12. abussos
Strong's Lexicon
abussos: Abyss, bottomless pit, deep

Original Word: ἄβυσσος
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: abussos
Pronunciation: ä'-bü-sos
Phonetic Spelling: (ab'-us-sos)
Definition: Abyss, bottomless pit, deep
Meaning: the abyss, unfathomable depth, an especially Jewish conception, the home of the dead and of evil spirits.

Word Origin: Derived from the Greek prefix "a-" (meaning "without") and "buthos" (meaning "depth"), thus literally meaning "without depth" or "bottomless."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: The Hebrew equivalent often associated with the concept of the abyss is תְּהוֹם (tehom), which refers to the deep or the primeval ocean (e.g., Genesis 1:2).

Usage: In the New Testament, "abussos" refers to a vast, immeasurable depth or chasm. It is often used to describe a place of confinement for evil spirits or a realm of chaos and destruction. The term conveys a sense of profound depth and mystery, often associated with the abode of the dead or a place of punishment.

Cultural and Historical Background: In ancient Greek cosmology, the concept of the abyss was associated with the primordial waters or the underworld. In Jewish apocalyptic literature, the abyss is depicted as a place of imprisonment for demonic forces. This imagery is carried into the New Testament, where the abyss is portrayed as a temporary holding place for evil until the final judgment.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from alpha (as a neg. prefix) and bussos = buthos
Definition
boundless, bottomless
NASB Translation
abyss (7), bottomless (2).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 12: ἄβυσσος

ἄβυσσος, in classic Greek an adjective, (ος, (from βύσσος equivalent to βυθός), bottomless (so perhaps in Wis. 10:19), unbounded (πλοῦτος ἄβυσσος, Aeschylus, the Sept. (931) 950). in the Scriptures ἄβυσσος (the Sept. for תְּהום) namely, χώρα, the pit, the immeasurable depth, the abyss. Hence, of 'the deep' sea: Genesis 1:2; Genesis 7:11; Deuteronomy 8:7; Sir. 1:3 Sir. 16:18, etc.; of Orcus (a very deep gulf or chasm in the lowest parts of the earth: Psalm 70:20 () ἐκ τῶν ἀβύσσων τῆς γῆς, Euripides, Phoen. 1632 (1605) ταρτάρου ἄβυσσα χάσματα, Clement of Rome, 1 Cor. 20, 5 [ET] ἀβύσσων ἀνεξιχνίαστα κλίματα, ibid. 59, 3 [ET] ἐπιβλέπων ἐν ταῖς ἀβύσσοις, of God; (Act. Thom.32 τήν ἄβυσσον τοῦ ταρτάρου οἴκων, of the dragon)), both as the common receptacle of the dead, Romans 10:7, and especially as the abode of demons, Luke 8:31; Revelation 9:1; Revelation 9:11; Revelation 11:7; Revelation 17:8; Revelation 20:1, 3. Among secular authors used as a substantive only by Diogenes Laërtius 4 (5) 27 κατῆλθες εἰς μέλαιναν Πλουτέως ἄβυσσον. Cf. Knapp, Scripta var. Arg., p. 554f; (J. G. Müller, Philo's Lehre von der Weltschöpfung, p. 173f; B. D. American edition under the word ).

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
deep, bottomless

From a (as a negative particle) and a variation of buthos; depthless, i.e. (specially) (infernal) "abyss" -- deep, (bottomless) pit.

see GREEK a

see GREEK buthos

Forms and Transliterations
άβυσσοι αβύσσοις αβυσσον άβυσσον ἄβυσσον άβυσσος αβυσσου αβύσσου ἀβύσσου αβύσσους αβύσσω αβύσσων abusson abussou abysson ábysson abyssou abýssou
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Luke 8:31 N-AFS
GRK: εἰς τὴν ἄβυσσον ἀπελθεῖν
NAS: them to go away into the abyss.
KJV: to go out into the deep.
INT: into the abyss to go away

Romans 10:7 N-AFS
GRK: εἰς τὴν ἄβυσσον τοῦτ' ἔστιν
NAS: WILL DESCEND INTO THE ABYSS?' (that is, to bring
KJV: into the deep? (that is,
INT: into the abyss That is

Revelation 9:1 N-GFS
GRK: φρέατος τῆς ἀβύσσου
NAS: and the key of the bottomless pit
KJV: the key of the bottomless pit.
INT: pit of the abyss

Revelation 9:2 N-GFS
GRK: φρέαρ τῆς ἀβύσσου καὶ ἀνέβη
NAS: He opened the bottomless pit,
KJV: And he opened the bottomless pit; and
INT: pit of the abyss and there went up

Revelation 9:11 N-GFS
GRK: ἄγγελον τῆς ἀβύσσου ὄνομα αὐτῷ
NAS: them, the angel of the abyss; his name
KJV: [which is] the angel of the bottomless pit, whose
INT: angel of the abyss name for him

Revelation 11:7 N-GFS
GRK: ἐκ τῆς ἀβύσσου ποιήσει μετ'
NAS: that comes up out of the abyss will make
KJV: out of the bottomless pit shall make
INT: out of the abyss will make with

Revelation 17:8 N-GFS
GRK: ἐκ τῆς ἀβύσσου καὶ εἰς
NAS: to come up out of the abyss and go
KJV: out of the bottomless pit, and
INT: out of the abyss and into

Revelation 20:1 N-GFS
GRK: κλεῖν τῆς ἀβύσσου καὶ ἅλυσιν
NAS: the key of the abyss and a great
KJV: the key of the bottomless pit and
INT: key of the abyss and a chain

Revelation 20:3 N-AFS
GRK: εἰς τὴν ἄβυσσον καὶ ἔκλεισεν
NAS: and he threw him into the abyss, and shut
KJV: him into the bottomless pit, and shut
INT: into the abyss and shut

Strong's Greek 12
9 Occurrences


ἄβυσσον — 3 Occ.
ἀβύσσου — 6 Occ.















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