Dictionaries :: Impossible

International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia

Impossible:

im-pos'-i-b'-l (verb adunateo; adjective adunatos): "To be impossible" is the translation of adunateo, "to be powerless," "impotent" (Mt 17:20; Lu 1:37, the Revised Version (British and American) "void of power") adunatos, "powerless," etc., is translated "impossible" Mt 19:26; Mr 10:27; Lu 18:27; Heb 6:4,18; 11:6; "impossible" in Heb 6:4 is in the Revised Version (British and American) transferred to 6:6); anendektos, "not to be received" or "accepted," is also translated "impossible" (Lu 17:1). In several of these passages it is affirmed that "nothing is impossible with God," but, of course, this means nothing that is consistent with the Divine nature, e.g. (as Heb 6:18) it is not possible for God to lie. So, when it is said that nothing is impossible to faith, the same limitation applies and also that of the mind or will of God for us. But much more is possible to a strong faith than a weak faith realizes, or even believes.

Written by W. L. Walker

Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words

Impossible:

from a, negative, and dunatos, "able, strong," is used

(a) of persons, Act 14:8, "impotent;" figuratively, Rom 15:1, "weak;"

(b) of things, "impossible," Mat 19:26; Mar 10:27; Luk 18:27; Hbr 6:4, 18; 10:4; 11:6; in Rom 8:3, "for what the Law could not do," is, more lit., "the inability of the law;" the meaning may be either "the weakness of the Law," or "that which was impossible for the Law;" the latter is perhaps preferable; literalism is ruled out here, but the sense is that the Law could neither justify nor impart life.

Impossible:

signifies "inadmissible" (a, negative, n, euphonic, and endechomai, "to admit, allow"), Luk 17:1, of occasions of stumbling, where the meaning is "it cannot be but that they will come."

Impossible:

signifies "to be impossible" (corresponding to A, No. 1), "unable;" in the NT it is used only of things, Mat 17:20, "(nothing) shall be impossible (unto you);" Luk 1:37. AV "(with God nothing) shall be impossible;" RV, "(no word from God, a different construction in the best mss.) shall be void of power;" rhema may mean either "word" or "thing" (i.e., fact). In the Sept. the verb is always used of things and signifies either to be "impossible" or to be impotent, e.g., Gen 18:14; Lev 25:35, "he fail;" Deu 17:8; Job 4:4, "feeble;" Job 42:2; Dan 4:6; Zec 8:6.