Lexical Definition
ἔρημος érēmos (er'-ay-mos) deserted G:A
of uncertain affinity; lonesome, i.e. (by implication) waste (usually as a noun, χώρα being implied)
desert, desolate, solitary, wilderness.
Abbott-Smith
ἔρημος (in older Gk. ἔρῆμος), -ον [in LXX chiefly for מִדְבָּר ;]
solitary, lonely, desolate, deserted:
(a) of persons, γυνή, Ga 4:27 (LXX);
(b) of places, Mt 14:13, 15 23:38 (WH, om.), Mk 1:36 6:32, Lk 4:42 9:12, al.; as subst., ἡ ἔ. (sc. χώρα; as in Hdt., ii, 32, al.), the desert, Mt 3:1, 3, Mk 1:3, 4, Jo 3:14, al.; pl., αἱ ἔ., desert places, Lk 1:80 5:16 8:29
Abbott-Smith References
| Book | Refs |
|---|---|
| Matthew | 3:1 · 3:3 · 14:13 · 14:15 · 23:38 |
| Mark | 1:3 · 1:4 · 1:36 · 6:32 |
| Luke | 1:80 · 4:42 · 5:16 · 8:29 · 9:12 |
| John | 3:14 |
| Galatians | 4:27 |
Liddell-Scott-Jones
ἔρημος, ον,
feminine ἐρήμη [Refs 8th c.BC+]: Attic dialect ἔρημος, ον, accusative to Hdn.Gr.[Refs]: comparative -ότερος [Refs 5th c.BC+]: superlative -ότατος[Refs 5th c.BC+]:—desolate, lonely, solitary,
__1 of places, ἐς νῆσον ἐρήμην [Refs 8th c.BC+]; τὰ ἐ. τῆς Λιβύης the desert parts.., [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἡ ἔρημος (i.e. χώρα) [Refs 5th c.BC+]; empty, πνύξ [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__2 of personsor animals, τὰ δ᾽ ἐρῆμα φοβεῖται (i.e. the sheep), [Refs 8th c.BC+]; frequently of poor, friendless persons, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐρημότεροι, opposed to δυνατώτεροι, [Refs 5th c.BC+]solitary, not gregarious, [Refs 1st c.AD+] adverb, ἔρημα κλαίω I weep in solitude, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἔρημον ἐμβλέπειν to look vacantly, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__3 of conditions, πλάνος [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__II with genitive, reft of, void or destitute of, [χώρη] ἐ. πάντων [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τῇ ἦν ἐρημότατον τῶν πολεμίων (i.e. τὸ τεῖχος) [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__II.2 of persons, bereft of, συμμάχων [Refs 5th c.BC+]; so ἔ. οἶκος a house without heirs, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
__II.3 with no bad sense, wanting, without, ἐσθὴς ἔρημος ὅπλων [Refs 5th c.BC+]; free from, ἀνδρῶν κακῶν ἔρημος πόλις [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__III ἐρήμη, rarely ἔρημος (with or more commonly without γραφή, δίκη, δίαιτα), ἡ, an undefended action, in which one party does not appear, and judgement goes against him by default, ἤλπιζε.. τὴν γραφὴν..ἐρήμην ἔσεσθαι would be undefended, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; δίκην εἷλον ἐρήμην I got judgement by default, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὴν ἔρημον δεδωκότα having given it by default in one's favour, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; ἔρημον ὦφλε δίκην he let it go by default, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐρήμην κατηγορεῖν to accuse in a case where there was no defence, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐρήμην or ἐξ ἐρήμης κρατεῖν, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
__III.2 unclaimed, vacant, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
__III.3 for ἐρήμας τρυγᾶν see entry τρυγάω.