Abarim Publications' online Biblical Greek Dictionary

λανθανω

• Together with the particle of negation α (a): the adjective αληθης (alethes), literally meaning not-hidden or not-forgotten or even not-concealable and unforgettable, but generally translated with "true". This laden word has been oft discussed but it does not refer to some set of absolute statements that exist independently, but rather to human convention: that which is agreed upon by everybody — and remember that in the natural societies of Biblical times, an error in judgment could easily lead to death, destruction, disease, invasions and revolts; back then, true and false were literally matters of life and death. The search for truth, therefore, is the quest for a system of expression in which everybody feels wholly safe, wholly free and wholly confirmed (John 5:31). Truth has to do with synchronization, which in turn allowed man to develop speech, script, science and ultimately the New Jerusalem. See for a broader discussion of these things our article on the noun αγαπη (agape).
  Note the pleasing similarity between our adjective αληθης (alethes), true, and the (formally unrelated) verb αληθω (aletho), to grind, to make flour from kernels of grain (which is not unlike the making of wine from individual grapes).
  Our adjective αληθης (alethes) is used a mere 25 times, see full concordance, but from it in turn derive:
  • The noun αληθεια (aletheia), meaning truth, or rather (as indicated above): convention, agreement and synchronization. Jesus personified truth (John 14:6), which is the reason why ultimately all knees will bow and all flesh will see him together (Isaiah 40:5). Truth is that which cannot be hidden, and is the only thing that everybody can (and will) agree on: not a doctrinal thing but a synchronicity thing, not a commanded and enforced thing but a desired and eagerly engaged thing. It has nothing at all to do with any religion.
    The crucial difference between "truth" and "correct" is that truth is correct and useful. The decimal digits of the number pi are infinite, which means that we could fill every byte of the universe with digits of pi, filling the whole universe with correctness but making it barren and dead at the same time. Jesus not merely embodies correctness; he embodies truth, and he is there where two or more gather in his name (Matthew 18:20). People like to imagine that Christ is their personal Lord and Savior, which is pseudo-pious nonsense. If Christ is the Word, then salvation is a Language. Words exist only in two or more heads (or else it's a private growl and not a word), and the whole idea of the Body of Christ is that the members carry each other's burdens and thereby fulfill the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2). There's really nothing private and personal about that. In fact, damnation is a personal and private thing, but salvation is a collective thing. Christ is always confirmed; not a correctness that might exist in one personal and private obsession, but always a Truth that exists in two or more minds.
    Darkness is not the opposite of light but the absence of it, and not the presence of some other thing. Light is substantial (it's a thing) but darkness is the absence of that thing, not the presence of something else. Light is substantial, it conveys information, gives warmth and life, and it builds things. Light (more correctly: electromagnetism, of which the photon is the boson), quite literally, holds all atoms, all molecules, all objects, all living things and all minds together (Colossians 1:16-17). Ignorance is not the opposite of wisdom but the absence of it: observations are dust to ignorance, but a unified understanding to wisdom. Hate is not the opposite of love but the absence of it: people are dust to hate, but living networks to love. Death is not the opposite of life but the absence of it: a body is dust to death, but a soul to life.
    Wisdom, love and life are all un-dust: they are things built from dust and animated by light (Genesis 2:7). Truth, likewise, is a thing built: it exists between at least two elements which it holds together. That's why Christ's filling of the whole universe (Ephesians 4:10) is not a matter of filling the whole universe with correct but useless digits of pi (or correct but useless theology), but with buildings of which individual human minds are the living stones (1 Peter 2:5). The consistency of the Body of Christ does not derive from dogma but from love, not from correctness but from forgiveness, not from the dust of the earth but from the soul that is the breath of God.
    The two greatest theologians who ever existed — who were both there from the start and who knew everything there was to know, and even beheld the very Face of God — crucially differ not in their correct knowledge, but what they did with it. One of the two cared only about himself and was obsessed with his own might and power, with his own glory and ultimately his own salvation. The other cared only for others, and lowered himself and emptied himself and gave himself entirely to be consumed, in effect not caring about his own salvation but giving up his own salvation so that others might live. Both these super-theologians went to hell, but only one came out. This is why it's important to choose wisely whom we follow, and whose salvation we are trying to accomplish (Matthew 16:25-26, James 4:3).
    Our noun is used 110 times; see full concordance.
  • The verb αληθευω (aletheuo), meaning to pursue convention or agreement. It's used only twice in the New Testament, namely in Galatians 4:16 and Ephesians 4:15, and in the latter occurrence it's linked directly to αγαπη (agape), which describes a similar process, as noted above.
  • The adjective αληθινος (alethinos), meaning pertaining to or in pursuit of convention and synchronization: something about which there is no disagreement or about which there will be no disagreement when all that can be unearthed is unearthed. Something that will never fail, never go away and has always been part of the eternal order of creation. This word is often translated with true or genuine, but it should be noted that this word describes something that is part of the physical universe, not something that exist in some moral code, cultural expression or even the best intentions or sincerest beliefs of humans. This adjective is used 27 times; see full concordance.
  • The adverb αληθως (alethos), meaning in the way of the unforgettable and the perpetual. This word is commonly translated with truly. It occurs 21 times; see full concordance.
• Together with the preposition εκ (ek), meaning out or from: the verb εκλανθανω (eklanthano), also meaning to hide or forget but with an emphasis on extraction and removal from that which is noticed. This verb occurs only once, in Hebrews 12:5, where it appears in the passive voice. In the classics this passive form is used to mean to forget utterly (instead of to be forgotten).
• Together with the preposition επι (epi), meaning on or upon: the verb επιλανθανω (epilanthano), meaning to (cause to) forget, with an implied emphasis on burial and covering over. This verb occurs 8 times, see full concordance, and from it in turn derives:
  • The noun επιλησμονη (epilesmone), meaning forgetfulness (James 1:25 only).
• The adverb λαθρα (lathra), meaning covertly, secretly. This adverb is used 4 times; see full concordance.
• The noun ληθη (lethe), meaning oblivion (2 Peter 1:9 only). From this noun come our English words lethal and lethargy, and Lethe is also the name of one of five rivers of Hades; one that caused forgetfulness in all who drank from it.