BIBLE GREEK WORD STUDY
Nomos (G3551) — Law in the New Testament
Nomos (νόμος, G3551) primarily denotes a prescriptive law or regulation, most often the Mosaic Law, and occasionally a governing principle.
Meaning of the word
Nomos refers to a prescriptive rule or regulation — something assigned and binding by custom or authority. The lexicon derives it from the idea of prescriptive usage, so at its core it points to a norm that governs behavior, not merely an observation about it.
In the New Testament, nomos most commonly refers to the Law of Moses, the covenant code given through Moses that includes the Torah as a whole. The word can refer to the Pentateuch itself as a literary body, and sometimes figuratively to a governing principle, such as a standard that operates in a particular sphere.
Usage in Scripture
In the Gospels, nomos centers on Jesus' relationship to the Torah. In Matthew 5:17–18, Jesus declares he did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it, and insists that not the smallest mark will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Here nomos denotes the whole Mosaic revelation as enduring and Christ-fulfilling Scripture.
In John, nomos characterizes the Old Testament corpus that testifies about Jesus (John 1:45, where Moses 'in the law' wrote of him) and can be quoted as a unified authority (John 15:25, citing Psalm 35:19 as 'in their law'). It also functions as the covenant framework contrasted with grace (John 1:16).
Romans 2:12–14 uses nomos in overlapping senses: as the Mosaic covenant under which one has sinned, as a juridical standard by which one is judged, and as a principle written on the heart — the Gentiles 'not having the law' still do 'by nature the things of the law,' becoming 'a law to themselves.' This shows the word's flexibility between the specific Mosaic code and a broader, moral sense of a binding norm.
The word in detail
- G3551 Nomos may refer to the Mosaic Law as a body (often 'the Law'), the Pentateuch as a section of Scripture, a juridical standard of judgment, or a figurative principle operating in a given sphere. Readers should note the context: 'the law' in Romans and the Gospels usually means the Mosaic covenant, but the same Greek word can refer to a general governing norm (e.g., Romans 2:14).
Example verses
- Matthew 5:17 Jesus frames his mission as fulfilling, not dissolving, nomos — the Torah stands as authoritative Scripture that he completes.
- Matthew 5:18 Nomos is described as enduring until 'all things be accomplished,' highlighting its lasting Scriptural authority in Jesus' teaching.
- John 1:45 Nomos can refer to the Pentateuch as a body of writings that bears witness to Christ.
- Romans 2:14 Here nomos extends beyond the Mosaic code to a moral principle written on the heart, describing Gentiles as 'a law to themselves.'
Common questions
Does nomos always mean the Mosaic Law?
No. Most often it does, given the predominantly Jewish-Christian context of the New Testament, but the same word can denote the Pentateuch as a section of Scripture, a juridical standard, or a governing principle (e.g., Romans 2:14).
How is nomos used in the Gospels versus the Epistles?
In the Gospels (especially Matthew and John), nomos typically refers to the Torah as authoritative Scripture that Jesus affirms, fulfills, or contrasts with his coming. In Paul's epistles, it frequently functions as the covenant framework that exposes sin and from which the gospel of grace distinguishes itself.