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Old & New Testament Greek Lexical Dictionary
Strong's #2889 - κόσμος
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κόσμος, ὁ,
I
1. order, κατὰ κόσμον in order, duly, εὖ κατὰ κ. Il. 10.472, al.; οὐ κατὰ κ. shamefully, Od. 8.179; μὰψ ἀτὰρ οὐ κατὰ κ. Il. 2.214: freq. in dat., κόσμῳ καθίζειν to sit in order, Od. 13.77, cf. Hdt. 8.67; οὐ κ... ἐλευσόμεθα Il. 12.225; κ. θεῖναι τὰ πάντα Hdt. 2.52, cf. 7.36, etc.; διάθες τάδε κ. Ar. Av. 1331; κ. φέρειν bear becomingly, Pi. P. 3.82; δέξασθαί τινα κ. A. Ag. 521; σὺν κόσμῳ Hdt. 8.86, Arist. Mu. 398b23; ἐν κόσμῳ Hp. Mul. 1.3, Pl. Smp. 223b; κόσμῳ οὐδενὶ κοσμηθέντες in no sort of order, Hdt. 9.59; φεύγειν, ἀπιέναι οὐδενὶ κ., Id. 3.13, 8.60. γ, etc.; ἀτάκτως καὶ οὐδενὶ κ. Th. 3.108, cf. A. Pers. 400; οὐκέτι τὸν αὐτὸν κ. no longer in the same order, Hdt. 9.66; οὐδένα κ. ib. 65, 69; ἦν δ' οὐδεὶς κ. τῶν ποιουμένων Th. 3.77: generally, of things, natural order, γίνεται τῶν τεταρταίων ἡ κατάστασις ἐκ τούτου τοῦ κ. Hp. Prog. 20.
2. good order, good behaviour, = cross κοσμιότης Phld. Mus. p.43 K.; discipline, D. 18.216; οὐ κ., ἀλλ' ἀκοσμία S. Fr. 846.
3. form, fashion, ιππου κόσμον ἄεισον δουρατέου Od. 8.492; κ. ἐπέων ἀπατηλός Parm. 8.52; ἐξηγεομένων.. τὸν κ. αὐτοῦ the fashion of it, Hdt. 3.22; κ. τόνδε.. ὁ καταστησάμενος who established this order or from, Id. 1.99.
4. of states, order, government, μεταστῆσαι τὸν κ. Th. 4.76, cf. 8.48, 67; μένειν ἐν τῷ ὀλιγαρχικῷ κ. 8.72, etc.; esp. of the Spartan constitution, Hdt. 1.65, Clearch. 3: pl., πόλεων κόσμοι Pl. Prt. 322c.
II
1. ornament, decoration, esp. of women, Il. 14.187, Hes. Op. 76, Hdt. 5.92. ή; γυναικεῖος κ. Pl. R. 373c, etc.; of a horse, Il. 4.145; of men, Hdt. 3.123, A. Th. 397, etc.; γλαυκόχροα κόσμον ἐλαίας, of an olive-wreath, Pi. O. 3.13, cf. 8.83, P. 2.10, etc.; κ. κυνῶν X. Cyn. 6.1; κ. καὶ ἔπιπλα Lys. 12.19; κ. ἀργυροῦς a service of plate, Ath. 6.231b; ἱερὸς κ. OGI 90.40 (Rosetta, ii B. C.): pl., ornaments, A. Ag. 1271; οἱ περὶ τὸ σῶμα κ. Isoc. 2.32: metaph., of ornaments of speech, such as epithets, Id. 9.9 (pl.), Arist. Rh. 1408a14, Po. 1457b2, 1458a33; ἁδυμελῆ κ. κελαδεῖν to sing sweet songs of praise, Pi. O. 11 (10). 13 (s.v.l.).
2. metaph., honour, credit, Id. N. 2.8, I. 6(5).69; κόσμον φέρει τινί it does one credit, Hdt. 8.60, 142; γύναι, γυναιξὶ κόσμον ἡ σιγὴ φέρει S. Aj. 293; κ. τοῦτ' ἐστὶν ἐμοί Ar. Nu. 914; οἷς κόσμος [ἐστὶ] καλῶς τοῦτο δρᾶν Th. 1.5; ἐν κόσμῳ καὶ τιμῇ εἶναί τινι D. 60.36; of persons, σὺ ἔμοιγε μέγιστος κ. ἔσει X. Cyr. 6.4.3; ἡ μεγαλοψυχία οἷον κ. τις τῶν ἀρετῶν Arist. EN 1124a1.
III
1. ruler, regulator, title of chief magistrate in Crete, SIG 712.57, etc.; collectively, body of κόσμοι, ib.524.1; τοῦ κ. τοῖς πλίασι ib.527.74: also freq. in pl., ib.528.1, al., Arist. Pol. 1272a6, Str. 10.4.18, 22; cf. κόρμος. Philos., world-order, universe, first in Pythag., acc.to Placit. 2.1.1, D.L. 8.48 (cf. [ Philol. ] 21), or Parm., acc. to Thphr. ap. D.L.l.c.; κόσμον τόνδε οὔτε τις θεῶν οὔτε ἀνθρώπων ἐποίησεν, ἀλλ' ἦν ἀεὶ καὶ ἔστιν καὶ ἔσται πῦρ Heraclit. 30; ὁ καλούμενος ὑπὸ τῶν σοφιστῶν κ. X. Mem. 1.1.11: freq. in Pl., Grg. 508a, Ti. 27a, al.; ἡ τοῦ ὅλου σύστασίς ἐστι κ. καὶ οὐρανός Arist. Cael. 280a21, cf. Epicur. Ephesians 2 p.37U., Chrysipp.Stoic. 2.168, etc.; ὁ κ. ζῷον ἔμψυχον καὶ λογικόν Posidon. ap. D.L. 7.139, cf. Pl. Ti. 30b: sts. of the firmament, γῆς ἁπάσης τῆς ὑπὸ τῷ κόσμῳ κειμένης Isoc. 4.179; ὁ περὶ τὴν γῆν ὅλος κ. Arist. Mete. 339a20; μετελθεῖν εἰς τὸν ἀέναον κ., of death, OGI 56.48 (Canopus, iii B. C.); but also, of earth, as opp. heaven, ὁ ἐπιχθόνιος κ. Herm. ap. Stob. 1.49.44; or as opp. the underworld, ὁ ἄνω κ. Iamb. VP 27.123; of any region of the universe, ὁ μετάρσιος κ. Herm. ap. Stob. 1.49.44; of the sphere whose centre is the earth's centre and radius the straight line joining earth and sun, Archim. Aren. 4; of the sphere containing the fixed stars, Pl. Epin. 987b: in pl., worlds, coexistent or successive, Anaximand. et alii ap. Placit. 2.1.3, cf. Epicur.l.c.; also, of stars, Νὺξ μεγάλων κ. κτεάτειρα A. Ag. 356 (anap.), cf. Heraclid.et Pythagorei ap. Placit. 2.13.15 (= Orph. Fr. 22); οἱ ἑπτὰ κ. the Seven planets, Corp.Herm. 11.7.
2. metaph., microcosm, ἄνθρωπος μικρὸς κ. Democr. 34; ἄνθρωπος βραχὺς κ. Ph. 2.155; of living beings in general, τὸ ζῷον οἷον μικρόν τινα κ. εἶναί φασιν ἄνδρες παλαιοί Gal. UP 3.10.
3. in later Gr., = cross οἰκουμένη, the known or inhabited world, OGI 458.40 (9 B.C.), Romans 1:8, etc.; ὁ τοῦ παντὸς κ. κύριος, of Nero, SIG 814.31, cf. IGRom. 4.982 (Samos); ἐὰν τὸν κ. ὅλον κερδήσῃ Matthew 16:26.
4. men in general, φανέρωσον σεαυτὸν τῷ κ. John 7:4; cf. John 12:19; esp. of the world as estranged from God by sin, ib. 16.20, 17.9, al., 1 Corinthians 1:21, etc.
5. οὗτος ὁ κ. this present world, i.e. earth, opp. heaven, John 13:1; regarded as the kingdom of evil, ὁ ἄρχων τοῦ κ. τούτου ib. 12.31. Pythag.name for six, Theol.Ar. 37; for ten, ib.59.
κόσμος , -συ , ὁ
[in LXX: Genesis 2:1, Deuteronomy 4:19; Deuteronomy 17:3, Isaiah 24:21; Isaiah 40:26 (H6635), Exodus 33:5-6, Jeremiah 2:32; Jeremiah 4:30, Ezekiel 7:20; Ezekiel 16:11; Ezekiel 23:40 (H5716), Isaiah 61:10 (H3627), al., Wisdom of Solomon 2:24 and freq., Sirach 6:30, al;]
1. order (Hom., Plat., al.).
2. ornament, adornment, esp. of women (Hom., al.): 1 Peter 3:3.
3. Later, the world or universe, as an ordered system (Plat., al.): Acts 17:24, Romans 4:13, 1 Corinthians 3:22, Philippians 2:15, Hebrews 4:3, al.
4. In late writers only, the world, i.e. the earth (= ἡ οἰκουμένη , cf. Matthew 4:8 with Luke 4:5): Matthew 4:8, Mark 16:15, Colossians 2:20, 1 Timothy 6:7, al.; hence by meton.,
(a) of the human inhabitants of the world: Matthew 5:14; Matthew 13:38, Mark 14:9, John 1:10; John 4:42; John 12:47, Romans 3:6, 1 Corinthians 4:13, 2 Corinthians 5:19, 2 Peter 2:5, al.;
(b) of worldly affairs or possessions: Matthew 16:26, Mark 8:36, Luke 9:25, 1 Corinthians 7:31, 1 John 2:16, al.;
(c) in ethical sense, of the ungodly: John 7:7; John 14:17; John 14:27, 1 Corinthians 1:21, James 1:27, 1 John 4:4, al.;
(d) metaph.: ὁ κ . τῆς ἀδικίας , James 3:6.
SYN.: αἰών G165), q.v. (cf. also Dalman, Words, 162 ff.; Tr., Syn., § lix; Westc., additional note on John 1:10; DB, iv, 938 ff.).
Copyright © 1922 by G. Abbott-Smith, D.D., D.C.L.. T & T Clarke, London.
Interesting exx. of ὁ κόσμος, ";the world,"; are afforded by OGIS 458.40 (c. B.C. 9) (= Priene 105), where the birthday of the divine Augustus is referred to as the beginning of good news to the world—ἦρξεν δὲ τῶι κόσμωι τῶν δι᾽ αὐτὸν εὐανγελί [ων ἡ γενέθλιος ] τοῦ θεοῦ, and Syll 376.31 where, on the occasion of the proclamation of the freedom of all the Greeks at the Isthmian games in A.D. 67, the Emperor Nero is described as ὁ τοῦ παντὸς κόσμου κύριος Νέρων. With the hyperbolical usage in Romans 1:8 we may compare a sepulchral inscr. from Egypt, in which a certain Seratus states that he lies between mother and brother—ὧν καὶ ἡ σωφροσύνη κατὰ τὸν κόσμον λελάληται (Archiv v. p. 169, No. 24.8) : see also P Lond 981.10 (iv/A.D.) (= III. p. 242, Chrest. I. p. 157) ἡ γὰρ εὐφημία σου, πάτερ, περιεκύκλωσεν τὸν κ [όσ ]μον ὅλον ὡς ἀγαθὸν πατέρα —a letter to a bishop. Other exx. of the word are OGIS 56.48 (iii/B.C.) μετελθεῖν εἰς τὸν ἀέναον κόσμον, and PSI III. 157.39 (an astrological song—iii/A.D. ?) where κόσμος = οὐρανός (cf. Genesis 2:1, Deuteronomy 4:19). For the plur. = ";magistrates,"; see OGIS 270.10 (mid. ii/B.C.) ἐπιμ [ε ]λὲς γενέσθω τοῖς κόσμοις, ὅπως κορυχθῇ, and for the collective sing. in the same sense see the exx. collected by Dittenberger Syll 427 n..1 : cf. also the use of the compd. εὐκοσμός in ib. 737.94 (c. A.D. 175) of ";magistrate collegii constitutus ad ordinem et decorem in conventibus sodalium conservandum"; (Dittenberger).
For the word = ";adornment,"; as in 1 Peter 3:3, see P Eleph I.4 (B.C. 311–10) (= Selections , p. 2) εἱματισμὸν καὶ κόσμον (δραχμὰς) α, with reference to a bride’s trousseau, PSI III. 240.12 (ii/A.D.) γυνα [ι ]κεῖον κόσμον, OGIS 531.13 (A.D. 215) κατασκευάσας τὸν ναὸν μετὰ παντὸς τοῦ κόσμου, and the good parallel to the Petrine passage in Menander Γνῶμαι 92 γυναικὶ κόσμος ὁ τρόπος οὐ τὰ χρυσια. Add, as arising from this usage, such instances as P Tebt I. 45.20 (B.C. 113) a complaint against certain persons who—οὐδενὶ κόσμωι χρησάμενοι συντρίψαντες τὴν παρόδιον θύραν, ";throwing off all restraint knocked down the street door,"; similarly ib. 47.12 (B.C. 113), P Oxy VI. 909.29 (A.D. 225) τ ̣ο ̣, ν ̣ [κ ]όσμον τῶν τόπων, of setting a vineyard in order, and ib. 1467.11 (A.D. 263) καὶ αὐτὴ τοίνυν τῷ μὲν κόσμῳ τῆς εὐπαιδείας ἐυτυχήσασα, ";accordingly I too, fortunately possessing the honour of being blessed with children"; (Edd.)—a petition from a woman claiming the right to act without a guardian in virtue of her possession of three children and ability to write. See also the compd. κοσμοποίησις in P Oxy III. 498.30 (a contract with stone-cutters—ii/A.D.) οὐδεμίας πρὸς ἡμ [ᾶς ] οὔσης κ ̣[ο ]σμοπ [ο ]ιήσεως, ";no ornamentation being required of us."; On the ";evil"; sense of κόσμος, which must be Jewish in origin, see Hort’s notes on James 1:27; James 3:6 : in the latter passage, it should be noted, Carr (Exp VII. viii. p. 318 ff.) prefers to understand by ὁ κόσμος, ";the ornament"; or ";the embellishment"; of unrighteousness. For the curious phrase πρὸ (or ἀπὸ) καταβολῆς κόσμου, which is employed by six writers in the NT, Hort (ad 1 Peter 1:20) can find no nearer parallel from profane sources than Plutarch Moralia ii. 956 A τὸ ἐξ ἀρχῆς καὶ ἅμα τῇ πρώτῃ καταβολῇ τῶν ἀνθρώπων.
Copyright © 1914, 1929, 1930 by James Hope Moulton and George Milligan. Hodder and Stoughton, London.
Derivative Copyright © 2015 by Allan Loder.
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