Bible Word Study
τίμιος
timios · of great price, precious, honored
τίμιος
of great price, precious, honored
Definition
Τίμιος describes something of great value, whether material or spiritual. In its primary sense, it means 'precious' or 'costly,' as seen with gold and silver (1 Corinthians 3:12) or the priceless blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:19). It also carries the meaning of 'honored' or 'esteemed,' referring to people held in high regard, like Gamaliel (Acts 5:34) or the marriage bed (Hebrews 13:4). Furthermore, in passages like 1 Peter 1:7 and 2 Peter 1:4, it conveys the idea of something supremely valuable and weighty, such as tested faith or divine promises.
Biblical Usage
The word is used across various New Testament genres. In Acts, it describes honored people (Acts 5:34) and Paul's valued life (Acts 20:24). The Pauline and general epistles employ it for precious materials (1 Corinthians 3:12), moral honor (Hebrews 13:4), and supremely valuable spiritual realities: faith (1 Peter 1:7), Christ's blood (1 Peter 1:19), and God's promises (2 Peter 1:4). James 5:7 uses it for the 'precious' fruit of the earth, showing its application to agricultural patience.
Etymology
Derived from the noun τιμή (timē, G5092), meaning 'honor, value, or price.' The adjective τίμιος fundamentally means 'honored' or 'valuable,' directly linking esteem with inherent worth. This root connection shows how honor and preciousness were intertwined concepts in Greek thought.
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as it bridges material and spiritual value. It elevates spiritual realities—faith, Christ's sacrifice, divine promises—to the highest level of worth, far surpassing earthly treasures. Understanding τίμιος helps readers see how the New Testament redefines true preciousness not by worldly cost but by divine origin and eternal significance, enriching passages about redemption and Christian living. In the Greco-Roman world, τιμή (honor) was a core social value. Something 'τίμιος' carried public recognition and inherent worth. This cultural backdrop makes the biblical usage striking, as it transfers this high honor from typical societal figures (nobles, wealth) to spiritual concepts (faith, Christ's blood) and ethical commands (marriage), challenging contemporary values. πολύτιμος (polutimos, G4185) — emphasizes being 'very costly' or 'of great price,' an intensified form (e.g., Matthew 13:46). ἔντιμος (entimos, G1784) — focuses on being 'held in honor' or 'esteemed' (e.g., Luke 14:8).
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Dodson Greek-English Lexicon, supplemented by STEPBible TBESG data (CC BY 4.0). Concordance and morphology data are derived from the interlinear Bible.
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]