Greek word · G2367

θύϊνος

thuinos

citron

Made of thyon or thuia wood, the North African sandarac tree (Tetraclinis articulata), which Romans called citrus. The wood is aromatic, hard and richly patterned. The name is linked to thyō, 'to burn as sacrifice', because of its fragrance.

Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

θύινος (usually θύϊνος, as Rec.), -η, -ον

(θυία, θύα, an African aromatic tree, with ornamentally veined wood of varying colour, = Lat. citrinus), [in Sm.: 1 Kings 10:11 (אַלְמֻגִּים)* ;]

thyme: ξύλον, Revelation 18:12 (Diosc.).†

(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 18:12

Range of meaning

Made of thyon or thuia wood, the North African sandarac tree (Tetraclinis articulata), which Romans called citrus. The wood is aromatic, hard and richly patterned. The name is linked to thyō, 'to burn as sacrifice', because of its fragrance.

Against the English

KJV/YLT 'thyine wood' is accurate but obscure. BSB/NIV/NASB 'citron wood' is right but can make readers think of citrus fruit trees, which it is not. ESV 'scented wood' captures the fragrance but drops the specific product. WEB 'expensive wood' loses the item altogether.

Used elsewhere in the period

Pliny, Natural History 13.91–102, describes the Roman craze for citrus-wood tables (husbands accused wives of a mania for pearls, wives answered with their husbands' mania for tables). Cicero paid 500,000 sesterces for one table (13.92). Cassius Dio 61.10.3 says Seneca owned 500 citrus-wood tables with ivory legs. Homer, Odyssey 5.60, mentions thyon burned for its scent.

Where it appears

Revelation · 1

  1. Revelation 18:12 θύϊνον citron

    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: Citron wood (Tetraclinis articulata) from North Africa. Its fragrant, beautifully grained wood was made into the famous Roman 'citrus tables', which could cost as much as an estate.

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