What does ἀδυνατέω (adynatéō) mean in the Bible?
ἀδυνατέω (adynatéō): Emphasizes absolute impossibility or incapacity, stronger than mere inability to accomplish a task.
Greek · G101
ἀδυνατέω
Be impossible
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ἀδυνατέωG101
Pronunciationadynatéō
What does ἀδυνατέω (adynatéō) mean in the Bible?
ἀδυνατέω (adynatéō): Emphasizes absolute impossibility or incapacity, stronger than mere inability to accomplish a task.
Full entry for ἀδυνατέω (G101) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G101?
The BSB source-word alignment has 2 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include fail (1), will be impossible (1).
Where does ἀδυνατέω (adynatéō) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 17:20. Its strongest book concentrations include Luke (1), Matthew (1).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders Itfail1×Luke 1:37
will be impossible1×Matthew 17:20
Show sample aligned rows
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowMatthew 17:20
Aligned rows2
Books represented2
Matthew1Luke1
Source forms
ἀδυνατήσει2xadynatēseiMatthew 17:20, Luke 1:37
Parsing patterns
Verb - Future Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular2xMatthew 17:20, Luke 1:37
Evidence Summary
Greek word. Emphasizes absolute impossibility or incapacity, stronger than mere inability to accomplish a task.
Strong'sG101
Lexical occurrences2 versesGreek text appearances2 timesWord forms1 form2 referencesVerse guides0 guides
Source Gloss
be impossible
Extended definitionSource: STEPBible TBESG + Abbott-Smith
Emphasizes absolute impossibility or incapacity, stronger than mere inability to accomplish a task.
(ἀδύνατος), [in LXX: Deu.17:8, Zec.8:6 (פּלא ni.), Job.42:2 (בּצר ni.), al. ;]
1Abbott-Smith omits this number to be unable (cl., Philo; π., see MM, VGT, see word).
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpusGreek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
2 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Matthew 17:20Verb Third Person Singular Future Active Indicative
ἀδυνατήσειadunathsei
to be impossible
Read verseLuke 1:37Verb Third Person Singular Future Active Indicative
ἀδυνατήσειadunathsei
to be impossible
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
Grammatical Forms
How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups1Aligned forms2TensesFutureVoicesActive
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Tenses
Voices
Indicativestates a fact or reality2×
Future ActiveMatt 17:20 · Luke 1:372×
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 2 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect
Tense
future2
Voice
active2
Mood
indicative2
NT Occurrences
Aspect reflects grammatical form — not authorial emphasis. Participles and infinitives are verbal adjectives and nouns respectively.
Clause data: MACULA Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0) · SBLGNT (Logos/SBL, CC BY 4.0)
Word Origins
ἀδυνατέω is built from this root: