στενός (stenos)
stenos
narrow
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The adjective stenos describes something that is narrow or confined in space. In the New Testament, it appears only three times, always as a descriptive term for the path leading to life. The sources note its use in the Septuagint for the Hebrew word tsar, which carries similar connotations of tightness or restriction.
This word is famously used by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount to contrast two gates and their respective roads (Matthew 7:13-14). He describes the way to destruction as broad and spacious, while the gate to life is stenos. The imagery suggests a path that is not wide open or easy to wander along, but one that requires focus and perhaps even difficulty to traverse.
Its theological weight lies in this contrast. It does not necessarily imply moral strictness in itself, but rather the exclusivity and focused nature of the journey. Luke 13:24 reinforces this by urging believers to strive to enter through the narrow door, highlighting the effort required to stay on such a constrained path.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word stenos paints a picture of a path that is tight and confined. Jesus uses this image to describe the road leading to life. It is not a wide highway where you can wander without attention. Instead, it requires focus and intention. The narrowness suggests that this journey asks for something specific from those who walk it.
This does not mean the path is unpleasant, but it is exclusive. Many choose the broad way because it feels easier and more open. Few find the narrow gate, yet it leads to life. This contrast reminds us that following Christ often involves making deliberate choices rather than drifting along with the crowd.
When you feel the pressure of this focused path, remember you are not alone in seeking truth. The effort required is part of the journey toward lasting hope. May your steps be steady as you walk this way, finding peace in the direction that leads to life.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- narrow2×
- small [is]1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- στενῆς2×
- στενὴ1×
Key Verses
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Matthew 7:13
“Enter in by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter in by it.
This verse sets up the initial contrast by describing the wide gate and broad way that leads to destruction, highlighting the crowd's preference for ease over life.
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Matthew 7:14
How narrow is the gate and the way is restricted that leads to life! There are few who find it.
Here the word directly describes the gate, emphasizing the scarcity of those who find it compared to the many who enter the other way.
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Luke 13:24
“Strive to enter in by the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will seek to enter in and will not be able.
Luke uses the related imagery of a narrow door to urge active striving, showing that entering this path requires deliberate effort and determination.