Lexical Summary aition: Cause, reason, responsibility Original Word: αἴτιον Strong's Exhaustive Concordance cause, fault. Neuter of aitios; a reason or crime (like aitia) -- cause, fault. see GREEK aitios see GREEK aitia NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originneut. of aitios, q.v. Topical Lexicon Meaning and Range of Usage αἴτιον denotes a “cause,” “ground,” or “reason” for something—especially the underlying factor that renders an act culpable or justifiable. Classical writers used it both for philosophical inquiry into ultimate causes and for legal proceedings where the central question is, “What is the real fault?” The cognate adjective αἴτιος (“responsible”) and the feminine noun αἰτία (“charge, accusation, cause”) stand alongside αἴτιον in a family of words that explore the relationship between action and accountability. Occurrences in Scripture While the exact neuter form αἴτιον is absent from the Greek New Testament, the idea it expresses is pervasive: • Septuagint usage – αἴτιον often translates Hebrew terms for “guilt” or “reason” (for example, Deuteronomy 22:14; 1 Samuel 22:22; Job 19:28). Old Testament Foundations Scripture consistently binds moral cause to personal accountability: “Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin.” (Deuteronomy 24:16) “He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike detestable to the LORD.” (Proverbs 17:15) These passages prepare the biblical worldview in which guilt (αἴτιον, αἰτία) is neither arbitrary nor transferable apart from covenantal provision. Divine Causality and Human Responsibility 1. God as First Cause: “In Him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28) The sovereign Lord is the ultimate causal agent, yet Scripture never makes Him the author of evil; secondary causes (human choices) remain genuinely culpable. 2. Christ as Saving Cause: “Having been perfected, He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.” (Hebrews 5:9) Here the cognate αἴτιος proclaims Christ the decisive ground of salvation, contrasting Adam, whose trespass was the cause of death for all (Romans 5:12-19). 3. Sin as Alien Cause: “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Do they not come from the passions that wage war within you?” (James 4:1) The New Testament frequently probes the heart-level αἴτιον behind visible transgression, exposing internal motives rather than merely external acts. Legal and Judicial Themes Whether in Israel’s courts or Roman tribunals, establishing the αἴτιον was essential: “On the evidence of two or three witnesses a matter shall be established.” (Deuteronomy 19:15) Pilate grasped the principle when he said, “I find no basis for a charge against Him.” (John 18:38) The gospel shows that the innocent Christ bore the sentence of the guilty, satisfying divine justice while preserving the moral order in which αἴτιον matters eternally. Historical and Patristic Reflection Early apologists invoked αἴτιον in defending God’s righteousness against accusations of injustice. Athanasius argued that the Incarnation was the only fitting cause of human restoration, while Augustine distinguished between God as the causa bona of all that is good and humans as the causa mala of sin. Ministry Application • Counseling: Help believers trace behavioral issues back to heart-level causes, leading them to repentance in Christ rather than surface fixes. Related Terms for Further Study αἴτιος – responsible, source (Hebrews 5:9) αἰτία – charge, accusation (Acts 13:28) ἔγκλημα – formal charge (Acts 19:40) παράπτωμα – trespass, offense (Ephesians 2:1) Summary Though the neuter form αἴτιον does not appear in the New Testament text, its concept pulses through Scripture’s narrative of creation, fall, redemption, and final judgment. Understanding “cause” and “fault” sharpens our grasp of God’s holiness, humanity’s need, and the sufficiency of Christ—the true αἴτιον of eternal salvation. Forms and Transliterations αίτιον αίτιος αιτίουLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance ᾔτησας — 1 Occ.ᾐτήσασθε — 1 Occ. ᾐτήσατε — 1 Occ. ᾐτήσατο — 6 Occ. ᾐτοῦντο — 2 Occ. αἴτημα — 1 Occ. αἰτήματα — 2 Occ. αἰτία — 2 Occ. αἰτίαν — 16 Occ. αἰτίας — 2 Occ. αἴτιον — 3 Occ. αἴτιος — 1 Occ. αἰτίου — 1 Occ. αἰφνίδιος — 2 Occ. αἰχμαλωσίαν — 3 Occ. ᾐχμαλώτευσεν — 1 Occ. αἰχμαλωτισθήσονται — 1 Occ. αἰχμαλωτίζοντά — 1 Occ. αἰχμαλωτίζοντες — 2 Occ. αἰχμαλώτοις — 1 Occ. |
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