θάμβος (thambos)
thambos
amazement
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun thambos describes a state of stunned amazement that leaves one temporarily unable to speak or move. In the New Testament, it captures the visceral reaction of witnesses who encounter something beyond their normal experience. This is not merely intellectual curiosity but a profound shock that arrests attention.
Its usage in Luke and Acts highlights moments where divine power disrupts ordinary life. When Jesus teaches with authority, the crowds are seized by thambos (Luke 4:36). Similarly, when Peter heals a lame man, the bystanders are filled with this awe as they watch him run and leap into Solomon’s Colonnade (Acts 3:10).
Lexical sources link thambos to an obsolete root meaning to dumbfound, suggesting a loss of composure. It is often allied with terror or deep awe, indicating that the reaction involves both wonder and a sense of the sacred. Translators typically render it as amazement or astonishment, preserving the sense of being overwhelmed by what they have seen.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word thambos captures a moment where life stops. It is not just casual surprise, but a deep, physical shock that leaves people speechless. When we encounter something truly beyond our understanding, our usual composure can fall away. This reaction reminds us that God often works in ways that disrupt our normal expectations.
In Luke 4:36, the crowd’s amazement came from seeing Jesus command spirits with authority. In Acts 3:10, bystanders were stunned by a man who had been lame suddenly running and leaping. These moments show that divine power can interrupt ordinary life in ways that leave us breathless.
This kind of awe invites us to pay attention. It suggests that God is still active in the world, doing things we might not predict. When we feel overwhelmed by what we see or hear, it may be an invitation to look closer at who is at work. This word encourages us to remain open to the unexpected ways grace enters our lives.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- with wonder1×
- astonishment1×
- Amazement1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- θάμβος2×
- θάμβους1×
Key Verses
-
Luke 4:36
Amazement came on all and they spoke together, one with another, saying, “What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!”
The crowd's amazement arises specifically from Jesus' authority over unclean spirits, showing that divine power disrupts spiritual darkness.
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Acts 3:10
They recognized him, that it was he who used to sit begging for gifts for the needy at the Beautiful Gate of the temple. They were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
Bystanders are filled with wonder because they recognize the healed beggar, linking the miracle to a specific person's past need.
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Luke 5:9
For he was amazed, and all who were with him, at the catch of fish which they had caught;
Peter and his companions are amazed by the catch of fish, illustrating how divine provision can exceed human expectation.