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G3650 · Greek · New Testament
ὅλος
Holos
Adjective
whole / all / entire / complete

Definition

Holos (ὅλος) means the whole, the totality, all of something — emphasizing completeness rather than mere quantity. It focuses on the unity of the whole rather than the count of the parts (unlike pas — every/all which stresses individual members). From holos comes the English prefix 'holo-' (holograph, holocaust [holo + kautos = whole burning], holistic).

Usage & Theological Significance

The great commandment uses holos: 'Love the Lord your God with all (hole) your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength' (Mark 12:30) — total, undivided, whole-person love with nothing held back. 1 Thessalonians 5:23: 'May the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly (holoteleis) — and may your whole (holokleron) spirit and soul and body be kept blameless.' The goal of sanctification is the wholeness of the entire person. Jesus's healing ministry often used holos: 'Your whole (hole) body is full of light' (Matthew 6:22). Sin fragments; grace makes whole.

Key Bible Verses

Mark 12:30 'And you shall love the Lord your God with all (hole) your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'
1 Thessalonians 5:23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless.
Matthew 6:22 'The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light.'
John 4:53 The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, 'Your son will live.' And he himself believed, and his whole household.
Romans 8:36 As it is written, 'For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.'

Word Study

The holos of the Shema and the Great Commandment reveals what God desires most: not partial devotion but whole-person, wholehearted commitment. The half-hearted believer is specifically condemned in Revelation 3:15-16: 'I wish that you were either cold or hot.' The lukewarm — the partial, the divided — is rejected. The power of holos is the call away from compartmentalization: God wants all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength — not the religious part but the whole human being integrated in love for the triune God.

Related Words

External Resources

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