χεῖλος (cheilos)
cheilos
lip
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 7 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The Greek noun cheilos refers simply to a lip, yet in Scripture it frequently stands for the entire mouth as the instrument of speech. This physical detail carries significant weight when the apostle Paul quotes Psalm 14 in Romans 3:13. He describes the throat and tongue as unclean, using the image of lips that produce deceit to illustrate the universal human condition before God.
The word also appears in Jesus’ criticism of religious hypocrisy in Matthew 15:8 and Mark 7:6. Here, he quotes Isaiah to condemn those who honor God with their lips while their hearts remain distant. The contrast highlights that verbal confession without inner devotion is empty performance, a theme repeated in Hebrews 13:15 where believers are called to offer sacrifices of praise.
Interestingly, the term extends beyond anatomy to describe physical edges or boundaries. In Hebrews 11:12, it refers to the "edge" or brink of the sea when describing Abraham’s descendants as numerous as the sand on the shore. This metaphorical use shows how the language of the body was applied to landscape, grounding spiritual promises in tangible, observable reality.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word cheilos points to our lips, yet Scripture often uses it to represent the whole mouth as the instrument of speech. In Matthew 15:8, Jesus warns that honoring God with lips while the heart remains distant is empty performance. This reminds us that true worship requires inner alignment, not just outward words.
Paul echoes this in Romans 3:13, noting that deceitful lips reflect a deeper spiritual brokenness. Yet there is hope. Hebrews 13:15 invites us to offer sacrifices of praise through lips that proclaim allegiance to God’s name. This shift from deceit to truthful praise shows how our speech can become an act of genuine devotion.
Even in Hebrews 11:12, the term describes the edge of the sea, grounding God’s promises in tangible reality. Your words matter because they reveal what is truly in your heart. May your lips speak life and truth, reflecting a faith that is both inwardly sincere and outwardly expressed.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 7 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- lips5×
- shore1×
- of [the] lips1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- χείλη2×
- χείλεσίν2×
- χεῖλος1×
- χείλεσιν1×
- χειλέων1×
Key Verses
-
Matthew 15:8
‘These people draw near to me with their mouth, and honor me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
This verse highlights the danger of using lips for religious honor while the heart stays distant from God.
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Romans 3:13
“Their throat is an open tomb. With their tongues they have used deceit.” “The poison of vipers is under their lips.”
Paul uses 'lips' here to illustrate how deceitful speech reveals a universal human condition before God.
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Hebrews 13:15
Through him, then, let’s offer up a sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of lips which proclaim allegiance to his name.
The word describes the 'fruit of lips' that actively proclaim allegiance, turning speech into a sacrifice of praise.