Originally created 2017-02-07. Updated 2021-11-27.
KJV: To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
Greek: εις κληρονομιαν αφθαρτον και αμιαντον και αμαραντον τετηρημενην εν ουρανοις εις ημας υμας
The modern Greek word
"αμίαντος" (a-MEE-an-tos) ≈ "asbestos" refers to a substance called asbestos that was used for objects that were to withstand fire. Well to do people might have table cloths made of asbestos that could be thrown into a fire whereby all the impurities would be removed and just the table cloth remained - undefiled.
Given this information, what additional insights can be made in the above verses.
At the time it was noticed that slaves working in the asbestos mines tended to die young from respiratory ailments. Note that a lot of the background research on the history of asbestos was done in conjunction with the asbestos lawsuits from years past (and still ongoing).
KJV: And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
Greek: και εαν σκανδαλιζη σκανδαλιση σε η χειρ σου αποκοψον αυτην καλον σοι εστιν σε κυλλον εισελθειν εις την ζωην εισελθειν η τας δυο χειρας εχοντα απελθειν εις την γεενναν εις το πυρ- το ασβεστον
Aside: The modern Greek word for fire is
"φωτιά" (fo-tee-A) ≈ "fire" which is related to the modern Greek word
"φως" (fos) ≈ "light" but the ancient Greek word
"πυρ" (peer) ≈ "fire" is still used, from which comes the English word "
fire". A common linguistic change over time is to go from a "
p" sound to an "
f" sound. The German word for fire is "
Feuer". The Latin word is
"ignis" ≈ "fire".
How did we get the English word "
asbestos"? It appears that Pliny the Elder somehow get the words mixed up and translated the Greek word «
άσβεστος» into Latin as "
asbestinon" with the meaning of what we call "
asbestos" but which in Greek was actually "
quick lime", that is, a form of "
calcium".
How would a fire from "
quick lime" or "
calcium" burn?
Given this information, what additional insights can be made in the above verse.
Another sense of unquenchable has to do with the concept of extinguishing. In the verses below, the Greek word for "
quenched" is similar to the modern Greek word
"σβήνω" (SVEE-no) ≈ "extinguish". This is partly an onomatopoeia. Say the phrase "svee" fast several times, as if you are extinguishing or blowing out a candle. Here are some corresponding Latin words.
Note the Greek words.
«άσβεστος» as "quick lime" or "calcium"
«σβηνω» as "extinguish"
In Greek, as in many English words taken from the Greek, the prefix «
α» or "
a" often negates the word it modifies. Thus, the following interesting pattern (that may or may not be valid).
«σβήνω» as "extinguish"
«ασβηνω» as "not extinguishable" (not a Greek word, but in the forms above and below, fits this pattern)
The following verses use the sense of "
extinguishable" as in, for example, "
not quenched".