Greek word · G3646

ὁλοκαύτωμα

holokautōma

burnt offering

A whole burnt offering: an animal entirely consumed by fire on the altar (Hebrew 'olah, 'what goes up'). It was offered daily morning and evening (the tamid) and on festivals.

Appears 3 times in 3 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

ὁλοκαύτωμα, -τος, τό

(ὅλος, καίω), [in LXX chiefly for עֹלָה ;]

a whole burnt offering: Mark 12:33, Hebrews 10:6, 8" (LXX) (of. Kennedy, Sources, 113 f.).†

SYN.: see: θυσία (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 Mark 12:33

Range of meaning

A whole burnt offering: an animal entirely consumed by fire on the altar (Hebrew 'olah, 'what goes up'). It was offered daily morning and evening (the tamid) and on festivals.

Against the English

BSB, NIV and NASB 'burnt offerings' drop the 'whole' (holo-) that ESV, KJV, WEB and YLT keep. The 'whole' is the point: this was the most complete gift possible. (The English word 'holocaust' comes from this Greek root. The modern genocide sense has nothing to do with the verse.)

Used elsewhere in the period

The standard LXX term for 'olah (Lev 1). The pair ὁλοκαυτώματα καὶ θυσίαι is a fixed phrase in the LXX (1 Sam 15:22; Ps 39[40]:7; Jer 7:21–22).

Where it appears

Mark · 1

  1. Mark 12:33 ὁλοκαυτωμάτων burnt offerings

    and to love Him with all your heart and with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself. This is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

    Here: The Greek for the Hebrew 'olah: an animal burned completely on the altar, nothing kept back for priest or worshipper. It was the most total gift Israel's worship had.

Hebrews · 2

  1. Hebrews 10:6 ὁλοκαυτώματα Burnt offerings

    In burnt offerings and sin offerings You took no delight.

  2. Hebrews 10:8 ὁλοκαυτώματα burnt offerings

    In the passage above He says, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings You did not desire, nor did You delight in them” (although they are offered according to the law).

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