ἄγγος (angos)
angos
vessel
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The Greek word angos refers simply to a vessel or container. It appears only once in the New Testament, in Matthew 13:48, where Jesus describes the final judgment using the image of a fishing net gathering fish of every kind.
In this parable, the angels sort the good fish into vessels while discarding the bad ones. The term itself does not specify the material or shape of these containers; it is a general word for any receptacle used to hold something. This contrasts with other Greek words that might specify a jar, pot, or specific type of dish.
The use of this common noun grounds the spiritual lesson in everyday life. Listeners would immediately recognize the process of cleaning and storing catch after a long day’s work. By choosing such an ordinary word, the text emphasizes that divine judgment involves practical separation and order, much like sorting goods for storage or sale.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word angos simply means a container or vessel. In Matthew 13:48, Jesus uses this everyday object to explain how God will separate what is valuable from what is not. Just as fishermen sort their catch after a long day, this image reminds us that there is order in God’s final judgment. It is not a chaotic event but a careful process of gathering and keeping.
This word grounds spiritual truth in daily life. You do not need special tools to understand it; you already know what a container is for holding things safely. In the same way, God prepares a place for those who belong to Him. The focus here is on preservation and care, showing that our lives have purpose and value in His eyes.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- vessels,1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἄγγη,1×
Key Verses
-
Matthew 13:48
which, when it was filled, fishermen drew up on the beach. They sat down and gathered the good into containers, but the bad they threw away.
This verse uses the word to describe the specific containers where good fish are kept safe after being sorted from the bad ones.