Greek word · G1039

βύσσινος

byssinos

fine linen

Made of byssus, a very fine and costly linen, often Egyptian. Used as a noun it means a fine-linen garment.

Appears 5 times in 4 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

βύσσινος, -η, -ον

(βύσσος), [in LXX chiefly for שֵׁשׁ, בּוּץ, etc. ;]

made of βύσσος, fine linen: Revelation 18:12, 16 19:8, 14.†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Revelation 19:14

Range of meaning

Made of byssus, a very fine and costly linen, often Egyptian. Used as a noun it means a fine-linen garment.

Against the English

'Fine linen' is right. Modern readers may hear only 'nice fabric'. Ancient readers heard luxury together with priestly and heavenly dress.

Used elsewhere in the period

The Greek Old Testament (Septuagint) uses byssus for the tabernacle hangings and the priests' garments (e.g. Exod 28:39). On the Day of Atonement the high priest wears linen (Lev 16:4), and Ezekiel's priests must wear linen, not wool (Ezek 44:17–18). Angelic figures are 'clothed in linen' (Ezek 9:2; Dan 10:5; 12:6–7; the Old Greek of Daniel uses byssina). The seven angels of Rev 15:6 wear pure, bright linen. According to the War Scroll (1QM VII), the priests who go with Israel's end-time army wear garments of white byssus. In Revelation itself, Babylon trades in and wears byssus as luxury (18:12, 16). The Bride is 'given' byssus, 'bright and pure', explained as 'the righteous deeds of the saints' (19:8).

From the study of Revelation 19:8

Range of meaning

An adjective, 'made of byssus,' used here as a noun: 'fine linen.' Byssus was very fine, smooth, light-coloured linen, especially from Egypt. It was among the costliest fabrics of the ancient world.

Against the English

'Fine linen' is accurate in every major version. What English readers may not know is how luxurious and priestly the fabric was. The NLT's 'finest of pure white linen' brings out the luxury.

Used elsewhere in the period

In the LXX, byssus is the material of the tabernacle and the priests' garments (Exod 26–28; 39). Joseph is dressed in byssus by Pharaoh (Gen 41:42). David wears a byssus robe before the ark (1 Chr 15:27). In Ezek 16:10, 13 God himself clothes his bride Jerusalem in fine linen. The rich man of Luke 16:19 wears purple and byssus. In Revelation it is part of Babylon's luxury trade and her clothing (18:12, 16), and the heavenly armies wear it (19:14).

From the study of Revelation 18:16

Range of meaning

Made of byssos: the finest, softest linen, often bleached bright white. It was classically associated with Egypt. Elsewhere in the Bible “byssus” is a linen fabric. (The medieval “sea silk” spun from shellfish fibres is a separate later use of the word.)

Against the English

“Fine linen” is accurate. A modern reader may hear it as merely good-quality cloth, but the ancient hearer heard luxury and, in Scripture, priestly and royal dress.

Used elsewhere in the period

The LXX uses byssos/byssinos for the linen of the tabernacle curtains and priestly garments (Exodus 26–28, 35–39) and for Tyre's imports in Ezekiel 27:7, 16. It was Joseph's dress of honour in Genesis 41:42. Luke 16:19 has the rich man dressed “in purple and byssos”. In Revelation it appears in the cargo list (18:12), then on the Lamb's bride (19:8, “fine linen, bright and pure… the righteous deeds of the saints”) and on the heavenly armies (19:14).

Where it appears

Revelation · 5

  1. Revelation 18:12 βυσσίνου of fine linen [things]

    cargo of gold, silver, precious stones, and pearls; of fine linen, purple, silk, and scarlet; of all kinds of citron wood and every article of ivory, precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble;

    Here: An adjective used as a noun: 'fine-linen goods'. Byssos was very fine linen, mostly from Egypt, worn by the rich and by priests.

  2. Revelation 18:16 βύσσινον fine linen

    saying: “Woe, woe to the great city, clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls!

    Here: “A fine-linen [garment]”. Byssus was very fine, costly linen, classically from Egypt. It is the first item of clothing in the merchants' cargo list (18:12), and the item added here to the woman's outfit in 17:4.

  3. Revelation 19:8 βύσσινον βύσσινον fine linen, the fine linen

    She was given clothing of fine linen, bright and pure.” For the fine linen she wears is the righteous acts of the saints.

    Here: Byssus: the finest, most expensive linen of the ancient world, famously from Egypt. Priests wore it, and so did royalty and the very rich. It is also on Babylon's cargo list and in her wardrobe (18:12, 16).

  4. Revelation 19:14 βύσσινον fine linen

    The armies of heaven, dressed in fine linen, white and pure, follow Him on white horses.

    Here: Garments of byssus, the costly fine linen worn by priests, angels and royalty. John uses it for Babylon's luxury (18:12, 16) and for the Bride's wedding dress (19:8). It is not armour.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.