νῆσος
an island
Definition
The Greek word νῆσος (nēsos) refers to an island, a piece of land surrounded by water. In the New Testament, it consistently carries this literal, geographical meaning, describing actual islands like Cyprus (Acts 13:6), Malta (Acts 28:1), and Patmos (Revelation 1:9). In Revelation 6:14, the term is used in a dramatic, apocalyptic vision where 'every mountain and island was moved from its place,' symbolizing a cosmic upheaval. There is no metaphorical or symbolic meaning attached to the word itself in its biblical usage.
Biblical Usage
Νῆσος is used exclusively in the narrative books of Acts and the prophetic book of Revelation. In Acts, it describes the specific islands encountered during Paul's missionary journeys and his voyage to Rome, such as Cyprus, Crete, and Malta (Acts 13:6; 27:26; 28:1). In Revelation, it appears twice: first, denoting the island of Patmos where John received his vision (Revelation 1:9), and second, in the symbolic description of the end times where islands are displaced (Revelation 6:14). The usage is consistently literal for locations.
Etymology
The word νῆσος is of ancient Greek origin, meaning 'island.' It is a primary noun with no clear derivation from a simpler root within Greek. Cognates appear in other Indo-European languages. Its meaning remained stable from classical through Koine Greek, simply denoting a landmass in the sea.
Semantic Range
In the ancient Greco-Roman world, islands were often viewed as remote, isolated places, sometimes associated with exile or refuge. The island of Patmos, for instance, was a place of banishment (Revelation 1:9). Malta (Melitē), called a νῆσος, was a known stopping point in Mediterranean travel. Understanding this reinforces the narrative of Paul's shipwreck as occurring at a known, though distant, location, and highlights John's physical separation on Patmos when receiving his revelation.
None directly applicable for 'island' in the NT. For 'land' or 'earth' in contrast to sea: γῆ (gē, G1093) — land, earth, soil.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Dodson Greek-English Lexicon, a concise public-domain resource suitable for introductory word study. Brief glosses are supplemented by STEPBible TBESG data (CC BY 4.0). For advanced research, standard scholarly references include BDAG (Danker, 3rd ed.) and LSJ.
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