Greek word · G2369
θυμιατήριον
thymiatērion
incense altar
Anything used for burning incense. In Greek of the period this covers (1) a fixed incense altar or stand and (2) a portable pan or censer for carrying hot coals and incense.
Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·
What it means
θυμιατήριον, -ου, τό
(θυμιάω), [in LXX: 2 Chronicles 26:19, Ezekiel 8:11 (קְטֹרֶת), 4Ma.7:11 * ;]
1. as in cl. (Hdt., iv, 162; Thuc., vi, 46) and LXX, a censer: Hebrews 9:4 (but see infr., and cf. Westc., in l).
2. As in Philo., rer. div., § 46, FlJ, Ant., iv, 2, 4, al., the altar of incense: He, l.with (but see supr. and cf. MM, Exp., xv).†
(AS)
From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).
In depth
- Range of meaning
Anything used for burning incense. In Greek of the period this covers (1) a fixed incense altar or stand and (2) a portable pan or censer for carrying hot coals and incense.
- Against the English
KJV and YLT say 'censer', following the Latin Vulgate's turibulum. BSB, WEB and most modern versions say 'altar of incense'. The two readings point to different objects.
- How it drifted
The KJV took 'censer' from the Latin tradition. It may also have been preferred because it avoids the clash with Exodus, which puts the incense altar outside the curtain.
- Used elsewhere in the period
The Greek Old Testament calls the Exodus 30 altar thysiastērion thymiamatos ('altar of incense'). It uses thymiatērion for a censer in 2 Chronicles 26:19 and Ezekiel 8:11. Philo (Who Is the Heir 226; Life of Moses 2.94, 101) and Josephus (Antiquities 3.147, 198; Jewish War 5.218) both use thymiatērion for the tabernacle and temple incense altar. Those are the closest Jewish writers in time and subject matter to Hebrews. The Mishnah (Yoma 4:4) does mention a special golden fire-pan used on the Day of Atonement, but the Old Testament never places a golden censer permanently in the inner room.
Similar words
Where it appears
Hebrews · 1
-
Hebrews 9:4 θυμιατήριον altar of incense
containing the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. Inside the ark were the gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant.
Here: In Greek of the period the word can mean either an incense altar or a pan or censer for burning incense. Philo and Josephus use it for the tabernacle's golden incense altar, and that is most likely what is meant here.
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.