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καύσων

kaúsōn

G2742 noun

SILEX Entry

Root καύσ- to burn, to scorch, to be parched

Definition

Intense heat, usually referring to scorching or oppressive heat typical of a hot wind or the midday sun; can denote either the physical sensation of burning heat or, by extension, a period or event of extreme heat (such as a heatwave or sirocco). May have metaphorical use for severe trials or hardship, though this is rare.

Semantic Range

burning heat, scorching wind, oppressive heat, heatwave, (metaphorically) severe trial or destructive force

Root / Etymology

From the verb καυσόω (‘to burn with heat’), itself derived from the root καύσ- meaning ‘to burn’ (related to καίω, ‘to burn’).

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical and Hellenistic Greek, καύσων refers specifically to the oppressive heat of summer, a hot and dry wind (the sirocco or similar phenomena), or a period of parching heat. The term appears in literature (e.g., Theophrastus, Dioscorides) to denote the withering, destructive heat that threatens crops or causes hardship. In the Septuagint (e.g., Psalms) and New Testament (e.g., Matthew 20:12, Luke 12:55, James 1:11), καύσων most often denotes intense, burning heat from the sun or a dry wind, with reference to elements of the Near Eastern climate. English translations often render it as '(burning) heat' or 'scorching wind,' but this may under-represent its sense of a persistent, deleterious phenomenon. The metaphorical use (to signify trials) is found, for example, in James 1:11, drawing on the destructive force of the καύσων to describe the fate of the rich. The term is distinct from φλόξ (flame), πυρ (fire), and θέρμη (moderate warmth), emphasizing instead severe, disabling heat. Not limited to temperature, it frequently connotes environmental adversity.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from καυσόω; a glare:--(burning) heat.

Root Family

καύσων (kausōn) — burning heat, scorching, oppressive heat

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
G2742-03 καύσωνι kausoni N DAT M SG heat to scorching heat 1
G2742-02 καύσωνα kausona N ACC M SG scorching heat 1
G2742-01 καύσων kauson N NOM M SG heat scorching heat 1

Occurrences in Scripture

3 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
G2742-02 Matthew 20:12 καύσωνα kausona N ACC M SG scorching heat
G2742-01 Luke 12:55 καύσων kauson N NOM M SG heat scorching heat
G2742-03 James 1:11 καύσωνι kausoni N DAT M SG heat to scorching heat
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