Greek word · G1739
ἐνδόμησις
endomēsis
material
A rare technical noun, probably from ἐν ('in') + δωμάω ('to build'). It means 'what is built in': the construction, the fabric or the building material of a structure. Some take it more narrowly as the core or fill of a wall, as opposed to its outer facing.
Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·
What it means
ἐν-δώμησις (Rec. -δόμησις), -εως, ἡ
(δωμάω, to build),
a building in: ἡ ἐ. τ. τείχους αὐτῆς ἴασπις, its wall had jasper built into it, Revelation 21:18 (see MM, Exp., xiii; Swete, Ap., l.with).†
(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 21:18
- Range of meaning
A rare technical noun, probably from ἐν ('in') + δωμάω ('to build'). It means 'what is built in': the construction, the fabric or the building material of a structure. Some take it more narrowly as the core or fill of a wall, as opposed to its outer facing. Since jasper is the material named, 'material' or 'construction' is the safe sense.
- Against the English
KJV 'building' and WEB 'construction' are close to the Greek but vague. NASB 'material' is precise. BSB, NIV and NLT say 'was made of', which keeps the sense but drops the technical flavour of the word.
- Used elsewhere in the period
It occurs only here in the New Testament and not at all in the Greek Old Testament. BDAG cites it from an inscription and from Josephus. Josephus (Antiquities 15.335) uses it for the built structure of Herod's great harbour works at Caesarea, which places it in the vocabulary of monumental construction.
Where it appears
Revelation · 1
-
Revelation 21:18 ἐνδώμησις structure
The wall was made of jasper, and the city itself of pure gold, as pure as glass.
Here: A rare builder's word for what is built into a structure, its actual fabric. John is saying the wall is not just faced or trimmed with jasper. Jasper is what it is made of.
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.