Bible Word Study
τρίστεγος
tristegos · having three stories, the third story
τρίστεγος
having three stories, the third story
Definition
τρίστεγος is an adjective meaning 'having three stories' or 'three-storied.' In its only biblical occurrence, it functions as a substantive noun to refer specifically to 'the third story' or 'third floor' of a building (Acts 20:9). The word describes the architectural level where the young man Eutychus was sitting before he fell. There are no other major senses or differing meanings in biblical usage, as it appears only this once.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the New Testament, in Acts 20:9. It describes the upper room in Troas where believers gathered to hear Paul preach. The context is a narrative detail specifying the location from which Eutychus fell: 'And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft (τρίστεγος), and was taken up dead.' The usage is purely descriptive of the building's structure.
Etymology
Derived from the Greek roots τρί- (tri-, meaning 'three') and στέγος (stegos, meaning 'roof' or 'covering'). It is a compound adjective literally meaning 'three-roofed' or 'with three roofs,' which came to signify a building with three levels or stories. The related noun στέγη can refer to a roof or a dwelling.
Semantic Range
In the ancient Mediterranean world, multi-story buildings, especially residential structures with upper rooms, were common in urban settings like Troas. The 'third story' (τρίστεγος) would have been the top floor, often used for gatherings, as it provided more space and privacy. Windows in such upper rooms were typically large openings without glass, which explains how Eutychus could fall from the window ledge. This detail adds vivid realism to the narrative, highlighting the crowded and perhaps warm conditions of the lengthy meeting. ὑπερῷον (hyperōon, G5253) — an 'upper room' or chamber, often used for gatherings, but not specifying the number of stories.
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]