κλισία (klisia)
klisia
group
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun klisia literally denotes a place for reclining, such as a hut, a couch, or an easy chair. Its root relates to the act of leaning back or resting in comfort. In everyday usage, it described the furniture used for dining or sleeping, reflecting the common ancient practice of reclining rather than sitting upright at meals.
However, the word carries a distinctive secondary meaning found in Scripture: a group of people reclining together. This specific usage appears only once, in Luke 9:14, where Jesus instructs his disciples to have the crowd sit down in groups. Here, klisia refers not to the furniture itself, but to the rows or parties of persons arranged for the meal.
This shift from object to collective highlights how language adapts to describe social arrangements. By using a word that implies rest and community, the text paints a picture of organized fellowship rather than chaotic hunger. The term underscores the care taken to accommodate the multitude in a structured, peaceful manner.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word klisia reminds us that God cares about order and comfort in our lives. In Luke 9:14, Jesus uses this term to describe how the crowd sat down for a meal. It refers to groups or parties of people arranged together, showing that He provided not just food, but a peaceful structure for fellowship.
This image invites us to find rest in community. Just as those five thousand were organized into manageable groups, we too are invited to share our burdens and joys with others. It is a gentle picture of how God meets our needs with both provision and care, turning chaos into a shared experience of peace.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- groups1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- κλισίας1×
Key Verses
-
Luke 9:14
For they were about five thousand men. He said to his disciples, “Make them sit down in groups of about fifty each.”
This verse uniquely uses the word to describe the social arrangement of the crowd sitting in groups for the miracle of the loaves and fishes.