θρῆνος
thrēnos
G2355
SILEX Entry
Definition
A song, poem, or vocal expression of mourning, particularly performed as a formal lament for the dead or in response to loss or disaster. In the context of Hellenistic and Koine Greek, θρῆνος typically denotes an artful, structured, and sometimes communal act of wailing or lament, distinguishing it from informal weeping or spontaneous grief. The term may refer to both the act of lamenting and to the literary or musical composition designed for such a purpose.
Semantic Range
lament, song of mourning, dirge, funeral composition, ritual wailing, poetic lament, public or artistic expression of grief
Root / Etymology
Derived from the verb θρενέω (to wail, lament) and ultimately related to the base of θροέω (to cry aloud, to make a noise). The precise root of θρῆνος is unclear, but it is associated with sounds of mourning and ritual lament. Cognate with similar terms in other Indo-European languages signifying uttered grief or loud mourning (etymology uncertain in its ultimate origin).
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical Greek literature, θρῆνος was widely used to describe composed laments, often choral, for the deceased, performed at funerals or commemorative rites. It is distinct from κλαυθμός, which refers more generally to tears or weeping, and from ὀδυρμός, which stresses personal, emotional outcry. In the Septuagint, θρῆνος translates Hebrew קִינָה (qinah), often used for ritual funeral songs or formal lamentations (e.g., Lamentations of Jeremiah). In the New Testament, the word is rare but retains its sense of formalized mourning, whether literal or metaphorical. The English translation 'lamentation' is traditional, but may not always convey the performative and artistic connotations the Greek term carries. Later Christian liturgical traditions sometimes use θρῆνος for texts or hymns of mourning, preserving the link to both literary and ritual forms of lament.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from the base of θροέω; wailing:--lamentation.
Word Forms
0 distinct forms
No word forms found for this Strong's number.
Occurrences in Scripture
0 occurrences
No occurrences found.