Olethros denotes a destructive outcome that may come suddenly, follow harmful desires, or be imposed as a penalty.

The attested uses consistently denote a destructive outcome: it is set before an offending person in 1 Corinthians 5:5, arrives suddenly in 1 Thessalonians 5:3, follows harmful desires in 1 Timothy 6:9, and is named as a penalty in 2 Thessalonians 1:9.

1. Destructive outcome or penalty · dominant

   In 1 Thessalonians 5:3, the nominative singular form occurs in the clause the APB renders “then sudden destruction will come upon them.” The accusative singular forms occur where the APB renders destruction of the flesh in 1 Corinthians 5:5, people being plunged into “ruin and destruction” in 1 Timothy 6:9, and “eternal destruction” as a penalty in 2 Thessalonians 1:9.

   1 Corinthians 5:51 Thessalonians 5:31 Timothy 6:92 Thessalonians 1:9

In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB presents the term with “destruction” in each setting, adding “ruin” alongside it in 1 Timothy 6:9 and qualifying it as “sudden” or “eternal” in other verses. These English expressions show the clauses' presentation rather than fixed individual renderings.