κειρία
keiría
G2750 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A strip or band of cloth used for wrapping, specifically for binding the limbs or body of a deceased person for burial; in extended usage, grave wrappings. The term primarily refers to a burial band or swathe, especially as used in funerary contexts to secure and encase the body.
Semantic Range
grave wrappings, burial bands, cloth strips for binding the body, winding-sheets, binding bands for the limbs
Root / Etymology
Uncertain. Possibly related to κείρω (keirō, 'to cut'), suggesting strips of cloth cut for wrapping, but direct derivation is not established.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical and Hellenistic Greek, κειρία is not widely attested, making its historical usage difficult to trace outside later Koine and Jewish Greek texts. Its primary attestation in the New Testament is in John 11:44 (the raising of Lazarus), where it denotes the strips or bands used in Judean burial practice to bind the corpse, especially the limbs. The term appears to be synonymous in context with othonia (ὀθόνια, 'cloths [of fine linen]'), though κειρία emphasizes the act of binding. English Bible translations often render 'graveclothes' or 'wrappings,' but this may obscure the specific sense of multiple bands or strips versus a unified shroud. Archaeological and literary evidence from the period suggests burial involved wrapping the body with such bands, especially the hands and feet, with another cloth (a σουδάριον) about the face. The term is essentially absent from broader Greek funerary literature, suggesting a technical or regional usage, possibly reflecting Judean funerary custom.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
of uncertain affinity; a swathe, i.e. winding-sheet:--graveclothes.
Root Family
κειρία (keiria) — burial bands, grave wrappings, cloth strips for binding the body
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2750-01 |
κειρίαις | keiriais | N DAT F PL |
with wrappings | to burial bands | with burial bands | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2750-01 |
John 11:44 | κειρίαις | keiriais | N DAT F PL |
with wrappings | to burial bands | with burial bands |