μυριάς (murias)
murias
myriad
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 7 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun murias literally means ten thousand, but in biblical usage it functions as a term for an immense, often uncountable multitude. While it can denote a specific military unit or census figure, its most striking application is hyperbolic, describing vast crowds that defy precise enumeration. This dual nature allows the word to bridge concrete numbers and poetic exaggeration.
The sources highlight its frequent appearance in contexts of overwhelming scale. In Luke 12:1, Jesus warns against the yeast of the Pharisees in a crowd so large it is described as "myriads." Similarly, Acts 21:20 refers to thousands of Jewish believers in Jerusalem, using the plural form to emphasize their significant number. Revelation employs the term for the countless hosts surrounding the throne (Revelation 5:11) and the massive army of horsemen (Revelation 9:16), reinforcing its association with divine or apocalyptic magnitude.
This word captures a sense of scale that transcends ordinary counting. By using murias, the biblical authors convey not just quantity but the overwhelming nature of God’s people or judgment. It serves as a linguistic tool to express what is too large for simple arithmetic, pointing readers toward the grandeur of the scenes described.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word murias literally means ten thousand, yet Scripture uses it to describe crowds so vast they defy simple counting. When Jesus warned a multitude that trampled on one another in Luke 12:1, He did not just note the size of the crowd; He highlighted the overwhelming pressure of public opinion and hypocrisy. This word reminds us that God’s presence and judgment are often depicted as forces too large for human arithmetic to contain.
In Revelation 5:11, this term describes angels numbering ten thousand times ten thousand surrounding the throne. Such imagery invites awe rather than anxiety. It signals that we belong to a community far greater than our immediate surroundings. Whether referring to the thousands of Jewish believers in Acts 21:20 or the heavenly hosts, murias points to a divine scale where individual worth is preserved within an immense whole.
This linguistic tool helps us understand that we are part of something eternal and grand. It shifts our focus from limited human perspectives to the expansive reality of God’s kingdom. In moments when life feels small or insignificant, this word offers a perspective of vastness and inclusion.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 7 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- myriads5×
- to myriads1×
- ten thousands;1×
- of myriads1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- μυριάσιν2×
- μυριάδων2×
- μυριάδες2×
- μυριάδων·1×
- μυριάδας1×
Key Verses
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Luke 12:1
Meanwhile, when a multitude of many thousands had gathered together, so much so that they trampled on each other, he began to tell his disciples first of all, “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
The term describes a multitude so large that physical pressure became a factor, grounding Jesus' warning about hypocrisy in a tangible, overwhelming context.
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Revelation of John 5:11
I looked, and I heard something like a voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders. The number of them was ten thousands of ten thousands, and thousands of thousands,
It forms part of the hyperbolic count 'ten thousands of ten thousands,' emphasizing the uncountable nature of the angelic worship around the throne.
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Acts 21:20
They, when they heard it, glorified God. They said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed, and they are all zealous for the law.
The plural form highlights the significant, organized number of Jewish believers who remained zealous for the law, showing a specific demographic reality.