στρῆνος (strēnos)
strēnos
luxury
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun strēnos refers to insolent luxury or wantonness, capturing a sense of excessive strength that bursts forth in reckless indulgence. It appears only once in the New Testament, in Revelation 18:3, where it describes the seductive power of Babylon’s decadence.
This late Greek word likely derives from a root meaning vigorous or strong, related to the Latin strenuus. Its usage implies not just wealth, but an arrogant, aggressive display of opulence that draws nations into moral compromise. Translators typically render it as "luxury," though the original sense carries a sharper edge of defiant excess.
The term’s rarity highlights its specific rhetorical weight in apocalyptic literature, where material abundance is portrayed as spiritually corrosive rather than merely pleasant. By focusing on its violent etymology, the text underscores how unchecked desire can become a destructive force against divine order.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word strēnos appears just once in the New Testament, found in Revelation 18:3. It describes the lavish excesses of Babylon, a symbol of worldly power opposed to God. Unlike simple wealth, this term suggests an aggressive, arrogant indulgence that seduces nations into moral compromise. It is not merely about having nice things, but about a reckless display of opulence that draws people away from divine order.
For your daily life, this warning invites reflection on what captures your heart. Material abundance can feel safe and desirable, yet it often carries a hidden cost to spiritual health. The text urges us to recognize when comfort becomes a master, leading us into behaviors that harm our relationship with God and others.
May you find freedom in choosing simplicity over seductive excess. Trusting in God’s provision allows you to live without the pressure of maintaining an image of power or wealth. This perspective offers peace, knowing your worth is secure in Christ alone.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- sensuality1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- στρήνους1×
Key Verses
-
Revelation of John 18:3
For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her sexual immorality, the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from the abundance of her luxury.”
The term strēnos here identifies the specific type of aggressive opulence that causes merchants to grow rich and nations to be seduced into compromise.