κῶλον (kōlon)
kōlon
corpse
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun kōlon literally denotes a limb or member of the body, referring to the distinct parts that make up a whole physical form. In classical usage and the Septuagint, it often describes external or prominent features, such as feet or hands, emphasizing their role in bodily function.
However, the word carries a striking secondary meaning: corpse or carcass. This shift arises from the image of a body whose members have become loose and separated after death. The sources highlight this specific usage in Hebrews 3:17, where it translates the Hebrew concept of fallen bodies, underscoring the finality and broken state of those who died in rebellion.
This dual sense connects the integrity of life with the fragmentation of death. While a living person is a unified whole of limbs, a kōlon as a corpse represents disintegration. The term thus serves as a powerful metaphor for spiritual ruin, illustrating how turning away from God leads to a state where the parts of one’s existence fall apart.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Greek word kōlon literally refers to a limb or member of the body, highlighting how our physical parts form a unified whole while we are alive. However, it carries a heavier weight when describing a corpse. In this sense, it depicts a body that has lost its cohesion, where limbs are separated and life has departed. This imagery reminds us that true unity comes from God, who sustains the connection between every part of our being.
In Hebrews 3:17, this word describes those whose bodies fell in the wilderness after years of rebellion. It serves as a sobering picture of what happens when we turn away from divine guidance. The fragmentation of the body mirrors the brokenness of a spirit that has rejected its source of life. We are invited to remain connected to God, not out of fear, but because He is the one who holds us together in purpose and peace.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- bodies1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- κῶλα1×
Key Verses
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Hebrews 3:17
With whom was he displeased forty years? Wasn’t it with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?
This verse uses kōlon to depict the physical collapse of those who rebelled, linking bodily disintegration with spiritual separation from God.