Undecaying (in essence or continuance)
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G862 is a Greek adjective describing what is imperishable, incorruptible, or not subject to decay. Romans 1:23 contrasts the glory of the immortal God with images of mortal creatures, exposing idolatry’s disastrous exchange.
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Full entry for ἄφθαρτος (G862) · Open the biblical lexicon
G862 is a Greek adjective describing what is imperishable, incorruptible, or not subject to decay. Romans 1:23 contrasts the glory of the immortal God with images of mortal creatures, exposing idolatry’s disastrous exchange.
The BSB source-word alignment has 7 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include immortal (2), imperishable (2), [that is] imperishable (1), of imperishable (1), unfading [ beauty ] (1).
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Romans 1:23. Its strongest book concentrations include 1 Peter (3), 1 Corinthians (2), 1 Timothy (1), Romans (1).
G862 is a Greek adjective describing what is imperishable, incorruptible, or not subject to decay. Romans 1:23 contrasts the glory of the immortal God with images of mortal creatures, exposing idolatry’s disastrous exchange. First Corinthians 15:52 says the dead will be raised imperishable when the last trumpet sounds, locating Christian hope in bodily resurrection and divine transformation.
First Peter 1:4 describes an imperishable, undefiled, unfading inheritance kept in heaven, and 1 Peter 1:23 speaks of new birth through imperishable seed, the living and enduring word of God. The adjective also describes an imperishable crown and the enduring beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit. G862 does not mean that present bodies, emotions, possessions, or relationships are unreal; it contrasts creation’s current vulnerability to decay with God’s own incorruptible life and the future He secures.
It opens teaching on worship, resurrection, inheritance, new birth, and durable character. It corrects both materialistic hope confined to what decays and spiritualizing hope that dismisses bodily resurrection or shames people for the effects of mortality.
G862 contrasts what cannot decay with mortal creatures, fading rewards, corruptible seed, and the present condition of the dead. It belongs to descriptions of God, resurrection life, heavenly inheritance, God’s word, a lasting crown, and inward character. The bearer of the adjective must be named in each context.
And exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
Humanity exchanges the glory of the immortal God for images patterned after mortal creatures, revealing idolatry as a false trade of Creator for creation.
In an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
At the last trumpet the dead are raised imperishable and the living are changed, placing incorruptibility within Paul’s argument for bodily resurrection.
And into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, reserved in heaven for you,
Believers’ new-birth hope includes an inheritance that cannot perish, become defiled, or fade and is kept in heaven for them.
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders ItA compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
Greek word. Imperishable by nature, resistant to decay and corruption in both essence and duration.
Imperishable by nature, resistant to decay and corruption in both essence and duration.
(φθείρω), [in LXX: Wis.12:1 18:4 * ;] imperishable, immortal;
Textus Receptus witness, full corpusGreek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
7 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
imperishable, incorruptible
Read verseimperishable, incorruptible
Read verseimperishable, incorruptible
Read verseimperishable, incorruptible
Read verseimperishable, incorruptible
Read verseimperishable, incorruptible
Read verseimperishable, incorruptible
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.
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
This word appears as a noun across 7 case and number patterns. The form changes show how the word functions in a sentence; they do not change the basic lexical meaning by themselves.
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
ἄφθαρτος is built from these roots:
G862 directs hope toward what God preserves beyond corruption. Romans begins with the immortal Creator whose glory cannot be represented or replaced by images of decaying creatures. First Corinthians 15 applies imperishability to the resurrection God performs: the dead are raised and believers are changed, so salvation does not abandon the body but transforms it.
First Peter gathers the adjective around inheritance, new birth through the enduring word, and inward character that remains precious before God. Paul’s athletic image contrasts a fading wreath with an imperishable crown, redirecting disciplined service away from applause that soon disappears. These uses do not erase the goodness of mortal creation. Decay is an enemy and a limit, not proof that bodies or ordinary responsibilities lack value.
Nor should imperishable language become denial of illness, aging, disability, grief, or present vulnerability. Christian confidence rests in God’s act, not in human techniques for escaping frailty. G862 invites worship of the Creator, patient endurance, and concrete resurrection hope. Because the promised future is secure, believers can care for perishing bodies, relinquish status, and cultivate character without pretending that present losses are painless or that faithful people already possess incorruptibility in full.
1Cor.15.52
G862 is an adjective formed with a privative prefix and the idea of corruption or decay. It describes the quality of being not subject to ruin. Context supplies whether the referent is God, resurrected persons, inheritance, seed, reward, or character.
Biblical hope moves from the Creator’s enduring faithfulness and promises of life beyond death to the New Testament proclamation of Christ’s resurrection and the raising of His people. G862 sharpens that canonical hope without making mortality or material creation inherently evil.