BIBLE GREEK WORD STUDY
Zao — Meaning & Usage in the Bible
ζάω (zao) is a Greek verb meaning 'to live,' used both literally for physical existence and figuratively for spiritual life and relationship with God.
Meaning of the word
ζάω is a fundamental Greek verb expressing life in the broadest sense. At the literal level it refers to physical existence — being alive, drawing breath, and continuing in bodily life, as seen in discussions of law and marriage where a person's living status determines ongoing obligations (Romans 7:1–3).
Beyond the literal, ζάω carries a strong figurative and theological weight. It describes a quality of life that is oriented toward God, contrasted with life oriented toward sin. Romans 6:10–12 distinguishes the life Christ 'liveth unto God' from the reign of sin in a mortal body, and Romans 8:12 frames the choice as living 'after the flesh' versus something else entirely.
The verb also anchors the Pauline concept of justification by faith: 'the righteous shall live by faith' (Romans 1:17). Here ζάω points to a sustained, faith-driven existence that depends on God's righteousness rather than human effort.
Usage in Scripture
ζάω appears across the Pauline epistles and the Gospels, often in contrast with death (θάνατος) or dying. In John 14:19 Jesus grounds the disciples' future life in his own: 'because I live, ye shall live also,' using ζάω to link resurrection life directly to his ongoing personal existence.
Romans 6–8 forms the densest cluster of ζάω in the New Testament. Paul uses it to argue that believers have died to sin and now 'live unto God' (Romans 6:11), that sin must not reign in their 'mortal body' so they obey its lusts (Romans 6:12), and that they are not debtors to the flesh 'to live after the flesh' (Romans 8:12). Romans 7:9 offers a striking autobiographical use: 'I was alive apart from the law once,' where ζάω marks a period Paul now views as spiritually inadequate.
Romans 7:1–3 also illustrates ζάω in a non-theological, civic-legal setting, where a wife's binding to her husband applies 'for so long time as he liveth.' This shows the verb functioning as ordinary language about human lifespan, which then supports Paul's analogy for the believer's relationship to the law.
The word in detail
- G2198 ζάω (zao) means 'to live,' covering both physical life and the qualitative, spiritual life oriented toward God. Its force shifts by context: a straightforward lifespan term in Romans 7:1–3, a marker of Christ-centered existence in John 14:19 and Romans 6:10–11, and a confession of faith-grounded life in Romans 1:17.
Example verses
- John 14:19 Jesus grounds the disciples' future life in his own ongoing life: 'because I live, ye shall live also.' Here ζάω carries resurrection and relational meaning, not mere biological survival.
- Romans 6:11 Believers are to reckon themselves 'alive unto God in Christ Jesus.' ζάω here defines a new orientation of life — defined by relationship with God through Christ rather than by sin.
- Romans 6:12 Paul warns that sin must not reign in the 'mortal body,' implying that ζάω continues in a body capable of either obeying or yielding to sin. Life is treated as an ongoing arena of obedience.
- Romans 1:17 'The righteous shall live by faith' uses ζάω to summarize the entire arc of salvation: a life sustained by God's righteousness received through faith, not by human achievement.
Common questions
Is ζάω used only for spiritual life?
No. ζάω covers physical life as well, including ordinary references to a person's lifespan in legal and relational contexts such as Romans 7:1–3. Its spiritual sense emerges in passages like Romans 6:11 and John 14:19.
How does ζάω relate to the phrase 'the righteous shall live by faith'?
In Romans 1:17, ζάω points to a sustained quality of life that depends on God's righteousness received through faith. It frames living not as duration alone but as the kind of existence faith produces.
Why does Paul pair ζάω with death in Romans 6–8?
Because ζάω describes the new existence believers have 'unto God' after dying to sin. The contrast sharpens the shift from the old identity under sin to the new one in Christ (Romans 6:10–11; 8:12).