STRONGS G2889:
κόσμος,
κόσμου,
ὁ;
1. in Greek writings from
Homer down,
an apt and harmonious arrangement or constitution, or der.
2. as in Greek writings from
Homer down,
ornament, decoration, adornment:
ἐνδύσεως ἱματίων,
1 Peter 3:3 (Sir. 6:30 Sir. 21:21; 2 Macc. 2:2; the
Sept. for
צָבָא of the arrangement of the stars, 'the heavenly hosts,' as the ornament of the heavens,
Genesis 2:1;
Deuteronomy 4:19;
Deuteronomy 17:8;
Isaiah 24:21;
Isaiah 40:26; besides occasionally for
עֲדִי; twice for
תִּפְאֶרֶת,
Proverbs 20:29;
Isaiah 3:19).
3. the world, i. e. the universe (
quem κόσμον Graeci nomine ornamenti appellarunt, eum nos a perfecta absolutaque elegantia mundum,
Pliny, h. n. 2, 3; in which sense Pythagoras is said to have been the first to use the word,
Plutarch, de plac. philos. 2, 1, 1, p. 886 c.; but according to other accounts he used it of the heavens, (
Diogenes Laërtius 8, 48, of which it is used several times also by other Greek writers (see Menag. on (
Diogenes Laërtius, the passage cited; Bentley, Epistles of
Phalaris, vol. i., 391 (Lond. 1886); M. Anton. 4, 27 and Gataker's notes; cf. Liddell and Scott, under the word, IV.)):
Acts 17:24;
Romans 4:13 (where cf. Meyer, Tholuck, Philippi);
1 Corinthians 3:22;
1 Corinthians 8:4;
Philippians 2:15; with a predominant notion of space, in hyperbole,
John 21:25 (Wis. 7:17 Wis. 9:3; 2 Macc. 8:18;
κτίζειν τόν κόσμον, Wis. 11:18;
ὁ τοῦ κόσμου κτίστης, 2 Macc. 7:23; 4 Macc. 5:25 (24); — a sense in which it does not occur in the other O. T. books, although there is something akin to it in
Proverbs 17:6, on which see 8 below); in the phrases
πρό τοῦ τόν κόσμον εἶναι,
John 17:5;
ἀπό καταβολῆς κόσμου (
Matthew 13:35 R G;
Matthew 25:34;
Luke 11:50;
Hebrews 4:3;
Hebrews 9:26;
Revelation 13:8;
Revelation 17:8) and
πρό καταβολῆς κόσμου (
John 17:21;
Ephesians 1:4;
1 Peter 1:20) (on which see
καταβολή, 2);
ἀπό κτίσεως κόσμου,
Romans 1:20;
ἀπ' ἀρχῆς κόσμου,
Matthew 24:21; (on the omission of the article, cf.
Winers Grammar, p. 123 (117);
Buttmann, § 124, 8 b.; (cf. Ellicott on Galatians, 6:14)).
4. the circle of the earth, the earth (very rarely so in Greek writings until after the age of the Ptolemies; so in Boeckh, Corpus inscriptions i., pp. 413 and 643, nos. 334 and 1306):
Mark 16:15; (
John 12:25);
1 Timothy 6:7;
βασιλεία τοῦ κόσμου,
Revelation 11:15;
βασιλεῖαι (plural)
τοῦ κόσμου,
Matthew 4:8 (for which
Luke 4:5 τῆς οἰκουμένης);
τό φῶς τοῦ κόσμου τούτου, of the sun,
John 11:9;
ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ κόσμῳ, properly,
Matthew 26:13; hyperbolically, equivalent to far and wide, in widely separated places,
Romans 1:8; (so
ἐν παντί τῷ κόσμῳ,
Colossians 1:6);
ὁ τότε κόσμος,
2 Peter 3:6; the earth with its inhabitants:
ζῆν ἐν κόσμῳ, opposed to the dead,
Colossians 2:20 (
λῃστής ἦν καί κλέπτης ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ, i. e. among those living on earth,
Ev. Nicod. 26). By a usage foreign to secular authors,
5. the inhabitants of the world:
θέατρον ἐγενήθημεν τῷ κόσμῳ καί ἀγγέλοις καί ἀνθρώποις,
1 Corinthians 4:9 (
Winers Grammar, 127 (121)); particularly
the inhabitants of the earth, men, the human race (first so in Sap. (e. g. Wisdom 10:1)):
Matthew 13:38;
Matthew 18:7;
Mark 14:9;
John 1:10,
29 (
John 1:36 L in brackets);
John 3:16f;
6:33,
51;
8:26;
12:47;
13:1;
14:31;
16:28;
17:6,
21,
23;
Romans 3:6,
19;
1 Corinthians 1:27f (cf.
Winer's Grammar, 189 (178));
1 Corinthians 4:13;
5:10;
14:10;
2 Corinthians 5:19;
James 2:5 (cf.
Winer's Grammar, as above);
1 John 2:2 (cf.
Winer's Grammar, 577 (536));
ἀρχαῖος κόσμος, of the antediluvians,
2 Peter 2:5;
γέννασθαι εἰς τόν κόσμον,
John 16:21;
ἔρχεσθαι εἰς τόν κόσμον (
John 9:39) and
εἰς τόν κόσμον τοῦτον, to make its appearance or come into existence among men, spoken of the light which in Christ shone upon men,
John 1:9;
John 3:19, cf.
12:46; of the Messiah,
John 6:14;
John 11:27; of Jesus as the Messiah,
John 9:39;
John 16:28;
John 18:37;
1 Timothy 1:15; also
ἐισέρχεσθαι εἰς τόν κόσμον,
Hebrews 10:5; of false teachers,
2 John 1:7 (yet here
L T Tr WH ἐξέρχεσθαι εἰς τόν κόσμον; (so all texts in
1 John 4:1));
to invade, of evils coming into existence among men and beginning to exert their power: of sin and death,
Romans 5:12 (of death, Wis. 2:24;
Clement of Rome,
1 Cor. 3,
4 [ET]; of idolatry, Wis. 14:14).
ἀποστέλλειν τινα εἰς τόν κόσμον,
John 3:17;
John 10:36;
John 17:18;
1 John 4:9;
φῶς τοῦ κόσμου,
Matthew 5:14;
John 8:12;
John 9:5;
σωτήρ τοῦ κόσμου,
John 4:42;
1 John 4:14 (
σωτηρία τοῦ κόσμου Wis. 6:26 (25);
ἐλπίς τοῦ κόσμου, Wis. 14:6;
πρωτόπλαστος πατήρ τοῦ κόσμου, of Adam, Wis. 10:1);
στοιχεῖα τοῦ κόσμου (see
στοιχεῖον, 3 and 4);
ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ, among men,
John 16:33;
John 17:13;
Ephesians 2:12;
ἐν κόσμῳ (see
Winer's Grammar, 123 (117)),
1 Timothy 3:16;
εἶναι ἐν τῷ κόσμου, to dwell among men,
John 1:10;
John 9:5;
John 17:11,
12 R G;
1 John 4:3;
εἶναι ἐν κόσμῳ, to be present,
Romans 5:13;
ἐξελθεῖν,
ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου, to withdraw from human society and seek an abode outside of it,
1 Corinthians 5:10;
ἀναστρέφεσθαι ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ, to behave oneself,
2 Corinthians 1:12; likewise
εἶναι ἐν τῷ κόσμου τούτῳ,
1 John 4:17. used specifically of
the Gentiles collectively, Romans 11:12 (where it alternates with
τά ἔθνη), 15; (the two in combination:
τά ἔθνη τοῦ κόσμου,
Luke 12:30). hyperbolically or loosely equivalent to
the majority of men in a place,
the multitude or mass (as we say the public):
John 7:4;
John 12:19 (here
Tr marginal reading adds
ὅλος, in brackets);
John 14:19,
22;
18:20. equivalent to
the entire number, ἀσεβῶν,
2 Peter 2:5.
6. the ungodly multitude; the whole mass of men alienated from God, and therefore hostile to the cause of Christ (cf.
Winer's Grammar, 26):
John 7:7;
John 14:27 ();
John 15:18f;
16:8,
20,
33;
17:9,
14f,
25;
1 Corinthians 1:21;
1 Corinthians 6:2;
1 Corinthians 11:32;
2 Corinthians 7:10;
James 1:27;
1 Peter 5:9;
2 Peter 1:4;
2 Peter 2:20;
1 John 3:1,
13;
1 John 4:5;
1 John 5:19; of the aggregate of ungodly and wicked men in O. T. times,
Hebrews 11:38; in Noah's time, ibid. 7; with
οὗτος added,
Ephesians 2:2 (on which see
αἰών, 3);
εἶναι ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου and
ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου (see
εἰμί, V. 3rd.),
John 8:23;
John 15:19;
John 17:14,
16;
1 John 4:5;
λαλεῖν ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου, to speak in accordance with the world's character and mode of thinking,
1 John 4:5;
ὁ ἄρχων τοῦ κόσμου τούτου, i. e. the devil,
John 12:31;
John 14:30;
John 16:11;
ὁ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ he that is operative in the world (also of the devil),
1 John 4:4;
τό πνεῦμα τοῦ κόσμου 1 Corinthians 2:12;
ἡ σοφία τοῦ κόσμου τούτου,
1 Corinthians 1:20 (here
G L T Tr WH omit
τούτου);
1 Corinthians 3:19. (
τά στοιχεῖα τοῦ κόσμου,
Galatians 4:3;
Colossians 2:8,
20 (see 5 above, and
στοιχεῖον, 3 and 4).)
7. worldly affairs; the aggregate of things earthly; the whole circle of earthly goods, endowments, riches, advantages, pleasures, etc., which, although hollow and frail and fleeting, stir desire, seduce from God and are obstacles to the cause of Christ: Galatians 6:14;
1 John 2:16;
1 John 3:17;
εἶναι ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου, to be of earthly origin and nature,
John 18:36; somewhat differently in
1 John 2:16 (on which see
εἰμί, V. 3 d.);
κερδαίνειν τόν κόσμον ὅλον,
Matthew 16:26;
Mark 8:36;
Luke 9:25;
οἱ χρώμενοι τῷ κόσμῳ τούτῳ (critical text
τόν κόσμον; see
χράομαι, 2),
1 Corinthians 7:31a;
μέριμναν τά τοῦ κόσμου, 33f;
φίλος and
φιλία τοῦ κόσμου,
James 4:4;
ἀγαπᾶν τόν κόσμον,
1 John 2:15;
νικαν τόν κόσμον, the incentives to sin proceeding from the world,
1 John 5:4f; the obstacles to God's cause,
John 16:33; (cf.
ἐλθέτω χάρις καί παρελθέτω ὁ κόσμος οὗτος, Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, c. 10 [ET]).
8. any aggregate or general collection of particulars of any sort (cf. English "a world of curses" (Shakspere), etc.):
ὁ κόσμος τῆς ἀδικίας, the sum of all iniquities,
James 3:6;
τοῦ πιστοῦ ὅλος ὁ κόσμος τῶν χρημάτων,
τοῦ δέ ἀπίστου οὐδέ ὀβολός (a statement due to the
Alex. translators),
Proverbs 17:6. Among the N. T. writers no one uses
κόσμος oftener than John; it occurs in Mark three times, in Luke's writings four times, and in the Apocalypse three tinms. Cf. Kreiss, Sur le sens du mot
κόσμος dans le N. T. (Strasb. 1837); Düsterdieck on
1 John 2:15, pp. 247-259; Zezschwitz, Profangräcität u. Biblical Sprachgeist, p. 21ff; Diestel in
Herzog xvii., p. 676ff; (
Trench, Synonyms, § lix.); on John's use of the word cf. Reuss, Histoire de la theologie chretienne au siecle apostolique, ii., p. 463ff (i. e. livre 7 chapter viii.); cf. his Johanneische Theologie, in the Beiträge zu den theol. Wissenschaften, Fasc. i., p. 29ff; (Westcott on
John 1:10, 'Additional Note').
THAYER’S GREEK LEXICON, Electronic Database.
Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2006, 2011 by Biblesoft, Inc.
All rights reserved. Used by permission. BibleSoft.com
BLB Scripture Index of Thayer's
-
Genesis
-
2:1
-
Deuteronomy
-
4:19; 17:8
-
Proverbs
-
17:6; 17:6; 20:29
-
Isaiah
-
3:19; 24:21; 40:26
-
Matthew
-
4:8; 5:14; 13:35; 13:38; 16:26; 18:7; 24:21; 25:34; 26:13
-
Mark
-
8:36; 14:9; 16:15
-
Luke
-
4:5; 9:25; 11:50; 12:30
-
John
-
1:9; 1:10; 1:10; 1:10; 1:29; 1:36; 3:16; 3:17; 3:19; 4:42; 6:14; 6:33; 6:51; 7:4; 7:7; 8:12; 8:23; 8:26; 9:5; 9:5; 9:39; 9:39; 10:36; 11:9; 11:27; 12:19; 12:25; 12:31; 12:46; 12:47; 13:1; 14:19; 14:22; 14:27; 14:30; 14:31; 15:18; 15:19; 16:8; 16:11; 16:20; 16:21; 16:28; 16:28; 16:33; 16:33; 16:33; 17:5; 17:6; 17:9; 17:11; 17:12; 17:13; 17:14; 17:14; 17:16; 17:18; 17:21; 17:21; 17:23; 17:25; 18:20; 18:36; 18:37; 21:25
-
Acts
-
17:24
-
Romans
-
1:8; 1:20; 3:6; 3:19; 4:13; 5:12; 5:13; 11:12
-
1 Corinthians
-
1:20; 1:21; 1:27; 2:12; 3; 3:4; 3:19; 3:22; 4:9; 4:13; 5:10; 5:10; 6:2; 7:31; 8:4; 11:32; 14:10
-
2 Corinthians
-
1:12; 5:19; 7:10
-
Galatians
-
4:3; 6:14
-
Ephesians
-
1:4; 2:2; 2:12
-
Philippians
-
2:15
-
Colossians
-
1:6; 2:8; 2:20; 2:20
-
1 Timothy
-
1:15; 3:16; 6:7
-
Hebrews
-
4:3; 9:26; 10:5; 11:38
-
James
-
1:27; 2:5; 3:6; 4:4
-
1 Peter
-
1:20; 3:3; 5:9
-
2 Peter
-
1:4; 2:5; 2:5; 2:20; 3:6
-
1 John
-
2:2; 2:15; 2:15; 2:16; 2:16; 3:1; 3:13; 3:17; 4:1; 4:3; 4:4; 4:5; 4:5; 4:5; 4:9; 4:14; 4:17; 5:4; 5:19
-
2 John
-
1:7
-
Revelation
-
11:15; 13:8; 17:8