ἄμωμον (amōmon)
amōmon
amomum
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The Greek word amōmon refers to a specific aromatic plant or spice, identified in ancient sources as amomum, a fragrant herb native to India. In the New Testament, it appears only once, listed among the valuable goods traded in Babylon the Great in Revelation 18:13. Its inclusion highlights the immense wealth and global reach of the city’s commerce, extending even to exotic imports from distant lands.
Lexical sources distinguish this term from more common words for incense or general spices, pointing instead to a particular resinous plant valued for its scent. The verse places it alongside gold, silver, and fine linen, emphasizing that this spice was a high-status commodity. Its singular occurrence underscores the thoroughness with which John describes the city’s material excess before its judgment.
Translators often render amōmon as "amomum" or simply "spice," acknowledging the uncertainty of exact botanical identification while preserving its sense of rarity and luxury. This single mention serves as a vivid detail in the larger portrait of worldly power, showing that even the most exotic pleasures are part of the system destined to pass away.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word amōmon appears only once in the New Testament, tucked into a list of exotic goods in Revelation 18:13. It refers to a rare spice, likely amomum, valued in the ancient world for its fragrance and rarity. John includes it among the wares traded by Babylon the Great, painting a picture of a global economy built on luxury and excess.
For your faith, this detail serves as a sobering reminder of the allure of worldly wealth. The text does not celebrate these items but rather shows how deeply they are woven into a system that opposes God. When we see such rare treasures listed alongside human lives, it highlights the tragic priority given to material gain over spiritual health.
This single word invites us to examine our own desires. Do we chase after the fleeting pleasures of this age? The passage suggests that all such trade and luxury will eventually pass away. We are invited instead to fix our hearts on what endures, finding rest in God rather than in the temporary comforts of a passing world.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- spice1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἄμωμον1×
Key Verses
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Revelation of John 18:13
and cinnamon, incense, perfume, frankincense, wine, olive oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle, sheep, horses, chariots, and people’s bodies and souls.
This is the only occurrence of the word, where it appears in a catalog of luxury goods to illustrate the global reach and moral corruption of Babylon's commerce.