Topical Encyclopedia
The term "unutterable" refers to that which cannot be expressed in words due to its profound, ineffable nature. In the context of the Bible, it often pertains to the divine mysteries and experiences that transcend human understanding and language.
Biblical References:1.
2 Corinthians 12:4 : The Apostle Paul recounts a vision of paradise, stating, "was caught up into Paradise. The things he heard were too sacred for words, things that man is not permitted to tell." This passage highlights the unutterable nature of divine revelations, suggesting that certain spiritual experiences are beyond human articulation and are reserved for the divine realm.
2.
Romans 8:26 : "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know how we ought to pray, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans too deep for words." Here, the Apostle Paul describes the Holy Spirit's intercession as unutterable groanings, indicating that the Spirit communicates with God in a manner that surpasses human language, reflecting the depth and intensity of divine communication.
Theological Implications:The concept of the unutterable underscores the limitations of human language and understanding when it comes to the divine. It suggests that God's nature and the spiritual realities of His kingdom are so profound that they cannot be fully captured by human expression. This aligns with the biblical theme of God's transcendence, where His thoughts and ways are higher than those of humans (
Isaiah 55:8-9).
Mystical Experiences:Throughout Christian history, mystics and theologians have often described encounters with God as unutterable. These experiences are characterized by a deep sense of awe and wonder, where the individual is overwhelmed by the presence of God, leading to a realization that words are insufficient to convey the depth of the encounter.
Practical Application:For believers, the notion of the unutterable serves as a reminder of the mystery and majesty of God. It encourages humility, recognizing that human understanding is limited and that faith often involves trusting in the unseen and the incomprehensible. It also invites believers to rely on the Holy Spirit, who intercedes and communicates with God on their behalf in ways that transcend human capability.
Conclusion:The unutterable aspects of divine revelation and spiritual experience invite believers to a deeper reverence for God and a recognition of the limitations of human language in expressing the fullness of His glory and majesty.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
(
a.) Incapable of being spoken or voiced; inexpressible; ineffable; unspeakable; as, unutterable anguish.
Greek
215. alaletos -- inexpressible... inexpressible. Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: alaletos Phonetic Spelling:
(al-al'-ay-tos) Short Definition:
unutterable, that baffles words
...412. aneklaletos -- unspeakable
... inexpressible. From a (as a negative particle) and a presumed derivative of eklaleo;
not spoken out, ie (by implication)unutterable -- unspeakable. see GREEK a...
Library
On theUnutterable Heart-Rending Grief of the Pure Queen of Heaven...
... PART THE FIRST. CHAPTER XVII. On TheUnutterable Heart-Rending Grief of
The Pure Queen of Heaven. The Servant."Who will give my...
Concerning Things Utterable and ThingsUnutterable, and Things...
... An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith. Book I. Chapter II."Concerning things
utterable and thingsunutterable, and things knowable and thing unknowable....
To My Fellow Presbyter, Timothy, Dionysius the Presbyter.
... man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit-moved power of the Theologians,
by aid of which we are brought into contact with thingsunutterable and unknown...
Letter ix. To Titus, Hierarch, Asking by Letter what is the House...
... For they give a colour of incongruity dreadful to the uninitiated souls, when the
Fathers of theunutterable wisdom explain the Divine and Mystical Truth...
Concerning Common and Distinctive Theology, and what is the Divine...
... elsewhere, the sacred instructors of our theological tradition call the "Divine
Unions" the hidden and unrevealed sublimities of the super-unutterable and super...
Concerning Wisdom, Mind, Reason, Truth, Faith.
... Thus, the Oracles declare, the All-luminous Light, invisible, and Him, Who is often
sung, and of many names, to beunutterable and without name, and Him, Who...
Anschar, Apostle of the North.
... the East, and praised with songs of thanksgiving Him who appeared in the East, and
their accordant praises filled the souls of the hearers withunutterable joy...
Their Contradictions.
... of honourable conduct, teach the perpetration of lasciviousness, and fornication,
and adultery; and did they not introduce hateful andunutterable wickedness?...
God Cannot be Embraced in Words or by the Mind.
... statements the apostle will testify: "I know a man in Christ, caught up into the
third heaven, and thence into Paradise, who heardunutterable words which it...
October the Thirty-First Two Great Mysteries
... OCTOBER The Thirty-first TWO GREAT MYSTERIES. PSALM lxxxi. This is an
unutterable mystery, that a man can close his life against God....
Thesaurus
Unutterable (3 Occurrences)... Noah Webster's Dictionary (a.) Incapable of being spoken or voiced; inexpressible;
ineffable; unspeakable; as,
unutterable anguish.
...Unutterable (3 Occurrences).
...Unuttered (1 Occurrence)
Unspeakable (5 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (a.) Incapable of being adequately described;
inexpressibly bad;unutterable; as, unspeakable grief or rage....
Unusually (1 Occurrence)
Groans (9 Occurrences)
... for, what we may pray for, as it behoveth 'us', we have not known, but the Spirit
himself doth make intercession for us with groaningsunutterable, (See NIV)....
Intercedes (3 Occurrences)
... for, what we may pray for, as it behoveth 'us', we have not known, but the Spirit
himself doth make intercession for us with groaningsunutterable, (See NAS...
Inexpressible (3 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (a.) Ineffable; unspeakable; indescribable;unutterable;
as, inexpressible grief or pleasure. Multi-Version Concordance...
Rehoboth (4 Occurrences)
... Now it is a perfect field of ruins, a scene ofunutterable desolation, across which
the passing stranger can with difficulty find his way." Huntington...
Behoveth (75 Occurrences)
... for, what we may pray for, as it behoveth 'us', we have not known, but the Spirit
himself doth make intercession for us with groaningsunutterable, (YLT)....
Possible (133 Occurrences)
... (BBE). 2 Corinthians 12:4 that he was caught away to the paradise, and heard
unutterable sayings, that it is not possible for man to speak. (YLT)....
Resources
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