κόσμος
kósmos
G2889 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Order, arrangement, ornamentation; by extension, the universe as an ordered whole; (in Hellenistic and Koine contexts) the inhabited world, the human order, or collective humanity; sometimes, the prevailing social system or order. The word primarily indicates a structured, harmonious arrangement, and secondarily refers to the world as the sum of its ordered parts, both material and social.
Semantic Range
order, arrangement, ornamentation/adornment, the universe/cosmos, the inhabited world, human society, social/moral order
Root / Etymology
From Greek κοσμέω (to arrange, to adorn) and ultimately from the root κόσμ-, denoting order or arrangement. The sense of 'world' develops from the notion of the universe as a well-ordered structure. Not directly derived from κομίζω, but shares the concept of arrangement or care.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical Greek, κόσμος primarily denoted order or ornament (e.g., personal adornment, harmonious arrangement). Philosophers, especially from the 6th century BCE onwards, used it to refer to the universe conceived as a structured and ordered entirety (as opposed to chaos). In the Hellenistic and Roman periods—including the Septuagint and New Testament—κόσμος acquired additional senses: the inhabited world (οἰκουμένη), collective humanity, and at times, the existing social, moral, or political order (especially contrasted with God's purposes). In the New Testament, κόσμος may refer to the sum total of human society, the realm in opposition to divine purposes, or the entirety of creation. English translations as 'world' can obscure nuances about social or moral order, or about the cosmological meaning. In the LXX, κόσμος is sometimes used for 'ornament' (e.g., Exodus 33:5-6), and only infrequently for the world or its inhabitants. The term was never narrowly ethnic or geographic, and may refer inclusively to all humanity or to the system of human society.
Translation Consistency
κόσμος most frequently and naturally refers to the universe/inhabited world or the human/social order. 'World' is the common, idiomatic English rendering that covers the primary meanings (universe, inhabited earth, society) while remaining natural in most contexts; rarer senses (order, adornment) can be handled by context-specific choices.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
probably from the base of κομίζω; orderly arrangement, i.e. decoration; by implication, the world (in a wide or narrow sense, including its inhabitants, literally or figuratively (morally)):--adorning, world.
Root Family
κόσμος (kosmos) — order, arrangement, adornment, universe, human society
Word Forms
4 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2889-04 |
κόσμου | kosmou | N GEN M SG |
world | of the ordered world | of the ordered world | 72 |
G2889-02 |
κόσμον | kosmon | N ACC M SG |
world | ordered world | ordered world | 46 |
G2889-01 |
κόσμῳ | kosmo | N DAT M SG |
world | to the ordered world | world | 36 |
G2889-03 |
κόσμος | kosmos | N NOM M SG |
world | ordered world | ordered world | 32 |
Occurrences in Scripture
186 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2889-04 |
Matthew 4:8 | κόσμου | kosmou | N GEN M SG |
world | of the ordered world | of the ordered world |
G2889-04 |
Matthew 5:14 | κόσμου | kosmou | N GEN M SG |
world | of the ordered world | of the ordered world |
G2889-04 |
Matthew 13:35 | κόσμου | kosmou | N GEN M SG |
of the world | of the ordered world | of the ordered world |
G2889-03 |
Matthew 13:38 | κόσμος | kosmos | N NOM M SG |
world | ordered world | ordered world |
G2889-02 |
Matthew 16:26 | κόσμον | kosmon | N ACC M SG |
world | ordered world | ordered world |
G2889-01 |
Matthew 18:7 | κόσμῳ | kosmo | N DAT M SG |
world | to the ordered world | ordered world |
G2889-04 |
Matthew 24:21 | κόσμου | kosmou | N GEN M SG |
of the world | of the ordered world | of the ordered world |
G2889-04 |
Matthew 25:34 | κόσμου | kosmou | N GEN M SG |
of the world | of the ordered world | of the ordered world |
G2889-01 |
Matthew 26:13 | κόσμῳ | kosmo | N DAT M SG |
world | to the ordered world | world |
G2889-02 |
Mark 8:36 | κόσμον | kosmon | N ACC M SG |
world | ordered world | ordered world |