ψῆφος (psēphos)
psēphos
stone
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The Greek word psēphos refers to a small, smooth stone or pebble. In the ancient world, these stones were practical tools for daily life, but they also carried significant legal weight. Because pebbles were readily available and easy to handle, people used them as voting tokens in courts and assemblies.
This usage explains its appearance in Acts 26:10, where Paul mentions casting his vote against believers. The image suggests a formal, perhaps even impersonal, act of judgment using simple stones. In Revelation 2:17, the word appears in the phrase "white stone," which draws on this voting imagery but transforms it into a symbol of victory and acceptance rather than condemnation.
The distinction between black and white pebbles in ancient legal contexts adds depth to these references. Black stones meant guilt, while white ones signaled acquittal or favor. When Revelation promises a white stone with a new name written on it, it evokes the idea of being found innocent and personally recognized by God.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word psēphos refers to a small stone or pebble, an everyday object in the ancient world that carried surprising weight. In legal settings, these stones were used as voting tokens: a black stone signaled guilt, while a white one meant acquittal or favor. This simple tool of judgment becomes the backdrop for two very different moments in Scripture.
In Acts 26:10, Paul recalls casting his vote against believers using this method, showing how even religious leaders could use formal processes to condemn others. Yet in Revelation 2:17, Jesus transforms this image entirely. He promises a white stone with a new name written on it, not as a token of impersonal judgment, but as a personal sign of acceptance and victory.
This shift from legal verdict to intimate gift reminds us that God’s view of us is not based on condemnation. Instead, He offers recognition and favor. When you feel overlooked or judged by the world, remember that Christ holds a white stone for you—a symbol of being known personally and accepted fully by Him.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- stone2×
- a vote;1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ψῆφον2×
- ψῆφον·1×
Key Verses
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Acts 26:10
I also did this in Jerusalem. I both shut up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death I gave my vote against them.
Paul uses the concept of casting a vote with stones to describe his past role in condemning early Christians, highlighting how legal procedures were sometimes used against the faith.
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Revelation of John 2:17
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. To him who overcomes, to him I will give of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows but he who receives it.
The promise of a white stone with a new name transforms the voting token into a personal gift of victory and intimate knowledge from Christ to the believer.