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A Word Study of phúsis (5449)
"nature" Nature. Generally, the way things are in the created order, by God's design. The New Testament word is phúsis (5449). Its use in the NT is instructive:
(1) Rom. 1:26. When people turn their backs on God their foolish hearts become darkened, and they exchange the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible men and animals (Rom. 1:21-23). In judgment, God gives them over, first, to moral impurity (Rom. 1:24-25). Next, he gives them over to degrading passions, in which women exchange natural sexual relations with men for that which is contrary to nature (phúsis) (Rom. 1:26). The NASB footnote for the term "unnatural" is literally: "against nature." This is the basic meaning of phúsis. (2) Rom. 2:14. When Gentiles who do not have the Law instinctively perform the requirements of the Law, even though they do not have the Law, they are a law to themselves. The translation "instinctively" could as easily be translated as follows: When Gentiles who do not have the Law by nature perform the requirements of the Law, etc. (3) Rom. 2:27. "And he who is physically uncircumcised, if he keeps the Law, will he not judge you" etc. A Gentile who has not been circumcised retains his organ of procreation in its natural state. The word translated "physically" could as easily be translated, "naturally," the basic meaning of phúsis. (4) Rom. 11:21. Paul discussed how some of the natural branches of the olive tree representing Israel have been broken off so that we wild branches (believing Gentiles) could be grafted in to the olive tree. He warns Gentiles to be careful not to become conceited, but to fear, "for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you either." The translation "natural" is quite in keeping with the basic meaning of phúsis. (5) Rom. 11:24. This Scripture is inseparably linked with Rom. 11:21. Let us paraphrase the entire passage of Rom. 11:16-24. (16) ... If the root is holy, the branches are also. (17)
But if some of the (Jewish) branches were broken off, and you Gentiles,
being a wild olive, were grafted in among them, and became partaker
with them of the rich root of the cultivated olive tree, (18) don't be arrogant toward the (original) branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you that supports, but the root supports you. (19) You Gentile Christians will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in." (20)
Quite right, they (unbelieving Israelis) were broken off because of
their unbelief, but you remain grafted in because of your faith. Do not
be conceited, but rather, fear; (21) for if God did not spare the natural (phúsis, 5449) (Israeli) olive branches, He will not spare you (Gentiles), either. (22)
Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell,
severity, but to you, God's kindness, if you continue in His kindness;
otherwise you also will be cut off. (23)
And they also (Israelis), if they do not continue in their unbelief,
will be grafted back in, for God is able to graft them back in again. (24) For if you Gentiles were cut off from what is by nature (phúsis, 5449) a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature (phúsis, 5449) into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are the natural (phúsis, 5449) (Israeli) branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree?
Once again, it is easy to see that the word "nature" or "natural" captures the fundamental essence of the term phúsis (5449). (6) 1 Cor. 11:14. Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him? There is evidence that, because of the female hormone estrogen, a woman's hair tends to keep growing for a longer time than a man's hair. In fact, Dr. Kurt Stenn, who studied hair for over 30 years at an academic level, noted that "[It is] almost universally culturally found that women have longer hair than men." (See "Why It's Natural for Women to Have Longer Hair.") What nature phúsis (5449) teaches us is that if a man "wears long hair," the 3rd Singular Present Subjunctive Active of the verb komáō (2863), "to let the hair grow, have long hair" (OBU); "to wear long hair" (Accordance), "it is a dishonor to him," wherein "dishonor" is the Nominative Feminine Singular of the noun atimía (819), "dishonour, ignominy, disgrace" (OBU); "dishonor" (Accordance); "humiliation" (JTB). I must confess that I personally, as a man, have an aversion toward long hair for men. I see rugged NFL football players wearing long, glistening locks, and I instinctively cringe. "Why," I ask, "do you want to wear your hair like a woman? You otherwise seem and comport yourself like a man. Why do you want to look like a woman? It is a disgrace to your manhood." "But society has changed!" comes the quick rebuttal. "Yes," I respond, society in America and in Europe and in other places, has, indeed, changed. Does that make it right? Elements of our American society insist that if a man wants to masquerade as a woman and invade a woman's restroom or locker room, and win swimming matches with women, it is noble and acceptable. I say that is a dishonorable farce, and the NCAA ought to be sued out of its existence! The bulk of society is unable to grasp the footprints God has left in nature about His eternal power and divine nature, things which God has made evident about Himself in the created order. But a great many people "suppress the truth in unrighteousness" (Rom. 1:18). It is no wonder that "the wrath of God is revealing itself from heaven" (Rom. 1:18) against these societies. God's verdict is that even the invisible things about God are understood "through what has been made, so that they are without excuse" (Rom. 1:20). If mankind cannot correctly interpret the message about God obtained through the cosmosphere and the earth itself, how can they be expected to sense the dishonor of men's wearing of long hair? But for those who have not suppressed the truth in unrighteousness, nature itself teaches us that long hair is a disgrace for a man. (7) Gal. 2:15. "We are Jews by nature and not sinners among the Gentiles;".... Paul is speaking about he himself and others who are, by blood descent and inheritance, completely Jewish. He is contrasting the Jewish group, of which he was born, with blatant sinners among the nations (Gentiles). He is contrasting the two groups to emphasize the point that all, whether Jewish or Gentile are declared righteous through faith in Christ, not by keeping the works of the Jewish Law. The words "by nature," phúsis (5449), accurately capture the sense in which Paul used it. (8) Gal. 4:8. "However, at that time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are no gods." Paul continues to write to the churches of Galatia (Gal. 1:1-2), composed largely of believers in Christ from among the nations (sometimes translated "Gentiles"). He refers back to the time when his readers did not now God, the time when they were worshiping false idols and images of pseudo gods. (Among them, for example, was Artemis (Diana in Latin) of the Ephesians (Acts 19:23-41). Paul was asserting that gods and godesses such as Artemis were, in the natural, i.e. real, true realm, not really gods at all. In conclusion, phúsis refers to that which is actually true and accurate in the real world, not the world of false gods and idols. (9) Eph. 2:3. "Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the others." Literally, "and we were being by nature children of wrath, as also the others." Paul is saying that we Christians, in our former lives were formerly conducting our lives in the lusts of our flesh, and were performing the desires of the flesh and of the mind. Because of this, we naturally and inevitably were becoming objects of the wrath of God, just like all the rest of mankind. Because of our fallen nature, and by virtue of the natural law of reaping what has been sown, we were being objects of God's wrath. The vast majority of literal English translations use the translation "by nature," and a few use the term "natural condition." The term phúsis refers here to the natural consequence of living a sinful life. Those who do so inevitably reap God's wrath in the natural order of things. There may also be a hint that we possess a sinful nature which inevitably issues in sin, reaping the wrath of God. (10) James 3:7. "For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race." With both occurences of the noun phúsis, the NASB 95 inserts a footnote that reads "Literally: nature." A more literal translation is as follows: "For every nature of wild animals and birds, of reptiles and sea creatures is being tamed and has been tamed by the nature of mankind." The understanding is that every animal as it appears according to its kind in nature is being tamed and has been tamed by mankind as he appears in nature. The point James is making is found in James 3:8. Even though it is the nature of mankind to tame every nature of wild beast and bird and reptile and sea creature (James 3:7), not a single man can control his own tongue (James 3:8)! By implication, he cannot control his own nature, revealed by what he says. James' whole discussion of the tongue appears in James 3:1-12. (11) 2 Pet. 1:4. "For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature (phúsis, 5449), having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust." Peter's point is that through the promises contained in God's Word, we Christians can partake of the Divine nature, ennabling us to escape the corruption in the world – corruption that makes its appeal through lust. Our own human nature, defiled by sin, cannot resist the corruption that exists in the world. But by immersing ourselves in God's precious and honorable and great promises, found in Scripture, we are able to partake of God's Divine nature, and that enables us to escape the corruption in the world. God's nature cannot be corrupted, but our human nature can be. That's why we need to embrace and rely on God's great promises in Scripture. They can equip us with God's nature, His character, so we can escape the corruption of the world. Conclusion: A. Phúsis, 5449, is best translated, in most cases, by some form of the word "nature" or "natural." It describes how things are in nature, the way God created them, the way things really are, objectively true (Rom. 1:26; 2:27; 11:21, 24; 1 Cor. 11:14; Gal. 2:15; 4:8; James 3:7). B. There are times when phúsis refers to the essential nature of individuals, whether of animals (James 3:7) or man (James 3:7) or of God Himself (2 Pet. 1:4). C. There is at least one instance in which phúsis refers to the inner nature or psyche or consciousness or conscience of man, on the basis of which he responds correctly to the moral standards of God written in the Law of Moses, even though he has never been exposed to that Law (Rom. 2:14). Here, the NASB 95 accurately uses the word "instinctively." Posted January 1, 2024
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