κοπετός
kopetós
G2870 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Mourning, especially in the form of ritual or demonstrative lamentation; the act of wailing, weeping, or publicly expressing grief, typically for the dead. More specifically, κοπετός refers to a formal or communal display of grief, often accompanied by physical actions such as beating the breast or loud wailing. In a broader sense, it can refer to any intense public mourning, whether for individuals, a group, or a calamity.
Semantic Range
ritual lamentation, demonstrative mourning, public expression of grief, wailing, mourning rites, ceremonial mourning
Root / Etymology
From the verb κόπτω ('to strike, cut, beat'), especially in the sense of 'beat (the body) in grief.' The formation is a verbal noun in -ός, typical for nouns of action or result.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical Greek, κοπετός denotes a formal, often ritual lamentation characterized by loud wailing and physical gestures such as striking the breast or body. The term appears in descriptions of funerary practices and public expressions of grief, both individual and communal. In Hellenistic and Koine sources, including the Septuagint and New Testament (notably Luke 23:27), κοπετός typically describes the collective mourning for a death (often performed by women) or in response to disaster. This distinguishes κοπετός from other Greek terms for grief, such as θρῆνος (a dirge or poetic lament) and πένθος (general sorrow or mourning). English translations often render κοπετός as 'lamentation' or 'mourning,' but may obscure its ritual and demonstrative dimensions specific to ancient funerary culture. The word primarily occurs in literature describing public acts of grief, not merely private emotion.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from κόπτω; mourning (properly, by beating the breast):--lamentation.
Root Family
κοπετός (kopetos) — to strike, beat the body, ritual mourning, wailing
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2870-01 |
κοπετὸν | kopeton | N ACC M SG |
lamentation | ritual mourning | lamentation | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2870-01 |
Acts 8:2 | κοπετὸν | kopeton | N ACC M SG |
lamentation | ritual mourning | lamentation |