Greek word · G5557
χρυσός
chrysos
gold
Gold, as metal, ornament or coinage. In the Bible it is regularly a temple material and an image of purity tested by fire.
Appears 10 times in 9 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·
What it means
χρυσός, -οῦ, ὁ
[in LXX chiefly for זָהָב ;]
gold: Matthew 2:11, Revelation 9:7; of golden ornaments, Matthew 23:16-17, 1 Timothy 2:9 (Rec., WH, mg.), James 5:3, Revelation 17:4 (Rec., WH, mg.) Revelation 18:12, 16 (Rec., WH, mg.); of images, Acts 17:29; of gold coin, Matthew 10:9.†
(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 1 Corinthians 3:12
- Range of meaning
Gold, as metal, ornament or coinage. In the Bible it is regularly a temple material and an image of purity tested by fire.
- Against the English
'Gold' is exact. What English loses is the association: a first-century Jew or a reader of the Greek Old Testament would think of temple building, not jewellery or money.
- Used elsewhere in the period
1 Chr 29:2 (Greek Old Testament): David gathers gold, silver, bronze, iron, timber and 'every precious stone' for God's house. 1 Kgs 6: Solomon overlays the sanctuary with gold. Josephus (War 5.222) describes the front of Herod's temple covered in heavy gold plates. Mal 3:2–3 pictures the coming day of the Lord as a refiner's fire purifying gold and silver, an image close to Paul's 'the fire will test' in v. 13.
Similar words
Where it appears
Matthew · 5
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Matthew 2:11 χρυσὸν gold
On coming to the house, they saw the Child with His mother Mary, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh.
Here: Gold, the most obvious royal wealth. It recalls the "gold of Sheba" given to the king in Psalm 72:15 and the gold the nations bring in Isaiah 60:6.
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Matthew 10:9 χρυσὸν gold
Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts.
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Matthew 23:16 χρυσῷ gold
Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’
Here: The temple's gold. That could mean the gold plating and ornaments of Herod's sanctuary, its gold vessels, or the gold kept in its treasury. The point is that it is the costly, visible part, the thing you could value in money.
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Matthew 23:17 χρυσὸς χρυσόν; gold, gold?
You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes it sacred?
Acts · 1
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Acts 17:29 χρυσῷ to gold
Therefore, being offspring of God, we should not think that the Divine Being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by man’s skill and imagination.
Here: The first of three cult-statue materials, in the dative after 'like' at the end of the sentence. Athens had famous gold-covered statues of Athena.
1 Corinthians · 1
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1 Corinthians 3:12 χρυσόν, gold,
If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw,
Here: The first and most costly material. Gold was used in temples, not houses: Solomon's temple was overlaid with gold, and so was the front of Herod's temple. Fire does not destroy it; fire purifies it.
James · 1
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James 5:3 χρυσὸς gold
Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and consume your flesh like fire. You have hoarded treasure in the last days.
Here: Gold, the highest-status and supposedly most lasting form of wealth. Ancient writers praised it as the metal that does not decay, and that is exactly what makes the image shocking.
Revelation · 2
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Revelation 9:7 χρυσῷ, as gold,
And the locusts looked like horses prepared for battle, with something like crowns of gold on their heads; and their faces were like the faces of men.
Here: Gold. The point is a golden gleam, the look of a victor's or ruler's headgear.
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Revelation 18:12 χρυσοῦ of gold
cargo of gold, silver, precious stones, and pearls; of fine linen, purple, silk, and scarlet; of all kinds of citron wood and every article of ivory, precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble;
Here: Gold as bullion, jewellery and gilding. It comes first, as in the harlot's adornment (17:4) and the city's lament (18:16).
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.