Word Study for G1485 (ἔθος) | Strong's Concordance

éthos /eth'-os/ Ask about this word

Meaninga usage (prescribed by habit or law)

KJV usagecustom, manner, be wont.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of éthos — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Greek word éthos, represented by G1485, is defined as a usage prescribed by habit or law. It appears 12 times across 12 unique verses in the Bible. This term signifies established practices, ranging from personal habits and manners to the foundational customs and legal traditions of a people or religious group.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, G1485 is used to describe various established practices. It refers to religious duties, such as the "custom G1485 of the priest's office G2405" Luke 1:9 and the traditional "manner G1485 of the Jews G2453" for burial John 19:40. The term also denotes legal and civil procedures, as when it is described as not the "manner G1485 of the Romans G4514" to deliver a man to die without a trial Acts 25:16. On a personal level, it describes Jesus's own habit, as he went to the Mount G3735 of Olives G1636 "as he was wont G1485" Luke 22:39.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words expand upon the concept of custom and established practice:

G1484 éthnos (a race (as of the same habit), i.e. a tribe): This term shows the direct link between the shared customs of a people and their identity as a nation. It appears in contexts where the "customs G1485" of the Jews G2453 are contrasted with the practices of the Gentiles G1484 Acts 21:21.
G4043 peripatéō (to... walk... figuratively, to live, deport oneself, follow): This word connects custom to daily life and behavior. It is used in an accusation against Paul, claiming he taught Jews not "to walk G4043 after the customs G1485" Acts 21:21.
G1832 éxesti (it is right... be lawful, let, X may(-est)): This term highlights the legal and authoritative nature of some customs. In Philippi, Paul was accused of teaching "customs G1485, which are not lawful G1832 for us to receive G3858... being G5607 Romans G4514" Acts 16:21.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G1485 is significant, particularly in the book of Acts, where it highlights the tension between old traditions and the new faith in Christ.

Cultural and Religious Identity: The word is used to define the boundaries of communities. Paul defends himself by stating he committed nothing against the "customs G1485 of our fathers G3971" Acts 28:17. These customs were so integral that being "expert G1109" in them was a notable quality Acts 26:3.
The Mosaic Law vs. Grace: A central conflict in the early church revolved around whether adherence to Mosaic "customs G1485," such as circumcision, was required for salvation Acts 15:1. The accusation that Jesus of Nazareth G3480 would "change G236 the customs G1485 which G3739 Moses G3475 delivered G3860" was a primary charge against the early believers Acts 6:14.
Habit as Spiritual Practice: The term is used to describe both positive and negative spiritual habits. Jesus demonstrated a consistent personal discipline, as it was his "wont G1485" to pray on the Mount of Olives Luke 22:39. In contrast, some believers had fallen into the bad "manner G1485" of forsaking the assembly, a practice they were exhorted to cease Hebrews 10:25.

Summary

In summary, G1485 is a multifaceted term that encompasses personal habit, cultural tradition, and religious law. It defines everything from the "custom G1485 of the feast G1859" in Jerusalem Luke 2:42 to the foundational legal traditions of the Roman empire. The word is crucial for understanding the concepts of identity, tradition, and the pivotal transition from the customs of the Mosaic law to life in the New Covenant.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Greek New Testament, this word appears as a noun across 12 occurrences, inflected in 6 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it. These are this word’s own inflections, not words built from it — for those, see Related Words.

ἔθος
ἔθος
ἔθη
ἔθεσιν
ἔθει
ἐθῶν

Related Words

1 entry in Strong’s name this word as its origin. These are its derivatives — a different relationship from the inflected forms above, which are this same word bent by grammar.

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 12 verses across 4 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Acts (7 verses); never once in the other 23.

Luke

John

Acts

Hebrews

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.