ζεστός (zestos)
zestos
hot
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The adjective zestos describes something that is boiling hot or intensely heated. Derived from the verb for living or being alive (zōō), it carries a sense of vigorous, active heat rather than just temperature. In the New Testament, this word appears only twice, both within the letters to the churches in Revelation.
Its most striking usage occurs in Revelation 3:15-16, where Jesus addresses the church in Laodicea. He states that he knows their deeds, that they are neither cold nor hot, but lukewarm. Here, zestos serves as a metaphor for spiritual fervor or zeal. The contrast with "cold" suggests that mere neutrality is rejected; the expectation is a vibrant, living faith that mirrors the word’s root meaning of aliveness.
Translators typically render this term as "hot," emphasizing the intensity required in Christian devotion. The image evokes not just warmth, but the bubbling energy of genuine commitment, warning against a faith that lacks the heat of true engagement.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word zestos describes a heat that is active, vigorous, and alive. In Revelation 3:15-16, Jesus uses this image to address the church in Laodicea. He does not praise their neutrality but warns them against being lukewarm. The contrast between cold and hot reveals that spiritual indifference is just as problematic as outright rejection. God desires a faith that is genuine and full of life.
For your daily walk, this means God invites you to bring your whole self to Him. You do not need to perform perfectly to be loved, but you are called to engage with Him in truth. When your heart is alive with purpose, your actions naturally follow. This active devotion brings peace and clarity, helping you stand firm in difficult seasons.
Let this reminder encourage you to seek a faith that is real and present. Whether you feel strong or weak, God meets you where you are. He longs for a relationship that is warm and honest, not distant or half-hearted. May your heart burn with a steady, living hope in Christ.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- hot;1×
- hot.1×
- hot1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ζεστός·1×
- ζεστός.1×
- ζεστὸς1×
Key Verses
-
Revelation of John 3:15
“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were cold or hot.
This verse establishes the contrast between spiritual vitality and indifference, showing that neutrality is rejected by Christ.
-
Revelation of John 3:16
So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of my mouth.
Here the consequence of lukewarmness is described vividly, emphasizing that a lack of genuine heat leads to rejection.