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G990 · Greek · New Testament
βλέμμα
blemma
Noun, neuter
Look / Sight / Seeing

Definition

The Greek noun blemma (βλέμμα) refers to a look, a glance, or the act of seeing. It is derived from the verb blepō (G991, to see/look). This hapax legomenon appears only once in the New Testament (2 Peter 2:8), where it describes how Lot's righteous soul was tormented by what he saw and heard in Sodom daily.

Usage & Theological Significance

The single appearance of blemma in 2 Peter 2:8 is theologically striking: Lot's righteousness is confirmed despite his troubling choice to dwell in Sodom. His righteous soul was daily tormented by the "lawless deeds" he witnessed. This affirms that spiritual sensitivity is a mark of righteousness — the righteous cannot become comfortable with evil. It also establishes that dwelling among evil without participating in it is possible but costly. This passage is part of Peter's broader argument about God's ability to rescue the godly and judge the wicked — a comfort for believers facing persecution or moral corruption in their environments.

Key Bible Verses

2 Peter 2:8 For that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard.
2 Peter 2:7 And if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless.
2 Peter 2:9 If this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment.
Genesis 19:1 The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city.
Luke 17:28 It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building.

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