Greek word · G3566

νυμφίος

nymphios

bridegroom

Bridegroom and bride: a man and woman at the point of marrying, from betrothal through the wedding feast. In Jewish scripture the pair was a long-established picture of God and Israel.

Appears 16 times in 12 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

νυμφίος, -ου, ὁ

(νύμφη), [in LXX for חָתָן ;]

a bridegroom: Matthew 9:15 25:1, 5-6 25:10, Mark 2:19-20, Luke 5:34-35, John 2:9 3:29, Revelation 18:23.†

(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 John 3:29

Range of meaning

Bridegroom and bride: a man and woman at the point of marrying, from betrothal through the wedding feast. In Jewish scripture the pair was a long-established picture of God and Israel.

Against the English

The English words are accurate. The risk is in what the reader brings to them: modern readers tend to hear the church as bride (from Ephesians 5 and Revelation 19–21), while the first hearers would hear Israel as bride.

How it drifted

Later Christian imagery of "the church, the bride of Christ" grew out of passages like this one. Reading it back into John's mouth, though, skips the Old Testament background John was drawing on.

Used elsewhere in the period

God as Israel's husband: Hosea 2:16–20; Isaiah 54:5–6; Isaiah 62:4–5 (LXX "as a bridegroom rejoices over a bride, so the Lord will rejoice over you"); Ezekiel 16. In the Gospels Jesus calls himself the bridegroom (Mark 2:19–20). In John's Gospel the first sign takes place at a wedding (John 2:1–11).

From the study of Matthew 25:5

Range of meaning

Bridegroom, the man about to marry or newly married.

Against the English

Rendered 'bridegroom' everywhere; accurate.

Used elsewhere in the period

The Hebrew scriptures picture God as Israel's husband (Hosea 2; Isaiah 54:5; 62:5). Jesus calls himself the bridegroom in Matt 9:15, and John the Baptist uses the image in John 3:29. Clear pre-Christian Jewish evidence that the Messiah was called 'the bridegroom' is thin.

From the study of Matthew 25:6

Range of meaning

Bridegroom: a man at or about to have his wedding, related to nymphē (bride, young woman).

Against the English

English 'bridegroom' is accurate.

Used elsewhere in the period

In the Septuagint it is used for the bridegroom of joyful weddings (Isa 61:10; 62:5, where God rejoices over his people 'as a bridegroom over the bride'; Jer 7:34). The Hebrew Bible pictures God as Israel's husband (Hos 2; Isa 54:5). In the Gospels, Jesus calls himself the bridegroom whose presence means feasting rather than fasting (Matt 9:15; compare John 3:29).

Where it appears

Matthew · 6

  1. Matthew 9:15 νυμφίος; νυμφίος, bridegroom?, bridegroom,

    Jesus replied, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while He is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.

    Here: The man being married, at the centre of the feast. In the picture this is Jesus himself, and the image carries echoes of God as Israel's bridegroom.

  2. Matthew 25:1 νυμφίου. bridegroom.

    “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.

    Here: The man about to be married, whose arrival begins the feast. Jesus has already called himself 'the bridegroom' (9:15), and Israel's Scriptures picture God as Israel's husband. That gives the figure a weight beyond the story.

  3. Matthew 25:5 νυμφίου bridegroom

    When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

    Here: The man whose arrival starts the wedding procession and feast. In Matthew, Jesus has already called himself 'the bridegroom' (9:15), so hearers would catch the hint that this is about his coming.

  4. Matthew 25:6 νυμφίος bridegroom

    At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’

    Here: The man whose arrival starts the wedding procession and feast. In Matthew, Jesus has already called himself 'the bridegroom' (9:15), so hearers would see him in this figure.

  5. Matthew 25:10 νυμφίος, bridegroom,

    But while they were on their way to buy it, the bridegroom arrived. Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet, and the door was shut.

    Here: The central figure of the wedding, whose delayed arrival (v. 5) has driven the whole story; in Jesus' usage a figure for himself (Matt 9:15).

Mark · 3

  1. Mark 2:19 νυμφίος νυμφίον bridegroom

    Jesus replied, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while He is with them? As long as He is with them, they cannot fast.

    Here: The man being married, the centre of the wedding feast. Jesus is clearly speaking of himself, though he does it through a picture.

  2. Mark 2:20 νυμφίος, bridegroom,

    But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.

    Here: The groom, the center and reason for a wedding feast. In the parable it is Jesus' picture of himself. Hearers who knew the prophets might also catch the old image of God as Israel's husband.

Luke · 2

  1. Luke 5:34 νυμφίος bridegroom

    Jesus replied, “Can you make the guests of the bridegroom fast while He is with them?

  2. Luke 5:35 νυμφίος, bridegroom,

    But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.”

John · 4

  1. John 2:9 νυμφίον bridegroom

    and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not know where it was from, but the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside

  2. John 3:29 νυμφίος νυμφίου, νυμφίου. [the] bridegroom, bridegroom,, bridegroom.

    The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom stands and listens for him, and is overjoyed to hear the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.

    Here: The predicate: "is the bridegroom". Jesus is the groom; John is not. In the Scriptures Israel knew, God himself is Israel's husband, so the image carries great weight.

Revelation · 1

  1. Revelation 18:23 νυμφίου of a bridegroom

    The light of a lamp will never shine in you again, and the voices of a bride and bridegroom will never call out in you again. For your merchants were the great ones of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery.”

    Here: The groom, whose arrival was the high point of a wedding night. His voice was a stock prophetic picture of a city full of joy.

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