κρύπτη
krýptē
G2926 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A concealed or hidden place, especially an underground space such as a vault, cellar, or chamber. Primarily refers to a physical location used for storage, refuge, or concealment beneath the ground or within a structure; may also denote, by extension, any secret or unseen compartment.
Semantic Range
hidden place, subterranean vault, cellar, underground chamber; secret compartment
Root / Etymology
Derived from the verb κρύπτω (kryptō, 'to hide, to conceal'), with the feminine noun suffix -η, indicating a place or vessel associated with hiding.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical and Hellenistic Greek, κρύπτη refers to an underground chamber or vault, often found beneath temples, houses, or other structures for purposes of storage, protection, or secrecy. It is connected with secrecy and concealment, both literally (as in a physical crypt or cellar) and metaphorically, though the latter is less attested. In the Septuagint and New Testament, the term indicates a literal hidden space and is not used abstractly for secrecy or hiddenness in general. English translations sometimes render κρύπτη as 'cellar', 'vault', or 'crypt', but the English 'secret' is an interpretive translation that may obscure the concrete meaning of a constructed, often subterranean, location. The word is uncommon in extant literature, reflecting its relative specificity and its close connection to architectural contexts. The term is etymologically and conceptually related to κρυπτός ('hidden') but is distinct in denoting a place rather than a state. Later Christian use of 'crypt' as a burial vault in churches is historically derived from this term, but in Koine Greek, a more general sense of an underground chamber is primary.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
feminine of κρυπτός; a hidden place, i.e. cellar ("crypt"):--secret.
Root Family
κρύπτη (kryptē) — hidden place, concealed chamber, underground vault, cellar
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2926-01 |
κρύπτην | krupten | N ACC F SG |
hidden place | a hidden chamber | a hidden chamber | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2926-01 |
Luke 11:33 | κρύπτην | krupten | N ACC F SG |
hidden place | a hidden chamber | a hidden chamber |