κάμινος (kaminos)
kaminos
furnace/oven
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 4 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun kaminos refers to a furnace or oven used for intense heat, such as smelting metals, baking bread, or firing pottery. In the New Testament, it appears only four times, carrying a weight of purification and judgment. Jesus uses the image in Matthew 13:42 and 50 to describe the final separation of the wicked, who are thrown into the "fiery furnace" where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.
The word likely derives from a root meaning to burn or glow, emphasizing the destructive power of the flame. Its usage in Revelation 1:15, describing feet like bronze glowing in a furnace, and Revelation 9:2, where smoke rises from an abyssal pit, reinforces this association with divine testing or wrath. Translators consistently render it as "furnace" to preserve the vivid imagery of refining fire found in both Old and New Testaments.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Greek word kaminos describes a furnace used for intense heat, such as smelting metals or baking bread. In the New Testament, this image carries a heavy weight of purification and judgment. It reminds us that God’s presence is both refining and holy, capable of burning away impurities while preserving what is true.
Jesus uses this vivid picture in Matthew 13 to describe the final separation of the wicked. He speaks of a fiery furnace where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth, emphasizing the serious consequences of rejecting God’s ways. This is not a metaphor for mild discomfort but a stark warning about eternal destiny.
Yet, this same word also appears in Revelation 1:15, describing Christ’s feet as refined in a furnace. Here, the heat signifies purity and glory rather than destruction. For believers, this offers hope: God’s fire tests our faith to make it stronger, not to destroy us. We can trust that His refining work is always for our good.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 4 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- furnace2×
- of a furnace1×
- a furnace1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- κάμινον2×
- καμίνῳ1×
- καμίνου1×
Key Verses
-
Matthew 13:42
and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Jesus uses kaminos here to depict the final judgment where the wicked are separated from the righteous, highlighting the seriousness of eternal consequences.
-
Revelation of John 1:15
His feet were like burnished brass, as if it had been refined in a furnace. His voice was like the voice of many waters.
The term describes Christ’s feet as refined in a furnace, symbolizing His pure and glorious nature rather than destructive judgment.
-
Revelation of John 9:2
He opened the pit of the abyss, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke from a burning furnace. The sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke from the pit.
Smoke rising like from a burning furnace illustrates the darkness and devastation released from the abyss during divine judgment.