Bible Lexicons

ζάω, ζῶ, ζῇς, ζῇ, infinitive ζῆν (so L T, but R G WH (η(, Tr also (except 1 Corinthians 9:14; 2 Corinthians 1:8); cf. Winers Grammar, § 5, 4 c.; WH. Introductory § 410; Lipsius Gram. Unters., p. 5f), participle ζῶν; imperfect ἔζων (Romans 7:9, where Vat. has the inferior form ἔζην (found again Colossians 3:7 ἐζῆτε); cf. Fritzsche on Romans, ii., p. 38; (WHs Appendix, p. 169; Veitch, under the word)); future in the earlier form ζήσω (Romans 6:2 (not L marginal reading); Hebrews 12:9; L T Tr WH also in John (John 5:25); ( T WH), (not L; T Tr WH); 2 Corinthians 13:4; James 4:15), and much oftener ((?) five times, quotations excepted, viz. Matthew 9:18; Luke 10:28; John 11:25; Romans 8:13; Romans 10:5; cf. Moulton's Winer, p. 105) the later form, first used by (Hippocrates 7, 536 (see Veitch, under the word)) Demosthenes, ζήσομαι; 1 aorist (unused in Attic (Hipp., Anth. Pal., Plutarch, others (see Veitch))) ἔζησα (Acts 26:5, etc.); cf. Alexander Buttmann (1873) Ausf. Sprachl. ii. 191f; Buttmann, 58 (51); Krüger, i., p. 172; Kühner, i. 829; Winers Grammar, 86 (83); (Veitch, under the word); Hebrew חָיָה; (from (Homer) Theognis, Aeschylus down); to live;

I. properly,

1. to live, be among the living, be alive (not lifeless, not dead): Acts 20:12; Romans 7:1-3; 1 Corinthians 7:39; 2 Corinthians 1:8; 2 Corinthians 4:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:15, 17; Revelation 19:20, etc.; ψυχή ζῶσα, 1 Corinthians 15:45 and R Tr marginal reading Revelation 16:3; διά παντός τοῦ ζῆν, during all their life (on earth), Hebrews 2:15 (διατελεῖν πάντα τόν τοῦ ζῆν χρόνον, Diodorus 1, 74 (cf. Buttmann, 262 (225))); ἔτι ζῶν (participle imperfect (cf. Winer's Grammar, 341 (320))), while he was yet alive, before his death, Matthew 27:63; with ἐν σαρκί added, of the earthly life, Philippians 1:22; ὁ δέ νῦν ζῶ ἐν σαρκί, that life which I live in an earthly body, Galatians 2:20 (Buttmann, 149 (130); Winer's Grammar, 227 (213)); ἐν αὐτῷ ζῶμεν, in God is the cause why we live, Acts 17:28; ζῶσα τέθνηκε, 1 Timothy 5:6; ἐμοί τό ζῆν Χριστός, my life is devoted to Christ, Christ is the aim, the goal, of my life, Philippians 1:21; ζῶντες are opposed to νεκροί, Matthew 22:32; Mark 12:27; Luke 20:38; ζῶντες καί νεκροί, Acts 10:42; Romans 14:9; 2 Timothy 4:1; 1 Peter 4:5; in the sense of living and thriving, 2 Corinthians 6:9; 1 Thessalonians 3:8; ζῇ ἐν ἐμοί Χριστός, Christ is living and operative in me, i. e. the holy mind and energy of Christ pervades and moves me Galatians 2:20; ἐκ δυνάμεως Θεοῦ ζῆν εἰς τινα, through the power of God to live and be strong toward one (namely, in correcting and judging), 2 Corinthians 13:4; in the absolute sense, God is said to be ὁ ζῶν: Matthew 16:16; Matthew 26:63; John 6:57; John 6:69 Rec.; Acts 14:15; Romans 9:26; 2 Corinthians 3:3; 2 Corinthians 6:16; 1 Thessalonians 1:9; 1 Timothy 3:15; 1 Timothy 4:10; 1 Timothy 6:17 R G; Hebrews 3:12; Hebrews 9:14; Hebrews 10:31; Hebrews 12:22; Revelation 7:2 (Joshua 3:10; 2 Kings 19:4, 16; Isaiah 37:4, 17; Hosea 1:10; Daniel 6:20 Theod., 26, etc.); with the addition of εἰς τούς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων, Revelation 4:9; Revelation 15:7; ζῶ ἐγώ (אָנִי חַי, Numbers 14:21; Isaiah 49:18, etc.) as I live (by my life), the formula by which God swears by himself, Romans 14:11. equivalent to to continue to live, to be kept alice (ὅστις ζῆν ἐπιθυμεῖ, πειράσθω νικαν, Xenophon, an. 3, 2, 26 (39)): ἐάν ὁ κύριος θελήσῃ καί ζήσωμεν (ζήσομεν L T Tr WH), James 4:15 (Buttmann, 210 (181); Winer's Grammar, 286 (268f)); ζῆν ἐπ' ἄρτῳ (Matthew 4:4, etc.) see ἐπί, B. 2 a. α. (Tobit 5:20); ζῆν ἐκ τίνος, to get a living from a thing, 1 Corinthians 9:14; also when used of convalescents, John 4:50f, 53; with ἐκ τῆς ἀρρωστίας added, 2 Kings 1:2; 2 Kings 8:8f, figuratively, to live and be strong: ἐν τούτοις (for Rec. ἐν αὐτοῖς) in these vices, opposed to the ethical death by which Christians are wholly severed from sin (see ἀποθνῄσκω, II. 2 b.), Colossians 3:7; cf. Meyer at the passage equivalent to to be no longer dead, to recover life, be restored to life: Matthew 9:18; Acts 9:41; so of Jesus risen from the dead, Mark 16:11; Luke 24:5, 23; Acts 1:3; Acts 25:19; Romans 6:10; 2 Corinthians 13:4; opposed to νεκρός, Revelation 1:18; Revelation 2:8; ἔζησεν came to life, lived again, Romans 14:9 G L T Tr WH (opposed to ἀπέθανε); Revelation 13:14; Revelation 20:4, 5 (Rec. ἀνέζησεν) (Ezekiel 37:9f; on the aorist as marking entrance upon a state see βασιλεύω, at the end); ζῆν ἐκ νεκρῶν, tropically, out of moral death to enter upon a new life, dedicated and acceptable to God, Romans 6:13; (similarly in Luke 15:32 T Tr WH). equivalent to not to be mortal, Hebrews 7:8 (where ἄνθρωποι ἀποθνῄσκοντες dying men i. e. whose lot it is to die, are opposed to ὁ ζῶν).

2. emphatically, and in the Messianic sense, to enjoy real life, i. e. to have true life and worthy of the name — active, blessed, endless in the kingdom of God (or ζωή αἰώνιος; see ζωή, 2b.): Luke 10:28; John 5:25; John 11:25; Romans 1:17; Romans 8:13; Romans 14:9 ((?) see above); Galatians 3:12; Hebrews 12:9; with the addition of ἐκ πίστεως, Hebrews 10:38; of εἰς τόν αἰῶνα, John 6:51, 58; σύν Χριστῷ, in Christ's society, 1 Thessalonians 5:10; this life in its absolute fullness Christ enjoys, who owes it to God; hence, he says ζῶ διά τόν πατέρα, John 6:57; by the gift and power of Christ it is shared in by the faithful, who accordingly are said ζήσειν δἰ αὐτόν, John 6:57; δἰ αὐτοῦ, 1 John 4:9. with a dative denoting the respect, πνεύματι, 1 Peter 4:6; ὄνομα ἔχεις ὅτι ζῇς καί νεκρός εἰ, thou art said to have life (i. e. vigorous spiritual life bringing forth good fruit) and (yet) thou art dead (ethically), Revelation 3:1. In the O. T: ζῆν denotes to live most happily in the enjoyment of the theocratic blessings: Leviticus 18:5; Deuteronomy 4:1; Deuteronomy 8:1; Deuteronomy 30:16.

3. to live i. e. pass life, of the manner of living and acting; of morals or character: μετά ἀνδρός with the accusative of time, of a married woman, Luke 2:36; χωρίς νόμου, without recognition of the law, Romans 7:9; Φαρισαῖος, Acts 26:5; also ἐν κόσμῳ, Colossians 2:20; with ἐν and a dative indicating the act or state of the soul: ἐν πίστει, Galatians 2:20; ἐν τῇ ἁμαρτία, to devote life to sin, Romans 6:2; with adverbs expressing the manner: εὐσεβῶς, 2 Timothy 3:12; Titus 2:12; ἀσώτως, Luke 15:13; ἐθνικῶς, Galatians 2:14; ἀδίκως, Wis. 14:28; ζῆν τίνι (the dative of person, a phrase common in Greek authors also, in Latinvivere alicui; cf. Fritzsche on Romans, vol. iii., p. 176ff), to devote, consecrate, life to one; so to live that life results in benefit to someone or to his cause: τῷ Θεῷ, Luke 20:38; Romans 6:10; Galatians 2:19 (4 Macc. 16:25); τῷ Χριστῷ, 2 Corinthians 5:15; that man is said ἑαυτῷ ζῆν who makes his own will his law, is his own master, Romans 14:7; 2 Corinthians 5:15; with the dative of the thing to which life is devoted: τῇ δικαιοσύνη, 1 Peter 2:24; πνεύματι, to be actuated by the Spirit, Galatians 5:25; κατά σάρκα, as the flesh dictates, Romans 8:12f.

II. Metaphorically, of inanimate things;

a. ὕδωρ ζῶν, חַיִּים מַיִם (Genesis 26:19; Leviticus 14:5; etc.), living water, i. e. bubbling up, gushing forth, flowing, with the suggested idea of refreshment and salubrity (opposed to the water of cisterns and pools (cf. our spring water)), is figuratively used of the spirit and truth of God as satisfying the needs and desires of the soul: John 4:10; John 7:38; ἐπί ζώσας πηγάς ὑδάτων, Revelation 7:17 Rec. b. having vital power in itself and exerting the same upon the soul: ἐλπίς ζῶσα, 1 Peter 1:3; λόγος Θεοῦ, 1 Peter 1:23; Hebrews 4:12; λόγια namely, τοῦ Θεοῦ, Acts 7:38, cf. Deuteronomy 32:47; ὁδός ζῶσα, Hebrews 10:20 (this phrase describing that characteristic of divine grace, in granting the pardon of sin and fellowship with God, which likens it to a way leading to the heavenly sanctuary). In the same manner the predicate ὁ ζῶν is applied to those things to which persons are compared who possess real life (see I. 2 above), in the expressions λίθοι ζῶντες, 1 Peter 2:4; ἄρτος ὁ ζῶν (see ἄρτος, at the end), John 6:51; θυσία ζῶσα (tacitly opposed to slain victims), Romans 12:1. (Compare: ἀναζάω, συζάω.)