ληνός (lēnos)
lēnos
winepress
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 4 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun lēnos refers to a winepress, specifically the large trough or vat used for treading grapes. In the ancient world, this was not merely a container but an active site of labor where harvesters would crush fruit to release its juice. The sources identify it as the lower receptacle into which the must flowed from the upper press, highlighting its role in the extraction process.
This word appears only four times in the New Testament, with three occurrences concentrated in Revelation. In Matthew 21:33, Jesus uses it metaphorically when describing a vineyard owner who installed a winepress as part of his estate’s infrastructure. The imagery shifts dramatically in Revelation 14 and 19, where the lēnos becomes a symbol of divine judgment. Here, the pressing of grapes represents the execution of wrath, a stark contrast to its usual association with joyous harvest.
The term likely derives from roots related to digging or hollowing out, fitting its description as a trough dug into the ground. Translators consistently render it as "winepress," though this English word often evokes the entire apparatus rather than just the receiving vat. The biblical usage emphasizes the finality of the process: once the grapes enter the lēnos, the transformation from fruit to wine—or in Revelation’s case, judgment—is irreversible.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word lēnos points to a specific part of an ancient winemaking process: the large trough where crushed grapes settled before their juice was collected. In the first century, this was a place of intense work and transformation. What began as whole fruit was pressed down, releasing its essence in a way that could not be undone. This physical reality helps us understand why biblical writers chose it for such heavy imagery.
In the Gospels, Jesus mentions the winepress as part of a normal farm setup, showing God’s care for practical details and provision. But in Revelation, the image shifts dramatically. The same vessel becomes a symbol of final judgment, where the pressing represents the serious consequences of rejecting divine goodness. This contrast reminds us that God’s actions are both creative and just.
For your faith, this word invites reflection on the seriousness of spiritual choices. It suggests that our lives, like grapes in a press, undergo processes that reveal what is truly inside. Rather than fearing judgment, we can trust in a God who uses these moments to bring about ultimate justice and restoration, ensuring that wrongs are righted and truth prevails.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 4 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- winepress3×
- press1×
- a winepress1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ληνὸν3×
- ληνὸς1×
- ληνοῦ1×
Key Verses
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Matthew 21:33
“Hear another parable. There was a man who was a master of a household who planted a vineyard, set a hedge about it, dug a wine press in it, built a tower, leased it out to farmers, and went into another country.
This verse grounds the word in everyday agricultural life, showing it as a standard feature of a vineyard rather than a miraculous object.