🔼The name Asyncritus: Summary
- Meaning
- Incomparable
- Etymology
- From (1) α (a), not, (2) συν (sun), together, and (3) κρινω (krino), to distinguish.
🔼The name Asyncritus in the Bible
The name Asyncritus occurs only once in the Bible, namely in Romans 16:14, where Paul greets and lists some brethren by name. This remarkable name appears to have been borne by no other person in antiquity.
🔼Etymology of the name Asyncritus
The name Asyncritus is identical to the adjective ασυγκριτος (asugkritos), meaning incomparable, and although not used very often in the classics, it tends to reflect a positive bias of praiseworthiness. It stems from the more common verb συγκρινω (sugkrino), to bring into combination, combine, compare or even interpret (of dreams), or decree or decide in particularly some use or destiny of some item.
The closely related noun συγκρισις (sugkrisis) may describe a comparison, and coupled with a negation, something beyond all comparison. But this noun may also describe an aggregation of many objects or elements, and as such refer to a mist or condensation, the opposite of dissolution. Hence this word may also point to substance or physical constitution.
Our adjective has three components, the first being the familiar particle of negation: α (a), meaning not or without, and the second the equally familiar preposition συν (sun), meaning together with.
The third element is the verb κρινω (krino), to distinguish:
κρινω κριτης
The verb κρινω (krino) means to separate or to distinguish. It relates to the Latin verb cerno and thus to the English verb "to discern." It ultimately stems from the Proto-Indo-European root "krei-", to sieve or distinguish, which is also the root of words like "certain, secret, secrete" and "secretary" (someone who handles one's secrets).
The derived noun κριμα (krima) means a judgment; hence the English word "crime," which also in English is not a wrong deed done by a perpetrator but a wrong deed found guilty of by a judge or jury of peers. Sibling noun κρισις (krisis) also means a judgment but describes the difficult deliberation and uncertainty that necessarily precedes the formation of a κριμα (krima), that is the decision of who did what.
The noun κριτης (krites) means a judge: someone whose task involves formally discerning between parties and sorting out any available κριτηριον (kriterion), that is "a means for judging" (hence our English word "criterion"). The word κριθη (krithe), barley, possibly also relates to this verb.
🔼Asyncritus meaning
At first impression, the name Asyncritus means Incomparable in a virtuous sense. But, judging from the related noun συγκρισις (sugkrisis), it may also hint at insubstantiality or incorporeality: something that cannot be cast in substance, which brings to mind something unspeakable (reminiscent of 2 Corinthians 12:4). It's doubtful that Paul was exposing the legal names of actual People of the Way who were actually living in Rome at the time, and his list of names is rather more likely some sort of code by which sensitive subjects could slip by any Roman censor's prying eyes. If so, the curious reference to Asyncritus may have helped convey that.