UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament

Sense 1: law, ordinance, rule

Semantic entry: 33.333

Semantic domains: Communication

Subdomains: Law, Regulation, Ordinance

Definition: a formalized rule (or set of rules) prescribing what people must do

Notes: The difference between ‘a law’ and ‘a command’ is that a law is enforced by sanctions from a society, while a command carries only the sanctions of the individual who commands. When, however, the people of Israel accepted the commands of God as the rules which they would follow and enforce, these became their laws.|The occurrence of νόμος two times in RV ROM 8:2 · LV ROM 8:2 · Read together ROM 8:2 poses certain problems of both translation and interpretation: ὁ γὰρ νόμος τοῦ πνεύματος τῆς ζωῆς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ ἠλευθέρωσέν σε ἀπὸ τοῦ νόμου τῆς ἁμαρτίας καὶ τοῦ θανάτου ‘for the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus freed you from the law which leads to sin and death.’ In the second occurrence of νόμος, the meaning is clearly the rules and regulations of the OT law, but in the case of the first occurrence of νόμος, there is no such formulation of decrees. The reference in this instance must therefore be to certain basic principles. If, however, one understands νόμος in the sense of a type of abstract ‘governing power,’ it is possible that the reference in the phrase νόμος τοῦ πνεύματος τῆς ζωῆς is to this governing power of the Spirit of life which frees one from the law which stipulates sin and death.

Sense 2: the Law

Semantic entry: 33.55

Semantic domains: Communication

Subdomains: Written Language

Definition: the first five books of the OT called the Torah (often better rendered as ‘instruction’)

Notes: In a number of languages it is not possible to use a singular expression such as ‘the Law,’ for since the Torah consisted of five books and included a number of regulations and instructions, it is necessary in many languages to use ‘the laws.’ Furthermore, to distinguish this body of laws from common, ordinary customs or legal regulations, it may be necessary to employ a phrase such as ‘the laws given to Moses’ or simply ‘the laws of Moses.’

Sense 3: holy writings, Scriptures, sacred writings

Semantic entry: 33.56

Semantic domains: Communication

Subdomains: Written Language

Definition: the sacred writings of the OT

Notes: It is clear from the content of the quotation in RV JHN 10:34 · LV JHN 10:34 · Read together JHN 10:34 that the reference of νόμος is not restricted to the first five books of the OT, for the passage comes from the Psalms.

Sense 4: marriage law

Semantic entry: 33.341

Semantic domains: Communication

Subdomains: Law, Regulation, Ordinance

Definition: (an idiom, literally: law of the man, or: law of the husband) the law which binds a woman to a man in marriage

Notes: It may be especially difficult in some languages to speak of ‘being free from the marriage law.’ An appropriate equivalent in some languages may be ‘she is no longer obliged to remain the wife of the dead man,’ but in other languages it is more meaningful to say ‘she is then permitted to marry another man.’

Collocations: νόμος τοῦ ἀνδρός

Sense 5: the sacred writings, the Law and the Prophets

Semantic entry: 33.58

Semantic domains: Communication

Subdomains: Written Language

Definition: (an idiom, literally: the Law and the Prophets) all of the sacred writings of the OT, including the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings{N:001}

Collocations: ὁ νόμος καὶ οἱ προφῆται