Greek word · G2794

κίνδυνος

kindynos

danger

Danger, peril, risk, especially risk to life. The related verb kindyneuō means 'to be in danger, run a risk'.

Appears 9 times in 2 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

κίνδυνος, -ου, ὁ

[in LXX: Psalms 116:3 (מֵצַר), Sirach 3:26, al. ;]

danger, peril: Romans 8:35; pl., 2 Corinthians 11:26.†

(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 2 Corinthians 11:26

Range of meaning

Danger, peril, risk, especially risk to life. The related verb kindyneuō means 'to be in danger, run a risk'.

Against the English

KJV/YLT/WEB 'perils' and BSB/ESV 'danger' are both accurate. 'Peril' sounds a little old-fashioned but keeps the sense of grave, life-threatening risk. 'Danger' can sound milder in modern speech, and the repetition carries the weight here.

Used elsewhere in the period

In the NT it appears only here and in Romans 8:35, another hardship list: 'tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, or sword'. In the Septuagint (the Greek Old Testament) see Psalm 114:3 LXX (= 116:3), 'the dangers of Hades found me'. Sirach 34:12 is a close parallel about travel: 'I have often been in danger of death' on the writer's many journeys. In Greek literature it is the standard word for the risks of war, sea and road.

Similar words

Where it appears

Romans · 1

  1. Romans 8:35 κίνδυνος danger

    Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

    Here: Danger to life and limb. In 2 Cor 11:26 Paul lists eight kinds: rivers, robbers, his own people, Gentiles, city, wilderness, sea, false brothers.

2 Corinthians · 8

  1. 2 Corinthians 11:26 κινδύνοις κινδύνοις κινδύνοις κινδύνοις κινδύνοις κινδύνοις κινδύνοις κινδύνοις in perils

    In my frequent journeys, I have been in danger from rivers and from bandits, in danger from my countrymen and from the Gentiles, in danger in the city and in the country, in danger on the sea and among false brothers,

    Here: The first of eight 'dangers'. The plural means repeated, real exposure to harm, often deadly. No 'and' joins them, so the word lands again and again like hammer blows.

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