Greek word · G3599
ὀδούς
odous
tooth
Tooth. It appears in 'eye for eye, tooth for tooth' and in 'weeping and gnashing of teeth'. In poetic imagery, teeth are the weapons of a predator or an enemy (Ps 57:4, 'their teeth are spears and arrows'; Ps 58:6).
Appears 12 times in 11 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·
What it means
ὀδούς, -όντος, ὁ
[in LXX for שֵׁן ;]
a tooth: Matthew 5:38, Mark 9:18, Acts 7:54; pl., Revelation 9:8, ὁ βρυγμὸς (which see) τ. ὀδόντων, Matthew 8:12 13:42, 50 22:13 24:51 25:30, Luke 13:28.†
(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 9:8
- Range of meaning
Tooth. It appears in 'eye for eye, tooth for tooth' and in 'weeping and gnashing of teeth'. In poetic imagery, teeth are the weapons of a predator or an enemy (Ps 57:4, 'their teeth are spears and arrows'; Ps 58:6).
- Against the English
'Teeth' is accurate. What is easy to miss is that the phrase quotes Scripture.
- Used elsewhere in the period
Joel 1:6 in the Septuagint reads οἱ ὀδόντες αὐτοῦ ὀδόντες λέοντος, 'its teeth are lion's teeth', describing a locust plague pictured as an invading nation. Sirach 21:2 uses the same picture for sin: 'its teeth are lion's teeth, destroying the souls of people.'
Where it appears
Matthew · 8
-
Matthew 5:38 ὀδόντα ὀδόντος. tooth, tooth.’
You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.’
Here: "Tooth." Like the eye, it is the object of the implied "give". Pairing the eye, an injury that cannot be undone, with a tooth, a lesser one, signals that the principle covers every degree of bodily harm.
-
Matthew 8:12 ὀδόντων. teeth.
But the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Here: Teeth. The phrase is the physical picture of clenched, grinding anger or anguish.
-
Matthew 13:42 ὀδόντων. of teeth.
And they will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Here: 'Of the teeth.' The phrase is a vivid bodily picture: jaws clenched and grinding.
-
Matthew 13:50 ὀδόντων. teeth.
and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Here: "Of the teeth." Says what is being ground, completing the familiar body image.
-
Matthew 22:13 ὀδόντων. teeth.
Then the king told the servants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Here: Completes the idiom “gnashing of teeth”.
-
Matthew 24:51 ὀδόντων.¶ of teeth.
Then he will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Here: 'Teeth.' The phrase as a whole is a picture of people in grief and fury at being shut out.
-
Matthew 25:30 ὀδόντων.¶ teeth.
And throw that worthless servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Here: The teeth being ground. Together with "grinding" it makes the stock biblical gesture of hostility and helpless fury.
Mark · 1
-
Mark 9:18 ὀδόντας his teeth
Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked Your disciples to drive it out, but they were unable.”
Luke · 1
-
Luke 13:28 ὀδόντων, teeth
There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves are thrown out.
Here: Completes the idiom 'gnashing of teeth'.
Acts · 1
-
Acts 7:54 ὀδόντας teeth
On hearing this, the members of the Sanhedrin were enraged, and they gnashed their teeth at him.
Here: The object of the grinding: 'the teeth.'
Revelation · 1
-
Revelation 9:8 ὀδόντες teeth
They had hair like that of women, and teeth like those of lions.
Here: 'Teeth'. In the Bible's imagery, teeth stand for the power to tear and devour. The wording echoes Joel 1:6, where the locust nation's 'teeth are lion's teeth'.
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.