What does ἀδικία (adikía) mean in the Bible?
adikia means unrighteousness, injustice, wickedness, or wrong. It names what is out of line with God's righteous character and truthful order.
Greek · G93
ἀδικία
Unrighteousness
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ἀδικία G93
Pronunciation adikía
What does ἀδικία (adikía) mean in the Bible?
adikia means unrighteousness, injustice, wickedness, or wrong. It names what is out of line with God's righteous character and truthful order.
Reader summary
Full entry for ἀδικία (G93) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G93?
The BSB source-word alignment has 25 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include wickedness (4), of wickedness (3), unrighteousness (3), unjust (2), . . . (1).
Where does ἀδικία (adikía) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Luke 13:27. Its strongest book concentrations include Romans (7), Luke (4), 1 John (2), 2 Peter (2).
Are there verse guides for ἀδικία (adikía)?
This entry includes 1 verse guide that explain exact original-language forms in context.
What This Word Actually Means
Adikia means unrighteousness, injustice, wickedness, or wrong. It names what is out of line with God's righteous character and truthful order. The word can describe the absence of falsehood in Jesus, humanity suppressing truth by wickedness, Paul's argument that human unrighteousness cannot make God unjust, the body's members being presented as instruments of wickedness, love refusing pleasure in evil, and God's cleansing of all unrighteousness.
Pastorally, adikia must not be narrowed to one modern category, nor blurred into a vague sense of badness. It is moral disorder before the righteous God. The good news is not that God ignores adikia, but that He exposes it truthfully and cleanses confessed sinners through His faithful and just mercy in Christ.
How the Bible Uses It
Adikia names unrighteousness or wickedness before God. These anchors show truth without falsehood in Jesus, wickedness suppressing truth, Paul's argument about God's justice, bodily members presented either to wickedness or righteousness, love refusing delight in evil, and forgiveness that cleanses all unrighteousness.
- John.7.18
He who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory, but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is a man of truth; in Him there is no falsehood.
Jesus says the one seeking God's glory is true and has no falsehood. adikia appears as the opposite of truthful God-centered speech.
- Rom.1.18
The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness.
God's wrath is revealed against godlessness and wickedness that suppress the truth. The word names moral rebellion against known truth.
- Rom.3.5
But if our unrighteousness highlights the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unjust to inflict His wrath on us? I am speaking in human terms.
Paul asks whether human unrighteousness highlights God's righteousness. The word functions inside an argument defending God's justice.
- Rom.6.13
Do not present the parts of your body to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and present the parts of your body to Him as instruments of righteousness.
Believers must not present their members to sin as instruments of wickedness but to God as instruments of righteousness. adikia is embodied allegiance.
- 1Cor.13.6
Love takes no pleasure in evil, but rejoices in the truth.
Love takes no pleasure in evil but rejoices in the truth. The word is set against truthful love, not mere social disapproval.
- 1John.1.9
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
God is faithful and just to forgive confessed sins and cleanse from all unrighteousness. adikia is met by divine cleansing, not denial.
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It wickedness 4× Acts 1:18, Romans 1:18, Romans 1:29, Romans 2:8
of wickedness 3× Romans 6:13, James 3:6, 2 Peter 2:15
unrighteousness 3× Romans 3:5, 1 John 1:9, 1 John 5:17
unjust 2× Luke 18:6, Romans 9:14
. . . 1× Luke 13:27
[their] wickedness 1× Romans 1:18
dishonest 1× Luke 16:8
evil 1× 1 Corinthians 13:6
falsehood 1× John 7:18
in wickedness 1× 2 Thessalonians 2:12
iniquities 1× Hebrews 8:12
iniquity 1× 2 Timothy 2:19
of [their] wickedness 1× 2 Peter 2:13
to iniquity 1× Acts 8:23
wicked 1× 2 Thessalonians 2:10
worldly 1× Luke 16:9
wrong 1× 2 Corinthians 12:13
Show sample aligned rows
Luke 13:27 ἀδικίας to . . . Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular Luke 16:8 ἀδικίας to dishonest Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular Luke 16:9 ἀδικίας to worldly Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular Luke 18:6 ἀδικίας to unjust Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular John 7:18 ἀδικία to falsehood Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular Acts 1:18 ἀδικίας to wickedness Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular Acts 8:23 ἀδικίας to to iniquity Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular Romans 1:18 ἀδικίαν to wickedness Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular Romans 1:18 ἀδικίᾳ to [their] wickedness Noun - Dative Feminine Singular Romans 1:29 ἀδικίᾳ to wickedness Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Luke 13:27
Aligned rows 25
Books represented 12
Luke 4 John 1 Acts 2 Romans 7 1 Corinthians 1 2 Corinthians 1 2 Thessalonians 2 2 Timothy 1 Hebrews 1 James 1 2 Peter 2 1 John 2
Source forms
ἀδικίας 13x adikias Luke 13:27, Luke 16:8, Luke 16:9, Luke 18:6
ἀδικίᾳ 5x adikia Romans 1:18, Romans 1:29, Romans 2:8, 1 Corinthians 13:6
ἀδικία 4x adikia John 7:18, Romans 3:5, Romans 9:14, 1 John 5:17
ἀδικίαν 2x adikian Romans 1:18, 2 Corinthians 12:13
ἀδικίαις 1x adikiais Hebrews 8:12
Parsing patterns
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular 13x Luke 13:27, Luke 16:8, Luke 16:9, Luke 18:6
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular 5x Romans 1:18, Romans 1:29, Romans 2:8, 1 Corinthians 13:6
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular 4x John 7:18, Romans 3:5, Romans 9:14, 1 John 5:17
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular 2x Romans 1:18, 2 Corinthians 12:13
Noun - Dative Feminine Plural 1x Hebrews 8:12
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Name unrighteousness truthfully while holding out the cleansing mercy promised in the passage.
- Let Romans 6 keep application embodied: members presented either to wickedness or to righteousness.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim adikia only means social injustice.
- Do not claim God's forgiveness ignores justice; 1 John 1:9 says He is faithful and just.
Key Verse and Form Guides
Verse-level guides showing how this original-language form works in its specific context, including grammar, verse function, and guarded interpretation.
Evidence Summary
Justice
Greek word. Moral wrongdoing that violates God's justice; often means unrighteousness as a power opposing truth and righteousness
Source Gloss
unrighteousness
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
16 of 25 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Luke 13:27 Noun Genitive Singular Feminine
ἀδικίας. adikiav
unrighteousness
Read verse Luke 16:8 Noun Genitive Singular Feminine
ἀδικίας adikiav
unrighteousness
Read verse Luke 16:9 Noun Genitive Singular Feminine
ἀδικίας, adikiav
unrighteousness
Read verse Luke 18:6 Noun Genitive Singular Feminine
ἀδικίας adikiav
unrighteousness
Read verse John 7:18 Noun Nominative Singular Feminine
ἀδικία adikia
unrighteousness
Read verse Acts 1:18 Noun Genitive Singular Feminine
ἀδικίας, adikiav
unrighteousness
Read verse Acts 8:23 Noun Genitive Singular Feminine
ἀδικίας adikiav
unrighteousness
Read verse Romans 1:18 Noun Accusative Singular Feminine
ἀδικίαν adikian
unrighteousness
Read verse Romans 1:18 Noun Dative Singular Feminine
ἀδικίᾳ adikia
unrighteousness
Read verse Romans 1:29 Noun Dative Singular Feminine
ἀδικίᾳ, adikia
unrighteousness
Read verse Romans 2:8 Noun Dative Singular Feminine
ἀδικίᾳ, adikia
unrighteousness
Read verse adikia
unrighteousness
Read verse Romans 6:13 Noun Genitive Singular Feminine
ἀδικίας adikiav
unrighteousness
Read verse Romans 9:14 Noun Nominative Singular Feminine
ἀδικία adikia
unrighteousness
Read verse 1 Corinthians 13:6 Noun Dative Singular Feminine
ἀδικίᾳ, adikia
unrighteousness
Read verse 2 Corinthians 12:13 Noun Accusative Singular Feminine
ἀδικίαν adikian
unrighteousness
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 this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
This word appears as a noun across 5 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.
Form patterns 5 Aligned forms 25 Case pattern Genitive (13) Number pattern Singular (24)
Genitive · Singular · Feminine Luke 13:27 · Luke 16:8 · Luke 16:9 · Luke 18:6 · Acts 1:18 · Acts 8:23 · Rom 6:13 · 2 Thess 2:10 · 2 Tim 2:19 · Jas 3:6 · 2 Pet 2:13 · 2 Pet 2:15 · 1 John 1:9 13×
Dative · Singular · Feminine Rom 1:18 · Rom 1:29 · Rom 2:8 · 1 Cor 13:6 · 2 Thess 2:12 5×
Dative · Plural · Feminine Heb 8:12 1×
Accusative · Singular · Feminine Rom 1:18 · 2 Cor 12:13 2×
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
New Testament Witnesses
Unrighteousness, injustice.
Showing 1 selected witness from 25 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
ἀδικία is built from this root:
Why This Word Matters
Human unrighteousness highlights but does not negate God’s righteous judgment. Romans 3:1-8
Canonical Themes
Justice
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
For the Preacher and Teacher
Adikia is not merely a label for socially disapproved behavior. It names what stands against God's righteous truth. In Romans, unrighteousness suppresses truth and cannot make God unjust. In Romans 6, wickedness can claim the body's members as instruments unless believers present themselves to God. In 1 Corinthians 13, love refuses to rejoice in evil because love belongs with truth.
In 1 John, the same God who exposes sin is faithful and just to forgive and cleanse all unrighteousness. The preacher should therefore avoid both minimizing and weaponizing the word. It tells the truth about sin so that confession, cleansing, and righteous allegiance can be proclaimed.
Anchor passage
1John.1.9
Doctrinal connections
- Truthfulness: John 7:18 sets adikia against truth in the one seeking God's glory.
- Wrath and revelation: Romans 1:18 shows unrighteousness suppressing the truth.
- Divine justice: Romans 3:5 guards God's righteousness even when human unrighteousness is exposed.
- Union and obedience: Romans 6:13 calls believers to present their bodies to God, not wickedness.
- Love and truth: 1 Corinthians 13:6 refuses pleasure in evil and rejoices in truth.
- Forgiveness and cleansing: 1 John 1:9 promises cleansing from all unrighteousness through God's faithful justice.
Adikia belongs to the righteousness word family by negation. It may be rendered unrighteousness, injustice, wickedness, wrong, or evil depending on context. The contrast terms in each passage are crucial.
From Old to New Testament
The biblical storyline contrasts the righteous Lord with human wrong, injustice, and falsehood. New Testament adikia continues that moral contrast while announcing cleansing and righteousness in Christ.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain