All: The inner life in Scripture's own words

The inner life in Scripture's own words

syneidesis: a word for conscience that the Hebrew Bible does not have

What the lexicon says. συνείδησις (syneidesis) is defined first as "consciousness" and then, "In ethical sense, innate discernment, self-judging consciousness, conscience", with the note that the ethical use belongs to "Stoics and late writers". Strong's: "Co-perception, i.e. moral consciousness." It is in 30 verses.

The gap it fills, in a named source's words. The 1915 ISBE article "Heart", by J. I. Marais, states that "'heart' comes to stand for 'conscience,' for which there is no word in Hebrew", giving Job 27:6 and 1 Samuel 24:5 as examples. The Greek term does the job directly: "their conscience bearing witness therewith" (Romans 2:15, ASV).

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The limit on that observation. "No word for conscience in Hebrew" is Marais's formulation in 1915 and is a claim about vocabulary, not about whether the idea is present, the same article's examples are Hebrew texts describing exactly the experience. Later scholarship discusses the point in more detail than a 1915 encyclopedia entry does, and this file states the claim with its source and date rather than as a settled fact.

Sources: Romans 2:15; Job 27:6; 1 Samuel 24:5; TBESG entry G4893 (Abbott-Smith); Strong's Greek Dictionary (1890), entry G4893; ISBE 1915, "Heart" and "Conscience".

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Sources, trace every one

Every cited verse, in full. Tap any reference to open it in the reader.

  • Romans 2:15bsb

    So they show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts either accusing or defending them

  • Job 27:6bsb

    I will cling to my righteousness and never let go. As long as I live, my conscience will not accuse me.

  • 1 Samuel 24:5bsb

    Afterward, David’s conscience was stricken because he had cut off the corner of Saul’s robe.

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syneidesis: a word for conscience that the Hebrew Bible does not have · Bubble Bible