ῥάβδος
rhábdos
G4464 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A rod, staff, or stick—primarily a solid, elongated object made of wood, used for various purposes including walking support, administering punishment, or signifying authority. Can refer to a physical staff used for walking or guiding, a cudgel for striking, a symbol of rule or sovereignty (sceptre), an instrument for discipline, or a measuring stick in some contexts.
Semantic Range
rod, staff (for walking or support), cudgel (for striking, punishment), measuring stick, sceptre (symbol of authority or kingship), staff of office or herald, instrument of discipline
Root / Etymology
From the root ῥαβδ-; possibly related to the verb ῥαπίζω (to strike, to beat), indicating an object for striking or supporting, though the relationship is inexact. The word has no clear pre-Greek etymology and appears as a native Greek noun.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical Greek, ῥάβδος commonly denoted a stick or staff for various practical uses—walking, herding, or casting lots (divination). It could refer to an instrument for inflicting blows, as in corporal punishment (e.g., for slaves or students). By the Hellenistic period, it also acquired symbolic meaning: an emblem of office (such as the staff carried by magistrates, messengers, or heralds) and the sceptre as a symbol of royal authority. In the Septuagint, ῥάβδος often translates Hebrew מַטֶּה (matteh, 'staff, rod') or שֵׁבֶט (shevet, 'rod, tribe, scepter'), denoting a leader's staff, a shepherd's rod, or a symbol of power and discipline. In the New Testament, semantic range includes literal staff, instrument of discipline, or sceptre (cf. Hebrews 1:8 on 'the sceptre of righteousness'). In Roman or Greco-Egyptian contexts, ῥάβδος could also denote rods used by officials (lictors' fasces, heralds' staffs). Early English translations often rendered it as 'rod,' 'staff,' or 'sceptre;' in some cases, the translation tradition narrows the semantic range to royal or punitive settings, while Greek usage is more flexible and contextually determined.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from the base of ῥαπίζω; a stick or wand (as a cudgel, a cane or a baton of royalty):--rod, sceptre, staff.
Root Family
ῥάβδος (rhabdos) — rod, stick, staff, sceptre
Word Forms
4 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4464-01 |
ῥάβδῳ | rabdo | N DAT F SG |
a rod | with a rod | 5 |
G4464-02 |
ῥάβδον | rabdon | N ACC F SG |
a staff | a rod | 3 |
G4464-03 |
ῥάβδος | rabdos | N NOM F SG |
rod | 3 | |
G4464-04 |
ῥάβδου | rabdou | N GEN F SG |
of a rod | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
12 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4464-02 |
Matthew 10:10 | ῥάβδον | rabdon | N ACC F SG |
a rod | |
G4464-02 |
Mark 6:8 | ῥάβδον | rabdon | N ACC F SG |
a staff | a rod |
G4464-02 |
Luke 9:3 | ῥάβδον | rabdon | N ACC F SG |
staff | a rod |
G4464-01 |
1 Corinthians 4:21 | ῥάβδῳ | rabdo | N DAT F SG |
a rod | with a rod |
G4464-03 |
Hebrews 1:8 | ῥάβδος | rabdos | N NOM F SG |
rod | |
G4464-03 |
Hebrews 1:8 | ῥάβδος | rabdos-2 | N NOM F SG |
rod | |
G4464-03 |
Hebrews 9:4 | ῥάβδος | rabdos | N NOM F SG |
rod | |
G4464-04 |
Hebrews 11:21 | ῥάβδου | rabdou | N GEN F SG |
of a rod | |
G4464-01 |
Revelation 2:27 | ῥάβδῳ | rabdo | N DAT F SG |
with a rod | |
G4464-01 |
Revelation 11:1 | ῥάβδῳ | rabdo | N DAT F SG |
with a rod |