κλινίδιον
klinídion
G2826 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A small couch, bed, or pallet; specifically, a lightweight or portable couch used for reclining or sleeping. The term denotes a diminutive form of κλίνη, often used for easily transported beds or simple makeshift resting places, including those used to carry a sick or paralyzed person in medical or healing contexts. In literary texts, may refer to a bed, litter, or couch of modest size or construction.
Semantic Range
small bed, cot, couch, pallet, litter, portable bed, makeshift bed
Root / Etymology
Diminutive derived from κλίνη (couch, bed) with the diminutive suffix -ιδιον, forming 'small bed' or 'little couch.' Root stem: κλιν- ('to incline, lean, recline').
Historical & Contextual Notes
κλινίδιον is primarily attested in Hellenistic and Koine Greek, including in the New Testament (e.g., Mark 2:4, Luke 5:18), often describing the small, easily carried bed or stretcher upon which a sick person might be brought to a healer. The diminutive emphasizes its modest or portable character, not a regular household bed but something simple and lightweight. Classical Greek more commonly uses κλίνη or λέχος for ‘bed.’ In the Septuagint and other contemporary Greek sources, κλινίδιον retains this sense of a light or makeshift bed, distinct from formal or permanent furniture. English translations as 'bed' can obscure the term’s specifically diminutive and portable sense, especially where the context involves carrying a person. Related terms: κλίνη (bed, couch), φορεῖον ('litter' for carrying the sick), which sometimes overlap but φορεῖον is more technical for a litter.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
neuter of a presumed derivative of κλίνη; a pallet or little couch:--bed.
Root Family
κλινίδιον (klinidion) — small bed, cot, pallet, portable couch
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2826-02 |
κλινίδιόν | klinidion | N ACC N SG |
stretcher | small pallet | 1 |
G2826-01 |
κλινιδίῳ | klinidio | N DAT N SG |
stretcher | to a small cot | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences