Greek word · G3043

λίνον

linon

linen/wick

Flax, the plant, and anything made from it: linen cloth, thread, fishing line, and especially lamp wicks.

Appears 2 times in 2 verses of the Greek New Testament. · Updated October 30, 2026

What it means

λίνον

(Tr. λῖνον), -ου, τό [in LXX: Exodus 9:31 (פִּשְׁתָּה), al. ;]

1. flax: Matthew 12:20 (LXX).

2. linen: Revelation 15:6 (R, mg., see: λίθος).†

λίθος, -ου, ὁ

(and, in Att.., of precious stones, ἡ.) [in LXX for אֶבֶן, Genesis 11:3, al.; λ. τίμιος, for פָּז, Psalms 19:10 21:3, Proverbs 8:19, al. ;]

a stone: Matthew 4:6, al.; pl., Matthew 3:9, al.; at the entrance of a tomb, Matthew 27:60, 66 28:2, Mark 15:46 16:3-4, Luke 24:2, John 11:38, 32 11:41 20:1; λ. μυλικός, Luke 17:2, cf. Revelation 18:21; of building stones, Matthew 21:42, [44], Matthew 24:2, Mark 12:10 13:1-2, Luke 19:44 20:17-18 21:5-6 Acts 4:11, 1 Peter 2:7; metaphorically, of Christ, λ. ἀκρογωναῖος, ἐκλεκτός, ἔντιμος, 1 Peter 2:6 (LXX); λ. ζῶν, 1 Peter 2:4; προσκόμματος, 1 Peter 2:8, Romans 9:33; of Christians, λ. ζῶντες, 1 Peter 2:5; of precious stones, λ. τίμιος, Revelation 17:4 18:12, 16 21:11, 19; ἴασπις, Revelation 4:3; ἐνδεδυμένοι λ. καθαρόν, Revelation 15:6 (λίνον, Rec., R, mg., see Swete, in l); metaphorically, λ. τίμιοι, 1 Corinthians 3:12; of the tables of the law, 2 Corinthians 3:7; of idols, Acts 17:29

(AS)

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

Range of meaning: Flax, the plant, and anything made from it: linen cloth, thread, fishing line, and especially lamp wicks.
Against the English: KJV and YLT 'smoking flax' is accurate but now hard to follow. BSB, ESV and NIV give 'smoldering wick'. NLT's 'flickering candle' is a modern substitute, since candles were not the ordinary lamp in first-century Judea.
How it drifted: In 1611 'flax' clearly suggested the lamp wick. Today readers think of a plant, seeds or oil.
Used elsewhere in the period: Isaiah 42:3 (Hebrew) has pishtah kehah, 'a dim or fading flax wick', which LXX renders λίνον καπνιζόμενον, 'smoking flax'. Matthew's τυφόμενον ('smouldering') is a different but synonymous word. Isaiah 43:17 uses the same image for Egypt's army: 'extinguished, quenched like a wick.'

Range of meaning: Flax, then things made from it: linen cloth or garments, a lamp-wick (Matt 12:20), a fishing net.
Against the English: Translations agree on 'linen'. What English readers may miss is how strongly linen meant priesthood and heavenly messengers.
Used elsewhere in the period: Israel's priests served in linen (Exod 28:39-42), and the high priest wore plain linen on the Day of Atonement (Lev 16:4). Heavenly figures 'clothed in linen' appear in Ezekiel 9:2-3 (the man who marks the faithful before judgment falls) and Daniel 10:5 and 12:6-7. The angel in Daniel 10:5 is also girded with gold. Revelation 19:8 uses a different word (βύσσινος, 'fine linen') for the bride's garment.

Matthew · 1

Matthew 12:20 λίνον a wick

A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not extinguish, till He leads justice to victory.

Here: The twisted flax wick of a clay oil lamp, the household's light after dark. This is the 'flax' in the KJV.

Revelation · 1

Revelation 15:6 λίνον linen

And out of the temple came the seven angels with the seven plagues, dressed in clean and bright linen and girded with golden sashes around their chests.

Here: Linen was the fabric of priests' garments in Israel and of heavenly figures in prophetic visions. It marks these angels as priestly servants of the sanctuary. (Some manuscripts read λίθον, 'stone'; see textual notes.)

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