek to representing uncontrolled desire in biblical usage, bridging philosophical emotion and theological consequence.
How Is πάθος Used in the Bible?
πάθος appears exactly three times in the New Testament, each instance revealing different aspects of ungoverned passion’s destructive power. The Apostle Paul consistently uses this term to describe emotions that have escaped divine authority and become enslaving forces in human experience.
The word functions as a diagnostic term for spiritual health—wherever πάθος appears, Paul is identifying areas where human emotions have revolted against Yahweh’s design and begun operating according to their own corrupted nature. Unlike ἐπιθυμία (epithymia), which can describe both positive and negative desires, πάθος in the New Testament “always in bad sense” specifically denotes emotions that have become spiritually dangerous.
Each biblical occurrence reveals the progressive nature of emotional corruption: from corporate judgment (Romans 1:26) to personal transformation (Colossians 3:5) to protective boundaries (1 Thessalonians 4:5). Paul uses πάθος to show how uncontrolled passion spreads like a disease, affecting individuals, communities, and entire cultures.
Usage Summary: Paul employs πάθος as a precise theological term identifying emotions that have become enslaving masters rather than serving tools in the believer’s life.
Cross-References:
- Romans 1:26 – “For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions [πάθη ἀτιμίας]. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature”
- Colossians 3:5 – “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion [πάθος], evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry”
- 1 Thessalonians 4:5 – “not in the passion [πάθει] of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God”
How Should πάθος Be Translated?
Primary Meanings:
- Ungoverned passion
- Lustful desire
- Inordinate affection
- Vile passion
- Consuming lust
Translation Tip: Context determines whether to emphasize the emotional intensity (passion) or moral corruption (lust) aspect of πάθος.
πάθος Translation Options:
Understanding the morphological context helps translators capture both the emotional power and spiritual danger inherent in this Greek term.
| Translation | Context | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| “dishonorable passions” | Romans 1:26 | Emphasizes moral degradation resulting from divine judgment |
| “passion” | Colossians 3:5 | Focuses on emotional intensity that must be “put to death” |
| “lustful passion” | 1 Thessalonians 4:5 | Combines with ἐπιθυμία to describe pagan emotional corruption |
What Does πάθος Teach Us About God?
πάθος reveals Yahweh’s (יהוה) holiness by contrasting human emotional corruption with divine emotional perfection. When Paul describes God “giving people over” to πάθος in Romans 1:26, he demonstrates that Yahweh’s emotions are always perfectly governed—never enslaving, never destructive, never operating independently from His character. The existence of πάθος shows us that God’s passions serve His purposes rather than controlling Him.
This word also reveals the Messiah’s transformative power over human emotion. In Colossians 3:5, believers are commanded to “consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion [πάθος]” because Yeshua’s death has broken the power of ungoverned emotion. The gospel doesn’t eliminate human passion but redeems and redirects it toward Kingdom purposes.
Furthermore, πάθος demonstrates Yahweh’s justice in emotional matters. Romans 1:26 shows that when societies persistently reject God’s design, He allows them to experience the natural consequences of emotional corruption. This is not cruel punishment but loving consequence—allowing people to experience the bitter fruit of choosing emotional autonomy over divine governance.
Theological Core: πάθος reveals that healthy emotions submit to Yahweh, while corrupted emotions attempt to replace Him as the governing authority of life.
How Can I Apply πάθος to My Life?
Understanding πάθος calls you to examine the governing authority in your emotional life. Are your passions serving Yahweh’s (יהוה) purposes, or have they become independent rulers demanding their own satisfaction? The presence of πάθος in your life doesn’t mean you feel emotions too strongly—it means your emotions are operating outside of divine governance.
Practical transformation begins with recognizing that the Messiah’s death has broken πάθος’ power over believers. You can “put this kind of lifestyle away from yourself” because “when Christ died and you believed, you identified with His death and these sins no longer have any power over you”. This isn’t about suppressing emotions but about redirecting them toward Kingdom purposes through the Holy Spirit’s power.
Self-Examination Questions: Are my strongest emotions serving God’s purposes or ruling my decisions? What passions do I need to surrender to Yeshua’s lordship? Where am I allowing feelings to operate independently from biblical wisdom?
What Words Are Similar to πάθος?
- πάθημα (pathema) – “[concrete suffering, affliction]” – More specific and individualized than πάθος – See G3804
- ἐπιθυμία (epithymia) – “[desire, longing]” – Can be positive or negative, while πάθος is always negative in NT – See G1939
- ὄρεξις (orexis) – “[appetite, craving]” – More focused on physical appetite than emotional passion – See G3715
- θυμός (thymos) – “[anger, wrath]” – Specific passionate emotion rather than general ungoverned passion – See G2372
Did You Know?
- What does πάθος mean in modern Greek? In contemporary Greek, πάθος still means “passion” or “suffering,” maintaining its ancient dual meaning of intense emotion and affliction.
- How did Aristotle use πάθος? Aristotle classified πάθος as one of three essential modes of persuasion, defining it as “awakening emotion in the audience so as to induce them to make the judgment desired” in his work Rhetoric.
- What’s the difference between πάθος and ἐπιθυμία? πάθος represents “the passive, ungoverned aspect of evil desire,” while ἐπιθυμία “is the active and also the more comprehensive term”—πάθος is what happens to you, ἐπιθυμία is what you actively pursue.
- Why does the Bible use πάθος in sexual contexts? Sexual desire becomes πάθος when it operates outside of covenant marriage—not because sexuality is evil, but because uncontrolled sexual passion enslaves rather than serves Yahweh’s design for human flourishing.
- How does πάθος relate to idolatry? Paul directly connects πάθος to idolatry in Colossians 3:5, showing that ungoverned passion is essentially “serving the creature rather than the Creator”—making emotions into gods.
- What causes emotional πάθος today? Modern πάθος results from the same source as ancient—rejecting Yahweh’s governance over emotional life and attempting to find satisfaction in created things rather than the Creator.
- Fascinating linguistic connection: The English word “pathetic” comes from πάθος, originally meaning “evoking pity or sympathy” because ungoverned passion ultimately leads to suffering that moves others to compassion.
Remember This
πάθος warns believers that emotions make terrible masters but excellent servants—when governed by Yahweh’s (יהוה) Spirit, human passion becomes a powerful force for Kingdom purposes, but when autonomous, it becomes a destructive tyrant enslaving the soul.
