νῖκος (nikos)
nikos
victory
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 4 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun nikos denotes a decisive victory or triumph, specifically one that results in complete conquest. It appears only four times in the New Testament, carrying the weight of finality rather than a temporary advantage. In Matthew 12:20, it describes the quiet strength of the Messiah who will not break the bruised reed, suggesting a victory achieved through perseverance and gentleness rather than force.
This term is most prominent in Paul’s discussion of the resurrection in First Corinthians. Here, nikos marks the ultimate defeat of death itself. When Paul asks where the "sting" of death is, he points to this victory as the result of God’s power working through Christ. The word underscores that the triumph is not merely human achievement but a divine intervention that changes the final outcome of existence.
Etymologically, nikos derives from the verb nikaō, meaning to conquer or overcome. Its usage in Scripture often highlights a shift in status: from defeat to triumph, or from mortality to life. Translators render it simply as "victory," yet the context reveals that this win is rooted in faithfulness and divine action, offering hope that current struggles are not the final word.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word nikos points to a decisive triumph that settles the final outcome of a struggle. It is not a temporary advantage or a narrow win, but a complete conquest. In Matthew 12:20, we see this victory arriving quietly through perseverance rather than force. The Messiah leads justice to victory without breaking what is already weak, showing that true strength often looks like gentle endurance.
This concept reaches its fullest expression in Paul’s letters regarding the resurrection. When he asks where death’s victory lies, he reminds us that mortality does not have the last word. God gives us this final triumph through Jesus Christ, shifting our status from defeat to life. This assurance grounds our hope in divine action rather than human achievement.
Current struggles may feel heavy, but they are not the end of the story. The promise of nikos offers a solid foundation for faith, reminding us that God’s power works to change the final outcome. We can rest in the knowledge that victory is already secured through Christ, offering peace and hope for every season of life.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 4 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- victory3×
- victory.1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- νῖκος2×
- νῖκος;1×
- νῖκος.1×
Key Verses
-
I Corinthians 15:54
But when this perishable body will have become imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then what is written will happen: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”
This verse applies nikos to the transformation of the perishable body into immortality, marking the moment death is fully absorbed by eternal life.
-
I Corinthians 15:57
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul explicitly attributes the source of this victory to God through Jesus Christ, emphasizing that it is a divine gift rather than human effort.
-
Matthew 12:20
He won’t break a bruised reed. He won’t quench a smoking flax, until he leads justice to victory.
Here nikos describes the quiet, persistent establishment of justice by the Messiah, contrasting sharply with violent or coercive methods of conquest.