μοιχαλίς

μοιχαλίς — moichalís

μοιχαλίς, μοιχαλίδος, ἡ (μοιχός), a word unknown to the earlier writers but found in Plutarch, Heliodorus, others; see Lob. ad Phryn., p. 452; (Winers Grammar, 24); the Sept. for נֹאֶפֶת (Eze 16:38; Eze 23:45) and מְנָאֶפֶת (Hos 3:1; Proverbs 24:55 ); an adulteress;

a. properly: Rom 7:3; ὀφθαλμοί μεστοί μοιχαλίδος, eyes always on the watch for an adulteress, or from which adulterous desire beams forth, 2Pe 2:14.

b. As the intimate alliance of God with the people of Israel was likened to a marriage, those who relapse into idolatry are said to commit adultery or play the harlot (Eze 16:15 ff; Eze 23:43 ff, etc.); hence, μοιχαλίς is figuratively equivalent to faithless to God, unclean, apostate: Jas 4:4 (where cf. Alford); as an adjective (cf. Matthiae, § 429, 4), γενεά... μοιχαλίς: Mat 12:39; Mat 16:4; Mar 8:38. (Cf. Clement of Alexandria, strom. vi. c. 16 § 146, p. 292, 5 edition Sylb.)