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World

κόσμοςStrong’s G2889

kosmos

Appears in 152 verses of the New Testament

In short

Kosmos is the Greek word usually translated “world”, “earth” and “adorning”. It appears in 152 verses of the New Testament.

“This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.”
1 Timothy 1:15 KJV
Meaning

Usually translated “world”, “earth” and “adorning”. Open the dictionary entry below for the full range of meaning, with the verses it cites.

How it's translated
  • world 171
  • of world 12
  • the world 1
  • earth 1
  • to world 1
  • adorning 1

Word-by-word English from the STEPBible tagged text.

Where it's used most
  • John 58
  • 1 Corinthians 17
  • 1 John 17
  • Matthew 9
  • Romans 9
  • Hebrews 5

20 books in all.

Related words
Explore in Scripture
All 152 verses, by book
Acts 1
17:24
2 Corinthians 3
1:125:197:10
Galatians 2
4:36:14
Ephesians 3
1:42:22:12
Philippians 1
2:15
Colossians 3
1:62:82:20
1 Timothy 3
1:153:166:7
1 Peter 3
1:203:35:9
2 Peter 4
1:42:52:203:6
2 John 1
1:7
Revelation 3
11:1513:817:8
Greek dictionary

κόσμος kosmos · world

κόσμος, -ου, ὁ [in LXX: Gen.2:1, Deu.4:19 17:3, Isa.24:21 40:26 (צבא), Exo.33:5, 6 Jer.2:32 4:30, Eze.7:20 16:11 23:40 (עֲדִי), Isa.61:10 (כְּלִי), al., Wis.2:24 and freq., Sir.6:30, al ;] 1. order (Hom., Plat., al.). 2. ornament, adornment, esp. of women (Hom., al.): 1Pe.3:3. 3. Later, the world or universe, as an ordered system (Plat., al.): Act.17:24, Rom.4:13, 1Co.3:22, Php.2:15, Heb.4:3, al. 4. In late writers only, the world, i.e. the earth (= ἡ οἰκουμένη, cf. Mat.4:8 with Luk.4:5): Mat.4:8, Mrk.16:[15], Col.2:20, 1Ti.6:7, al.; hence by meton., …

From STEPBible’s Greek lexicon (based on Abbott-Smith).

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

How the English word “world” was understood when the King James Version was still the common Bible of English readers.

WORLD, noun

[This seems to be a compound word, and probably is named from roundness, the vault; but this is not certain.]

  1. The universe; the whole system of created globes or vast bodies of matter.
  2. The earth; the terraqueous globe; sometimes called the lower world
  3. The heavens; as when we speak of the heavenly world or upper world
  4. System of beings; or the orbs which occupy space, and all the beings which inhabit them. Hebrews 11:7“God--hath in these last days spoken to us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things; by whom also he made the worlds” Hebrews 1:2
All definitions
  1. Present state of existence; as while we are in the world“Behold, these are the ungodly who prosper in the world” Psalms 73:12
  2. A secular life.
  3. Public life, or society; as banished from the world
  4. Business or trouble of life.
  5. A great multitude or quantity; as a world of business; a world of charms.
  6. Mankind; people in general; in an indefinite sense.
  7. Course of life.
  8. Universal empire.
  9. The customs and manners of men; the practice of life.
  10. All the world contains.
  11. The principal nations or countries of the earth.
  12. The Roman empire.
  13. A large tract of country; a wide compass of things.
  14. The inhabitants of the earth; the whole human race. John 3:16
  15. The carnal state or corruption of the earth; as the present evil world; the course of this world Galatians 1:4Ephesians 2:2
  16. The ungodly part of the world“I pray not for the world but for them that thou hast given men” John 17:9
  17. Time; as in the phrase, world without end.
  18. A collection of wonders. [Not in use.]
  19. Exactly. [Little used.]
  20. For any consideration.

Noah Webster, An American Dictionary of the English Language (1828). Verse references are checked against the KJV. Read the full entry.

Verses are from the King James Version. Word meanings come from the original Greek, not from any one translation.