τίμιος (timios)
timios
precious
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 12 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The adjective timios describes something or someone as precious, costly, or held in high honor. Its core meaning derives from value—often monetary, but frequently extending to deep respect and esteem. In the New Testament, it appears twelve times, with a notable concentration in Revelation, where it characterizes the materials of the New Jerusalem and the wealth of Babylon.
When applied to physical objects, timios emphasizes extreme worth. The sources note its use for precious stones like jasper and sapphire in Revelation 21:19, and for gold and silver in 1 Corinthians 3:12. This usage highlights that these materials are not merely expensive, but fundamentally valuable in a way that endures. Translators often render it as "precious," capturing this sense of intrinsic costliness.
However, the word also carries significant theological weight when applied to people or abstract concepts. In 1 Peter 1:7, faith is called more precious than gold, while in 1 Peter 1:19, the blood of Christ is described as timios, contrasting sharply with perishable silver or gold. This usage shifts the focus from market price to spiritual significance, marking what is held dear by God and worthy of ultimate reverence.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word timios points to something of immense value, whether in a market or in the heart. It describes materials like gold and jasper that endure, but it also elevates spiritual realities above all earthly wealth. When Scripture calls faith or Christ’s blood precious, it invites us to see what truly lasts beyond temporary circumstances.
This perspective reshapes daily life. Instead of chasing fleeting success, we can anchor our hope in God’s promises and the sacrifice that secured our future. The call to honor marriage or wait patiently for harvest reflects this same enduring worth. What God values most is what we should hold dear.
May you find comfort in knowing that your faith and the grace given to you are counted as precious by the Creator. Let this truth guide your choices and bring peace to your heart as you trust in His eternal plan.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 12 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- precious6×
- most precious2×
- precious,1×
- honored1×
- dear1×
- by [the] precious1×
- Honorable [let]1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- τιμίῳ4×
- τίμιος1×
- τίμιον1×
- τίμια1×
- τιμίους,1×
- τιμίου1×
- τιμίαν1×
- τιμιωτάτῳ1×
- τιμιωτάτου1×
- Τίμιος1×
Key Verses
-
I Peter 1:19
but with precious blood, as of a lamb without blemish or spot, the blood of Christ,
This verse contrasts perishable silver with Christ's blood, defining true spiritual worth through sacrifice rather than market price.
-
Revelation of John 21:19
The foundations of the city’s wall were adorned with all kinds of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald,
The use here for the city's foundations emphasizes that God's eternal dwelling is built on enduring, holy value.
-
II Peter 1:4
by which he has granted to us his precious and exceedingly great promises; that through these you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world by lust.
It highlights that divine promises are the mechanism through which believers escape corruption and share in God's nature.
-
James 5:7
Be patient therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient over it, until it receives the early and late rain.
This agricultural metaphor shows how patience is required to receive what God has deemed valuable in His timing.