θυμιάω (thumiaō)
thumiaō
to burn incense
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb thumiāō means to burn incense, a specific act of offering fragrant smoke. In the New Testament, it appears only once, in Luke 1:9, describing the priestly duty performed within the temple.
Its root relates to the rising smoke or vapor, connecting the physical action to the sensory experience of fragrance. This usage mirrors the Old Testament practice where burning incense was a central part of worship rituals, symbolizing prayers rising to God.
Translators consistently render this word as "burn incense," preserving the literal sense of the ritual act. The single occurrence highlights the precision of Luke’s account of temple service, grounding the narrative in the concrete details of Jewish religious life.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word thumiāō describes the physical act of burning incense in the temple. In Luke’s Gospel, this single occurrence anchors the story of Zechariah in the real rhythms of Jewish worship. It is not a metaphor but a concrete duty performed by lot, highlighting the order and reverence of that sacred space.
For your faith life, this image connects prayer to something tangible. Just as incense rose with fragrance, Christians often see their prayers ascending to God. This word reminds us that worship involves both physical action and spiritual intention, bridging the gap between earth and heaven through simple, faithful obedience.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- to burn incense1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- θυμιᾶσαι1×
Key Verses
-
Luke 1:9
according to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to enter into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.
This verse uniquely identifies thumiāō in the New Testament, showing Zechariah performing a specific priestly duty by lot, which grounds the angelic announcement in historical ritual.