κρύπτη (kruptē)
kruptē
cellar
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun kruptē refers to an underground chamber, such as a cellar or crypt. It appears only once in the New Testament, in Luke 11:33, where Jesus uses it as part of a metaphor about light and visibility.
Derived from the root meaning "to hide," the word describes a physical space that is covered or enclosed. In this single biblical instance, it contrasts with the idea of placing a lamp under a basket; instead, one might imagine a light source in a hidden underground room, emphasizing the tension between concealment and revelation.
Translators typically render it as "cellar" or "vault," capturing its function as a subterranean storage area. The term highlights the architectural reality of ancient homes while serving Jesus’ rhetorical point about letting light shine openly rather than keeping it concealed in dark, enclosed spaces.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word kruptē describes a cellar or underground chamber, a place defined by its darkness and concealment. In Luke 11:33, Jesus uses this image to teach about the visibility of truth. He warns against hiding the light that God has given us in such hidden places. Instead, we are called to let our faith shine openly for others to see.
This metaphor invites us to examine where we place our spiritual light. Are we keeping our beliefs tucked away in secret, or are we allowing them to illuminate our daily lives? The call is not to perform for attention, but to live in a way that naturally reveals God’s goodness. When we share hope and kindness openly, we help others find their way.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- a cellar1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- κρύπτην1×
Key Verses
-
Luke 11:33
“No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, that those who come in may see the light.
This is the only New Testament occurrence of the word, where Jesus contrasts hiding a lamp in a cellar with placing it on a stand to give light to all who enter.