G4735 στέφανος (stéphanos)

Greek 📖 Greek Word Study

Noun, Masculine

Quick Definition

στέφανος, ου, ὁ n.m. a crown, garland

Strong's Definition

a chaplet (as a badge of royalty, a prize in the public games or a symbol of honor generally; but more conspicuous and elaborate than the simple fillet, G1238 (διάδημα)), literally or figuratively

Derivation: from an apparently primary (to twine or wreathe);

KJV Usage: crown

UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament

στέφανος (G4735)

noun, m. | -ου

6.192 · Artifacts · Adornments

wreath, crown a wreath consisting either of foliage or of precious metals formed to resemble foliage and worn as a symbol of honor, victory, or as a badge of high office It may be important in some contexts to indicate clearly the significance of the wreath worn on the head, for example, ‘a wreath to show victory.’ To describe ‘a wreath’ merely as ‘a circle of leaves’ would hardly be sufficient to indicate its cultural significance. In order to do justice to the cultural relevance of such a wreath, it may be important to add some type of marginal note (compare διάδημα ‘diadem crown,’ 6.196).

MAT 27:29 · MRK 15:17 · JHN 19:2 · JHN 19:5 · 1CO 9:25 · 1TH 2:19 · JAS 1:12 · 1PE 5:4 · REV 4:4 · REV 4:10 · REV 6:2 · REV 9:7 · REV 12:1 · REV 14:14

57.121 · Possess, Transfer, Exchange · Give

prize, reward a prize or reward given as the result of outstanding performance In REV 2:10 the relationship between τὸν στέφανον and τῆς ζωῆς is one of apposition, for the prize consists of life. Essentially the same relationship exists in the construction ἀπόκειταί μοι ὁ τῆς δικαιοσύνης στέφανος ‘the prize of righteousness awaits me’ 2TI 4:8. In this case the prize is ‘being declared righteous’ or ‘being put right with God.’

1TH 2:19 · 2TI 4:8 · JAS 1:12 · REV 2:10 · REV 3:11

42.19 · Perform, Do · Do, Perform

crown, symbol of success, sign of accomplishment (a figurative extension of meaning of στέφανος[a] ‘wreath, crown,’ 6.192) a symbol of successful activity

PHP 4:1 · 1TH 2:19

UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

στέφανος, -ov, 6, (στέφω [to put round; ef. Curtius § 224]), Sept. for Mwy, [fr. Hom. down], a crown (with which the head is encircled) ; a. prop. as a mark of royal or (in general) exalted rank [such pass. in the Sept. as 2S. xii. 30; 1 Chr. xx. 2; Ps. xx. (xxi.) 4; Ezek. xxi. 26; Zech. vi. 11, 14, (yet ef. 2 S.i. 10 Compl, Lag.), perhaps justify the doubt whether the distinction betw. στέφανος and διάδημα (q.v-) was strictly observed in Hellenistic Grk.]: Mt. xxvii. 29; Mk. xv. 17; Jn. xix. 2, 5; Rev. iv.4, 10; vi. 2; ix. 7; xiv. 14; with a gen. of the material, ἀστέρων δώδεκα, Rev. xii.1; the wreath or garland which was given as a prize to victors in the public games [cf. BB. DD. 5. v. Games]: 1 Co. ix. 25, ef. 2 Tim. ii. 5. b. metaph. a. the eternal blessedness which will be given asa prize to the genuine servants of God and Christ: 6 τῆς δικαιοσύνης στέφανος, the crown (wreath) which is the reward of righteousness, 2 Tim. iv. 8; with an epexeget. gen. in the phrases λαμβάνεσθαι, διδύναι τὸν στέφανον τῆς ζωῆς, equiv. to τὴν ζωὴν ὡς τὸν στέφανον, Jas. i. 12; Rev. ii. 10; κομίζεσθαι τὸν τῆς δόξης στέφανον, 1 Pet. v. 4; λαβεῖν τ. στέφανόν τινος, to cause one to fail of the promised and hoped for prize, Rev. iii. 11. B. that which is an ornament and honor to one: so of persons, Phil. iv. 1; στέφ. καυχήσεως (see καύχησις), 1 Th. ii. 19, (Prov. xii. 4; xvi. 31; xvii. 6, ete.).

Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary

στέφανος stephanos 18x

that which forms an encirclement; a crown, Mt. 27:29; Rev. 4:4, 10; wreath, conferred on a victor in the public games, 1 Cor. 9:25; met. a crown, reward, prize, 2 Tim. 4:8; Jas. 1:12; a crown, ornament, honor, glory

Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon

στέφανος, -ου, ὁ

(< στέφω, to encircle), [in LXX chiefly for עֲטָרָה ;]

that which surrounds or encompasses (as a wall, a crowd: Hom., al.).

a crown, i.e. the wreath, garland or chaplet given as a prize for victory, as a festal ornament, or as a public honour for distinguished service or personal worth (so to sovereigns, especially on the occasion of a παρουσία, q.v.; cf. Deiss., LAE, 372 ff.; on its use in LXX for the golden crown of royalty (prop., διάδημα, q.v., cf. Hort and Mayor on Ja 1:12): Mt 27:29, Mk 15:17, Jo 19:2, 5, I Co 9:25, Re 4:4, 10 6:2 9:7 12:1 14:14. Metaph.: Phl 4:1, Re 3:11; τ. δικαιοσύνης (cf. Deiss., LAE, 312), II Ti 4:8; τ. δόξης, I Pe 5:4; καυχήσεως, I Th 2:19 (v. M, Th., in l.); τ. ζωῆς (gen. appos.), Ja 1:12, Re 2:10.†

Trench — Synonyms of the New Testament

We must not confound these words because our English ‘crown’ stands for them both. I greatly doubt whether anywhere in classical literature στέφανος is used of the kingly, or imperial, crown. It is the crown of victory in the games, of civic worth, of military valour, of nuptial joy, of festal gladness—woven of oak, of ivy, of parsley, of myrtle, of olive, or imitating in gold these leaves or others—of flowers, as of violets or roses (see Athenzeus, xv. 9-33); the ‘wreath,’ in fact, or the ‘ garland,’ the German ‘ Kranz’ as distinguished from ‘ Krone ;’ but never, any more than ‘corona’ in Latin, the emblem and sign of royalty. The διάδημα was this βασιλείας γνώρισμα, as Lucian calls it (Pisc. 35 ; cf. Xenophon, Cyr. vill. 3.13; Plutarch, De Frat. Am. 18); being properly a white linen band or fillet, ‘tenia’ or ‘ fascia’ (Curtius, iii. 8), encircling the brow; so that no language is more common than περιτιθέναι διάδημα to indicate the assumption of royal dignity (Polybius, v. 57.4; 1 Macc. 1.9; xi. 13; xiii. 82; Josephus, Anti. xii. 10. 1), even as in Latin in like manner the ‘ diadema’ alone is the ‘insigne regium ’ (Tacitus, Annal. xv. 29). With this agree Selden’s opening words in his learned discussion on the distinction between ‘crowns’ and ‘diadems’ (Titles of Honour, c. 8, ὃ 2): ‘However those names have been from ancient time confounded, yet the diadem strictly was a very different thing from what a crown now is or was; being, indeed, no more than a fillet of silk, linen, or some such thing. Nor does it appear that any other kind of crown was used for a royal ensign, except only in some kingdoms of Asia, until the beginning of Christianity in the Roman Empire.’ A passage in Plutarch brings out very clearly the §xxit SYNONYMS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT 75 distinction here affirmed. The kingly crown which Antonius offers to Cesar the biographer describes as διάδημα στεφάνῳ δάφνης περιπεπλεγμένον (Ces. 61). Here the στέφανος is the garland or laureate wreath, with which the diadem proper was enwoven; indeed, according to Cicero (Phil. ii. 84), Cesar was already ‘coronatus’ (=éoredavwpévos), this he would have been as Consul, when the offer was made. It is by keeping this distinction in mind that we explain a version in Suetonius (Ces. 79) of the same incident. One places on Cesar’s statue ‘ coronam lauream candida fascia preligatam’ (his statues, Plutarch also informs us, were diadjpacw ἀναδεδεμένοι βασιλικοῖς) ; on which the tribunes command to be removed, not the ‘corona,’ but the ‘fascia ;’ this being the diadem, in which alone the traitorous suggestion that he should suffer himself to be proclaimed king was contained. Compare Diodorus Siculus, xx. 54, where of one he says, διάδημα μὲν οὐκ ἔκρινεν ἔχειν, ἐφόρει γὰρ ἀεὶ στέφανον. How accurately the words are discriminated in the Septuagint and in the Apocrypha may be seen by comparing in the First Maccabees the passages in which διάδημα is employed (such as i.9; vi. 15; viii. 14; xi. 18, 54; xii. 89; xiii. 82), and those where στέφανος appears (iv. 57; x. 29; Xi. 35; xill. 89; cf. 2 Macc. xiv. 4). Compare Isai. Ixii. 8, where of Israel it is said that it shall be στέφανος κάλλους, but, as it is added, διάδημα βασιλείας. In the N. T. it is plain that the στέφανος whereof St. Paul speaks is always the conqueror’s, and not the king’s (1 Cor. ix. 24-26; 2 Tim. ii. 5); it is the same in what passes for the Second Epistle of Clement, ὃ 7. If St. Peter’s allusion (1 Pet. v. 4) is not so directly to the Greek games, yet he too is silently contrasting the wreaths of heaven which never fade, the ἀμαράντινος στέφανος τῆς δόξης, with the garlands of earth which lose their beauty and freshness eosnoon.. At gam. 1. 12> Nev. ΠΤ} iol) iy. 4, 1 1g little probable that a reference, either near or remote, is intended to these Greek games; the alienation from which, as 76 SYNONYMS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT §xxu idolatrous and profane, reached so far back, was so deep on the part of the Jews (Josephus, Antt. xv. 8.1-4; 1 Mace. i. 14; 2 Macc. iv. 9,12), and no doubt also of the Jewish members of the Church, that imagery drawn from the prizes of these games would have rather repelled than attracted them. Yet there also the στέφανος, or the στέφανος τῆς ζωῆς, is the emblem, not of royalty, but of highest joy and gladness (cf. στέφανος ἀγαλλιάματος, Ecclus. vi. 31), of glory and immortality. We may the more confidently conclude that with St. John it was so, from the fact that on three occasions, where beyond a doubt he does intend kingly crowns, he employs διάδημα (Rev. xii. 8 ; xiii. 1 [οὗ xvii. 9, 10, ai ἑπτὰ κεφαλαὶ. .. βασιλεῖς ἑπτά εἶσιν]; xix. 12). In this last verse it is sublimely said of Him who is King of kings and Lord of lords, that “on his head were many crowns” (διαδήματα πολλά) ; an expression, with all its magnificence, difficult to realize, so long as we picture to our mind’s eye such crowns as at the present monarchs wear, but intelligible at once, when we contemplate them as ‘ diadems,’ that is, narrow fillets encircling the brow. These “many diadems’”’ will then be the tokens of the many royalties—of earth, of heaven, and of hell (Phil. 11. 10)—which are his; royalties once usurped or assailed by the Great Red Dragon, the usurper of Christ’s dignities and honours, who has therefore his own seven diadems as well (xiii. 1), but now openly and for ever assumed by Him whose rightfully they are; just as, to compare earthly things with heavenly, when Ptolemy, king of Egypt, entered Antioch in triumph, he set two ‘crowns,’ or ‘diadems’ rather (διαδήματα), on his head, the ‘diadem’ of Asia, and the ‘diadem’ of Egypt (1 Mace. xi. 13) ; or as in Diodorus Siculus (i. 47) we read of one ἔχουσαν τρεῖς βασιλείας ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς, the context plainly showing that these are three diadems, the symbols of a triple royalty, which she wore. The only occasion on .which στέφανος might seem to be used of a kingly crown is Matt. xxvii. 29; cf. Mark xv. 17; John xix. 2; where the weaving of the crown of thorns §xxiv_ SYNONYMS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT 77 ἜΣ (στέφανος ἀκάνθινος), and placing it on the Saviour’s head, is evidently a part of that blasphemous masquerade of royalty which the Roman soldiers would fain compel Him to enact. But woven of such materials as it was, probably of the juncus marinus, or of the lyciwm spinosum, it is evident that διάδημα could not be applied to it; and the word, therefore, which - was fittest in respect of the material whereof it was composed, takes the place of that which would have been the fittest in respect of the purpose for which it was intended. On the whole subject of this § see The Dictionary of the Bible, 5. vv. Crown and Diadem; and Dictionary of Chnstian Antiquities, art. Coronation, p. 464. § Χχῖν. πλεονεξία, φιλαργυρία. BETWEEN these words the same distinction exists as between our ‘covetousness’ and ‘avarice,’ as between the German ‘Habsucht’ and ‘Geiz.’ Πλεονεξία, primarily the having more, and then in a secondary and more usual sense, the desire after the having more, is the more active sin, φιλαργυρία the more passive: the first, the ‘amor sceleratus habendi,’ seeks rather to grasp what it has not; the second, to retain, and, by accumulating, to multiply that which it already has. The first, in its methods of acquiring, will be often bold and aggressive; even as it may, and often will, be as free in scattering and squandering, as it was eager and unscrupulous in getting: the πλεονέκτης will be often ‘ rapti largitor,’ as was Catiline; characterizing whom Cicero demands (Pyro Cel. 6): ‘Quis in rapacitate avarior? quis in largitione effusior ?’ even as the same idea is very boldly conceived in the Sir Giles Overreach of Massinger. Consistently with this, we find πλεονέκτης joined with ἅρπαξ (1 Cor. v. 10); πλεονεξία With βαρύτης (Plutarch, Arist. 3); πλεονεξίαι with κλοπαί (Mark vii. 22): with ἀδικίαι (Strabo, vil. 4. 6); with φιλονεικίαι (Plato, Legg. iii. 677 ὃ); and the sin defined by Theodoret (in Hp. ad Rom. i. 80): ἡ τοῦ πλείονος ἔφεσις, καὶ TOV οὐ προσηκόντων ἡ ἁρπαγή: With which compare the 78 SYNONYMS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT xxiv definition, whosesoever it may be, of ‘avaritia’ as ‘ injuriosa appetitio alienorum’ (ad Herenn. iv. 25) ; and compare further Bengel’s note (on Mark vii. 22): ‘ πλεονεξία, comparativum involvens, denotat medium quiddam inter furtum et rapinam ; ubi per varias artes id agitur ut alter per se, sed cum lesione sul, inscius vel invitus, offerat, concedat et tribuat, quod indigne accipias.’ It is therefore fitly joined with αἰσχροκερδεία (Polybius, vi. 46. 8). But, while it is thus with πλεονεξία, φιλαργυρία, on the other hand, the miser’s sin (it is joined with puxporoyia, Plutarch, Quom. Am. ab Adul. 36) will be often cautious and timid, and will not necessarily have cast off the outward shows of uprightness. The Pharisees, for example, were φιλάργυροι (Luke xvi. 14): this was not irreconcilable with the maintenance of a religious profession, which the πλεονεξία would have manifestly been. Cowley, in the delightful prose which he has interspersed among his verse, draws this distinction strongly and well (Essay 7, Of Avarice), though Chaucer had done the same before him (see his Persones Tale; and his description severally of Covetise and Avarice in The Romaunt of the fiose, 183-246). ‘There are,’ Cowley says, ‘two sorts of avarice; the one is but of a bastard kind, and that is the rapacious appetite for gain ; not for its own sake, but for the pleasure of refunding it immediately through all the channels of pride and luxury; the other is the true kind, and properly so called, which is a restless and unsatiable desire of riches, not for any further end or use, but only to hoard and preserve, and perpetually increase them. The covetous man of the first kind is like a greedy ostrich, which devours any metal, but it is with an intent to feed upon it, and, in effect, it makes a shift to digest and excern it. The second is like the foolish chough, which loves to steal money only to hide it.’ There is another point of view in which πλεονεξία may be regarded as the larger term, the genus, of which φιλαργυρία is the species; this last being the love of money, while πλεονεξία is the drawing and snatching by the sinner to himself of the creature in every form and kind, as it lies out of ν᾿ §xxiv SYNONYMS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT 79 and beyond himself; the ‘indigentia’ of Cicero (‘ indigentia est libido inexplebilis;’ Tusc. iv. 9. 21); compare Dio Chrysostom, De Avarit. Orat. 17; Augustine, Hnarr. in Ps. exviii. 35, 36; and Bengel’s profound explanation of the fact, that, in the enumeration of sins, St. Paul so often associates πλεονεξία With sins of the flesh ; as at 1 Cor.v. 11; Ephes. v. 8, 5; Col. 111. 5: ‘Solet autem jungere cum impuritate πλεονεξίαν, nam homo extra Deum querit pabulum in creaturaé materiali, vel per voluptatem, vel per avaritiam: bonum alienum ad se redigit.’ But, expressing much, Bengel has not expressed all. The connexion between these two provinces of sin is deeper and more intimate still; and this is witnessed in the fact, that not merely is πλεονεξία, as signifying covetousness, joined to sins of impurity, but the word is sometimes used, as at Hphes. v. 3 (see Jerome, in loc.), and often by the Greek Fathers (see Suicer, Thes. s. v.: and Hammond’s excellent note on Rom. i. 29), to designate these sins themselves; even as the root oat of which they alike grow, namely, the fiercer and ever fiercer longing of the creature which has forsaken God, to fill itself with the lower objects of sense, is one and the same. The monsters of lust among the Roman emperors were monsters of covetousness as well (Suetonius, Calig. 88-41). Contemplated under this aspect, πλεονεξία has a much wider and deeper sense than φιλαργυρία. Plato (Gorg. 493), likening the desire of man to the sieve or pierced vessel of the Danaids, which they were ever filling, but might never fill,' has implicitly a sublime commentary on the word ; nor is it too much to say, that in it is summed up that ever defeated longing of the creature, as it has despised the children’s bread, to stay its hunger with the husks of the swine. i It is evident that the same comparison had occurred to Shakespeare ; ‘The cloyed will, That satiate yet unsatisfied desire, That tub both filled and running.’ Cymbeline, Act i. Se. 7. 80 SYNONYMS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT §xxv ὃ xxv. Bock, ποιμαίνω.

Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT

στέφανος. From denoting a “ garland” or “‘ wreath” generally, στέφανος came to denote a ‘‘ crown of victory,’’ and as such was applied by Paul to his converts, as in 1 Thess 2.5. It should be noted, however, that the distinction between στέφανος, ‘“‘crown of victory” (*‘ Kranz”’) and διάδημα, “crown of royalty” (‘‘ Krone”) must not be pressed too far as by Trench Sy. § xxiii., for στέφανος is not infrequently used in the latter sense: see Mayor’s note on Jas 17%, and add from our sources the use of στέφανος to denote the “crown-tax ’” (aurum coronarium) for the present made to a king on his accession or other important occasion, e.g. P Petr 11. 39(e)it 33 (iii/B.c.) (as amended Wilcken Ostr. 1. p. 275) ἄλλου (sc. στεφάνου) παρουσίας, P Cairo Zen I. 59036 (B.C. 257) where 3000 drachmae are collected as © στέφανος τῶι βασιλεῖ, and P Fay 14° (B.C. 124) ot προκεχιρισμένοι πράκτορες τοῦ ἀναπεφωνημένου Novpnviw στεφάνου, ‘‘the appointed collectors of the crown-tax decreed for Numenius,” a private individual. See further Wilcken Ostr i. p. 295 ff., and for a more specific instance of ‘“‘a crown of victory,” see the interesting letter P Lond 1178 (=TIII. p. 215 f., Selectzons,.p. 99), in which the Emperor Claudius acknowledges the “golden crown” sent to him by the Worshipful Gymnastic Club of Nomads on the occasion of his victory over the Britons—!* τὸν πεμ[φ]θέντία pot ὑφ᾽ ὑμῶν ἐπὶ τῇ κατὰ Βρετάννων νείκῃ χρυσοῦν σ᾽ τέϊφ[αἹνον. A member of this Club may be referred to in P Ryl IT. 15335 (A.D. 138-161), when ‘‘allowances” are made to an athlete onaccount of his ‘‘ athletic crown ’—trép οὗ ἔσχον ἀθλητικοῦ στεφάνου. Στέφανος is used in a more general sense, ““τενναγά,ἢ “gratuity,” in P Goodsp Cairo 58 (ii/B.c.), where Peteuris promises a reward of five talents of copper, eis στέφανον χαλκοῦ (τάλαντα) πέντε, On account of some special service (cf. Archivii. p. 578 f.). The dim. στεφάνιον is similarly used in P Petr III. 14219 (iii/B.c.) στεφάνια τῶι ᾿Αδώνει, and P Par 4213 (B.c. 156) (= UPZ i. p. 318) στεφάνιόν ἐστιν xa(AKod) (ταλάντων) ¥. A good ex. of the metaph. use of the word, as in Phil 4?, Rey 311, is afforded by PSI IV. 4053 (iii/B.c.) μέγας yap σου ὁ στέφανός ἐστιν ὑπὸ πάντων. . . εὐλογεῖσθαι: see Archiv vi. p. 393. Some miscellaneous exx. of the word are—P Oxy 1V. 736° (accounts—c. A.D. I) γενεσίοις Τρυφᾶτος στεφά(νων) (ὀβολοὶ δύο), “on the birthday of Tryphas, for garlands 2 ob.,” 7b. IX. 1211® (articles for a sacrifice—ii/A.D.) στέφανοι ts, P Lond 964?° (prepara> ἐπιλάθῃ μηδὲν τοὺς στεφάνους κίαὶ) τὰ τάβλια, and 10. 1164(i)22 (A.D. 212) (ΞΞ ΠΙ. p. 166) οἷς ἐνίκησα στεφάνοις. Reference may be made to the monograph by Josef K6chling De Coronarum apud antiquos vi atgue usu (in Religionsgeschichtliche Versuche und Vorarbetten xiv. 2), Giessen, 1914.

Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon

στέφανος (stephanos) — crown. στέφᾰνος, ὁ, (στέφω) that which surrounds or encompasses, πάντῃ γάρ σε περὶ σ. πολέμοιο δέδηεν the circling fight, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; of the wall round a town, [Refs 6th c.BC+]; καλλίπαις σ. circle of fair children, [Refs 5th c.BC+]

II. crown, wreath, chaplet, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; δάφνας σ. [Refs 3rd c.BC+]; ῥόδινος, ῥοδόεις, [Refs 6th c.BC+]; σ. εἴρειν, πλέκειν, ἀνείρειν, [Refs 7th c.BC+]; θεῖσα ἀμφὶ βοστρύχοις[Refs 5th c.BC+]; μύρα, στεφάνους ἑτοίμασον for a feast, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; hung at the door on festive occasions, [Refs 4th c.BC+]

II. b in plural, οἱ σ. the garland-market, [Refs 4th c.BC+]

II.2. crown of victory at the public games, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τῆς ἐλαίης τὸν διδόμενον σ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ σ., title of an officer who had charge of these matters in Roman times, [Refs]

II.2. b honorary wreath or crown, frequently worked in gold, awarded for public services in war or peace, [Refs 5th c.BC+]: such crowns were frequently dedicated in temples, [Refs 3rd c.BC+]; περὶ τοῦ σ., title of [Refs 4th c.BC+]: metaphorically, prize, reward, αὑτῷ μὲν σ. περιθείς, Σαμίοισι δὲ κῦδος epigram cited in [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τοῦδε γὰρ ὁ σ. his is the prize (or perhaps for (bringing) him the prize is offered), [Refs 5th c.BC+]

II.2. c σ. πυργωτὸς καὶ οὐαλλάριος,= Latin corona muralis et vallaris, a Roman military decoration, [Refs 1st c.AD+]

II.3. crown of glory, honour, οὐκ ἂν αἰσχυνθείην εἰπὼν στέφανον τῆς πατρίδος εἶναι τὰς ἐκείνων ψυχάς [Refs 4th c.BC+]; ἐλευθερίας ἀμφέθετο σ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; σ. ζωῆς, δόξης, [NT]; ὁ τῆς δικαιοσύνης σ. [NT+8th c.BC+]

II.4. crown as a badge of office, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; ὁ σ. οὗτος, of the office of ἀρχιερεὺς Ἀσίας, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]; ἔχειν τὸν σ. to be in office, [Refs 2nd c.BC+]; ἀναδήσασθαι τὸν σ. τοῦτον [Refs 3rd c.AD+]: see at {στεφανηφόρος} [Refs]

II.5. in Egypt, money gift to the sovereign, levied by the state, [Refs 3rd c.BC+]; like wise in Syria, [LXX]; also of similar gifts to a court favourite, [Refs 2nd c.BC+]

II.6. τὰς εἰς τὸν σ. ἐπαγγελίας οὐκ ἔλαβον,= aurum coronarium non accepi, Mon.Anc.[Refs 3rd c.AD+]

II.7. donation, euphemism for a bribe, διεθέντος μου ὑπάρξει σοι εἰς σ. τάλαντα δεκαπέντε [Refs 3rd c.BC+]; gratuity, bonus, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]

II.8. the constellation [Refs 6th c.BC+]; σ. τόν τε κλείουσ᾽ Ἀριάδνης [Refs 3rd c.BC+]

II.9. name of a πηγή in the Chaldaean system, [Refs 5th c.AD+]

II.10. = δάφνη Ἀλεξανδρεία, [Refs 1st c.AD+]; Ἡλίου σ.,= ἅλιμος, Ps.-[Refs 1st c.AD+]

STEPBible — Tyndale Abridged Greek Lexicon

στέφανος, -ου, ὁ (στέφω, to encircle), [in LXX chiefly for עֲטָרָה ;] __1. that which surrounds or encompasses (as a wall, a crowd: Hom., al.). __2. a crown, i.e. the wreath, garland or chaplet given as a prize for victory, as a festal ornament, or as a public honour for distinguished service or personal worth (so to sovereigns, especially on the occasion of a παρουσία, which see; cf. Deiss., LAE, 372 ff.; on its use in LXX for the golden crown of royalty (prop., διάδημα, which see, cf. Hort and Mayor on Jas.1:12): Mat.27:29, Mrk.15:17, Jhn.19:2, 5, 1Co.9:25, Rev.4:4, 10 6:2 9:7 12:1 14:14. Metaphorical: Php.4:1, Rev.3:11; τ. δικαιοσύνης (cf. Deiss., LAE, 312), 2Ti.4:8; τ. δόξης, 1Pe.5:4; καυχήσεως, 1Th.2:19 (see M, Th., in l); τ. ζωῆς (genitive appos.), Jas.1:12, Rev.2:10.† (AS)

Bible Occurrences (18)

27:29

15:17

19:2 19:5

9:25

4:1

2:19

4:8

1:12

5:4

2:10 3:11 4:4 4:10 6:2 9:7 12:1 14:14

📖 Greek Word Study — In-Depth Study from Precept Austin

Crown (4735) stephanos

Crown (4735) (stephanos from stepho = to encircle, twine or wreathe) was a wreath made of foliage or designed to resemble foliage and worn by one of high status or held in high regard. The stephanos was literally an adornment worn around the head as a crown of victory in the Greek athletic games, this reward being given to the runner who crossed the goal first, to the disc thrower with the longest toss, etc. Apart from recognition of athletes and winners of various kinds of competitions, in the Greco-Roman world, the awarding of a crown or wreath signified appreciation for exceptional contributions to the state or groups within it. The recipients were usually public officials or civic-minded persons serving at their own expense Stephanos was used metaphorically to refer to a community of believers who exist as proof of a worker's success (1Th 2:19,20 - see notes 1Th 2:19; 20). Here stephanos is that which serves as adornment or source of pride. Stephanos was the name of a godly martyr in Acts (see verses below). Vine - A — (Strong's #4735 — Noun Masculine — stephanos — stef'-an-os ) primarily, "that which surrounds, as a wall or crowd" (from stepho, "to encircle"), denotes (a) "the victor's crown," the symbol of triumph in the games or some such contest; hence, by metonymy, a reward or prize; (b) "a token of public honor" for distinguished service, military prowess, etc., or of nuptial joy, or festal gladness, especially at the parousia of kings. It was woven as a garland of oak, ivy, parsley, myrtle, or olive, or in imitation of these in gold. In some passages the reference to the games is clear, 1 Corinthians 9:25 ; 2 Timothy 4:8 ("crown of righteousness"); it may be so in 1 Peter 5:4 , where the fadeless character of "the crown of glory" is set in contrast to the garlands of earth. In other passages it stands as an emblem of life, joy, reward and glory, Philippians 4:1 ; 1 Thessalonians 2:19 ; James 1:12 ("crown of life"); Revelation 2:10 (ditto); 3:11; 4:4,10: of triumph, Revelation 6:2 ; 9:7 ; 12:1 ; 14:14 (Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words) Stephanos is used 25 times in the NT. Study the uses below... Matthew 27:29 And after weaving a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they kneeled down before Him and mocked Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" Mark 15:17 And they dressed Him up in purple, and after weaving a crown of thorns, they put it on Him; John 19:2 And the soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and arrayed Him in a purple robe...5 Jesus therefore came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, "Behold, the Man!" Acts 6:5 And the statement found approval with the whole congregation; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmeand Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch...8 And Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people. 9 But some men from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and argued with Stephen. Acts 7:59 And they went on stoning Stephen as he called upon the Lord and said, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!" Acts 8:2 And some devout men buried Stephen, and made loud lamentation over him. Acts 11:19 So then those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose in connection with Stephen made their way to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews alone. Acts 22:20 'And when the blood of Thy witness Stephen was being shed, I also was standing by approving, and watching out for the cloaks of those who were slaying him.' 1 Corinthians 9:25 And everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Philippians 4:1-note Therefore, my beloved brethren whom I long to see, my joy and crown, so stand firm in the Lord, my beloved. 1 Thessalonians 2:19-note For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? 2 Timothy 4:8-note in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing. James 1:12-note Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. 1 Peter 5:4-note And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. Revelation 2:10-note 'Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. Revelation 3:11-note 'I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, in order that no one take your crown. Revelation 4:4-note And around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads...Re 4:10-note the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Revelation 6:2-note And I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him; and he went out conquering, and to conquer. Revelation 9:7-note And the appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle; and on their heads, as it were, crowns like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. Revelation 12:1-note And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; Revelation 14:14-note And I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was one like a son of man, having a golden crown on His head, and a sharp sickle in His hand. Stephanos should be clearly distinguished from another Greek word diadema (1238) which refers to a kingly crown. Stephanos is used 29 times in the Septuagint (LXX) (2Sa 12:30; 1Chr. 20:2; Est. 8:15; Job 19:9; 31:36; Ps. 21:3; 65:10; Pr. 1:9; 4:9; 12:4; 14:24; 16:31; 17:6; Song 3:11; Isa. 22:18, 21; 28:1, 3, 5; 62:3; Jer. 13:18; Lam. 2:15; 5:16; Ezek. 16:12; 21:26; 23:42; 28:12; Zech. 6:11, 14) In the first use of stephanos in the NT, Matthew says that "after weaving a crown (stephanos) of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they kneeled down before Him and mocked Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews! (Mt 27:29) Earlier Paul had used the verb form (stephanoo) reminding Timothy that "if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules. (NIV, see note 2 Timothy 2:5) The stephanos was the only prize ancient Olympic athletes received and thus it was cherished as a great treasure. How much more should we as believers "run with endurance the race that is set before" (He 12:1-note) us, knowing that the Olympic athletes "do it to receive a perishable wreath (stephanos) but we an imperishable." (1Co 9:25-note) TDNT has a lengthy note on stephanos... The crown, as a wreath placed around the head, is a sign of life and fertility, and perhaps also a symbol of light. It has a place in the cultus and supposedly wards off evil. The closed crown is used in magic. The crown expresses joy and honor, but also sorrow. It acknowledges excellence. II. Nature. The simplest crown consists of a bent twig or of two twigs tied together. Wreaths of grass, leaves, or flowers also occur. The Dionysus cult uses ivy, oak, and acanthus, Neptune and Pan wear wreaths of fig leaves, and Zeus of laurel. Soldiers wear crowns at triumphs, and victors wear laurel or olive wreaths. The myrtle signifies love. Roman magistrates wear gold crowns, and Etruscan crowns, also used at Rome, are of precious stones and golden oak III. Use. 1. The Cultus. In cultic acts priests wear various forms of crowns. Aeneas crowns his brow with twigs when he first treads Roman soil and prays. Crowns are placed on sacrifices and altars, and are even offered in sacrifice. Images are crowned when dedicated to cultic use and on the feasts of the gods. The crown expresses reverence; Empedocles takes it as a mark of veneration when crowned. 2. Oracles. Crowns evoke true dreams. The person who delivers the oracle wears a crown. When Creon comes back crowned after consulting the oracle he is hailed as a messenger of joy. Roman frescoes depict crowned prophetesses. 3. Processions and Feasts. Crowning takes place in relation to prayer-processions. On the New Year feast at Rome houses are adorned with crowns or wreaths. Animals are also crowned or garlanded at various feasts. 4. A Sign of Salvation and Protection. Various examples show that crowns are viewed as signs of protection. Thus Tiberius wears a laurel wreath during thunderstorms. Wreaths are put at the entrances to houses. Crowns also serve as a means of power and protection in the invocation of gods or demons in magic. 5. The Mysteries. Mystagogues bear myrtle branches in the Eleusinian mysteries, and neophytes in the Isis mysteries. A crown is handed to the mystagogue in the dedication ceremonies of Mithras. 6. Political Life. Cultic and political life are closely related, hence it is natural that those who hold national office should he crowned. When politicians give orations in Athens they wear wreaths as a sign of immunity. The Roman emperor, his family, the priests, and state officials all wear crowns in processions. 7. The Games. Held in honor of the gods, sporting festivals culminate when the victors, who struggle hard to win, are crowned with wreaths of laurel, olive, or ivy. The herald calls their names, and the names of their fathers and towns, and then hands over the wreaths. The ceremony ends in their homes, which also bear wreaths. In the final rites they offer their wreaths to the deity. 8. The Army. The Spartans put on crowns before doing battle, perhaps in connection with sacrifice and as a sign of protection. In the Roman army the general wears a crown to purify the troops before battle. The goddess of victory is depicted with a crown, and there are crowns for the victors, whether of grass, oak leaves, or laurel. An ancient Roman custom is to offer prisoners for sale with crowns on; this possibly derives from a Germanic practice of sacrificing prisoners. 9. Private Life. a. A Sign of Joy and Respect. Various examples illustrate the use of the crown or wreath as a mark of joy or respect. b. Weddings. It is natural that there should be crownings at weddings. Thus we have depictions of brides with crowns, and the guests at the wedding feast also wear crowns. c. Symposia. Wreaths adorn the participants at banquets and the ensuing symposia, which are held in honor of various gods. The wreaths express festal joy but also serve to cool the head during drinking. Wreaths are also placed on the bowls and vessels and on the walls of the rooms where the feasts are held. 10. The Cult of the Dead. A common custom is to put wreaths on the dead, on the bier, and on the grave. Permanent wreaths are carved on gravestones and funds are set up for regular adornment with wreaths. The wreaths honor the dead but also protect them against demons. Plato hands down an idea that in Hades there will be a symposium for the righteous at which they will be adorned with crowns. The mysteries promise initiates that in the hereafter they will be adorned with crowns and will enjoy the company of the blessed. (Kittel, G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Eerdmans) Barclay adds that stephanos had the following associations in the ancient world... (a) the victor's crown in the games. Smyrna had annual games which were famous all over Asia. As in the Olympic Games, the reward of the victorious athlete was the laurel crown. The Christian can win the crown of victory in the contest of life. (b) When a man had faithfully performed the work of a magistrate, at the end of his term of office he was granted a crown. He who throughout life faithfully serves Christ and his fellow-men will receive his crown. (c) The heathen world was in the habit of wearing crowns, chaplets of flowers, at banquets. At the end of the day, if the Christian is loyal, he will have the joy of sitting as a guest at the banquet of God. (d) The heathen worshippers were in the habit of wearing crowns when they approached the temples of their gods. At the end of the day, if he has been faithful, the Christian will have the joy of entering into the nearer presence of God. (e) Some scholars have seen in this crown a reference to the halo or the nimbus which is round the head of divine beings in pictures. If that is so, it means that the Christian, if he is faithful, will be crowned with the life which belongs to God himself. The Daily Study Bible Series) As John said: "We shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is" (1Jn 3:2). In this life it may be that the Christian's loyalty will bring him a crown of thorns, but in the life to come it will surely bring him the crown of righteousness. Stephanos of course gives us the English name Stephen, the first NT martyr, "the crowned one". How fitting that the "crown" of the laurel wreath was awarded to the one who finished a race. So the crown is to the finisher, 'Stephen' who watched the heavens open (Acts 7:55 56) as his life leaves and says ''Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.'' (Acts 7:59) That is a man who "loved His appearing"! The kingly crown by contrast is diadema, (diadem) which is only associated with the Lord, for example describing the appearance of the Lord Jesus returning as the King of kings upon Whose "head are many diadems" (Re 19:12-note), His return marking the final defeat of the antichrist at the end of the Great Tribulation. Scripture also mentions a ï»¿crown of life for "a man who perseveres under trial" (ï»¿James 1:12-noteï»¿) ï»¿the unfading crown of glory (ï»¿1Peter 5:4-noteï»¿) for those who "shepherd the flock of God" (1Pe 5:2-note), our hope or joy or crown of exultation referring to believers whose life we have had a role (1Th 2:19, 20- see notes 1Th 2:19; 20, cf Php 4:1-note), and a wreath (crown)...imperishable for those who run in the Christian race and are not disqualified (1Co 9:24, 25, 26, 27-note) The crown of righteousness is a phrase which in the present context is most likely the Greek construction referred to as genitive of apposition, the crown that consists in righteousness and is also the reward for righteousness. Trench's Synonyms of the New Testament - Crown: Stephanos (Strong's 4735) Crown; diadema (Strong's 1238) - We must not confuse these two words, which are both translated "crown." In classical literature Stephanos does not denote the kingly or imperial crown. Instead, it refers to the crown that symbolized victory in the games, civicworth, military valor, nuptial joy, and festal gladness. A Stephanos was woven of oak, ivy, parsley, myrtle, olive, or gold leaves, which imitated these plants, and of flowers such as violets or roses. A stephanos was a "wreath" or "garland" but never the emblem or sign of royalty. A diadema was a "token of kingdom," a white linen band or fillet that encircled the brow. The phrase peritithenai diadema ("to put on a crown") commonly indicated the assumption of royal dignity. In Latin only the "diadema" is the "mark of kings." Selden's comments on the distinction between "crowns" and "diadems" also agree with this. However those names have been from ancient time confounded, yet the diadem strictly was a very different thing from what a crown now is or was; and it was no other than only a fillet of silk, linen, or some such thing. Nor appears it that any other kind of crown was used for a royal ensign, except only in some kingdoms of Asia, but this kind of fillet, until the beginning of Christianity in the Roman Empire. Another passage in Plutarch confirms this distinction. The kingly crown offered by Antonius to Caesar is described as "a crown [diadema] woven with a wreath [stephano] of laurel." Here Stephanos refers to the garland or laureate wreath that is woven into the diadem proper. Indeed, according to Cicero, Caesar was already coronatus (that is, wreathed, which is equivalent to estephanomenos) as a consul when the offer was made. This distinction helps to explain Suetonius's version of the same incident. Someone placed "a laurel wreath [coronam] bound with white bands" on Caesar's statue. The tribunes did not command the removal of the corona (wreath) but of the fascia, or diadem, which alone suggested Caesar's traitorous claim to kingship. The accuracy of the distinction made in the Septuagint and Apocrypha between diadema and Stephanos may be seen by comparing the passages in 1Maccabees where diadema is employed and those where Stephanos appears. Compare these with Isaiah 62:3, where Israel shall be "a crown [Stephanos] of glory" and "a royal diadem [diadema]." In the New Testament, Paul always used Stephanos to refer to the conqueror's, not the king's, crown. Although 1Peter 5:4 does not necessarily allude directly to the Greek games, it still contrasts the wreaths of heaven that never fade with the garlands of earth that quickly lose their beauty and freshness. It is unlikely that other New Testament passages that use Stephanos refer to the Greek games, for there was a long-standing Jewish antipathy to them as idolatrous and profane. To have used imagery that referred to the prizes awarded at these games would have repelled, not attracted, the Jewish members of the church. In those passages the Stephanos, or the "crown [Stephanos] of life," is not the emblem of royalty but of highest joy and gladness and of glory and immortality. On the three occasions where John referred to kingly crowns, he employed diadema. Revelation 19:12 depicts Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords, with the words "on his head were many crowns." This phrase would be difficult to understand if the crowns were similar to those worn by present monarchs, but the meaning is immediately apparent if they are "diadems," the narrow fillets that encircle the brow. The "many diadems" will be the tokens of Christ's many kingdomsearth, heaven, and hell (Philippians 2:10). Satan, the usurper of these kingdoms and of their honors, has his own seven diadems (Revelation 13:1), but Christ will rightfully assume his lordship. This may be illustrated by the earthly example of Ptolemy, king of Egypt. When he entered Antioch in triumph, he set two "crowns," or rather "diadems" (diademata), on his head, the "diadem" of Asia and the "diadem" of Egypt (1 Maccabees 11:13). In Diodorus Siculus (1.47) we read of a queen "having three kingdoms on her head." The context plainly shows that these are three diadems, the symbols of a triple royalty. The only occasion where Stephanos may refer to a kingly crown is Matthew 27:29 (cf. Mark 15:17; John 19:2). The soldiers mocked Jesus' royalty by placing a crown of thorns (stephanos akanthinos) on his head. The nature of the woven materials, perhaps the Juncus marinus (rush from the sea) or the Lycium spinosum (a prickly thorn bush) would make the word diadema inappropriate, though this word was fit for the purpose the soldiers had in mind. (Trench's Synonyms of the New Testament) +++ As we daily present our "members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification" (Ro 6:19- note) we are working "out (our) salvation" (Phil 2:12-note) and this process equates with sanctification or experiential righteousness. At the completion of our life Christ's righteousness will be perfected in us. To say it another way, when death ends the process of sanctification and we enter glorification, the experiential righteousness is consummated in perfect positional righteousness. When we have finished our course, we will receive the unfading crown of righteousness from the Lord’s Himself, the righteous Judge. So here the crown Paul is referring to is the righteousness of the Redeemer granted in full perfection to the glorified believer, for as John writes "when He appears, we shall be like Him." (1Jn 3:2-note), glorified and eternally clothed in His perfect righteousness.

Matthew 27:29

And they twisted together a crown of thorns [and] set [it] on His head. [They put] a staff in His right hand, knelt down before Him, [and] mocked Him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!

Mark 15:17

They dressed Him in a purple robe, twisted together a crown of thorns, [and] set [it] on His [head].

John 19:2

The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns, set [it] on His head, and dressed Him in a purple robe.

John 19:5

[When] Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, [Pilate] said to them, [Here is] the man!

1 Corinthians 9:25

Everyone who competes in the games trains with strict discipline.... They [do it] [for] a crown [that is] perishable, but we [ do it for a crown ] [that is] imperishable.

Philippians 4:1

Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you must stand firm in [the] Lord, my beloved.

1 Thessalonians 2:19

After all, who [is] our hope, [our] joy, [our] crown of boasting, if it is not you yourselves in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming?

2 Timothy 4:8

From now on there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day — and not only to me, but... to all who crave His appearing.