### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Greek word **étos**, represented by `{{G2094}}`, is a primary term for a **year**. It appears 49 times across 48 unique verses in the Bible, primarily used to measure durations of time, from individual ages and afflictions to significant periods in redemptive history.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In biblical narratives, `{{G2094}}` is used to frame both human experiences and divine timelines. It quantifies the length of chronic suffering, such as the woman who had an issue of blood for twelve **years** [[Matthew 9:20]] or the man with an infirmity for thirty-eight **years** [[John 5:5]]. The word also marks key historical and covenantal periods, such as the forty **years** Israel spent in the wilderness [[Acts 7:36]] and the four hundred and thirty **years** between God's promise to Abraham and the giving of the law [[Galatians 3:17]]. In the book of Revelation, it is used to describe the thousand-**year** reign of Christ with his saints [[Revelation 20:4]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words help define the context of time and duration in scripture:
* `{{G2250}}` **hēméra** (day): This term for a day is often used in contrast to a year, highlighting the nature of time from a divine perspective, as when it is stated that one **day** with the Lord is as a thousand years [[2 Peter 3:8]].
* `{{G3376}}` **mḗn** (month): This word for a month specifies shorter durations within a year, such as the famine lasting three years and six **months** in the days of Elias [[Luke 4:25]].
* `{{G5062}}` **tessarákonta** (forty): A significant number often paired with `{{G2094}}`, it denotes periods of testing or judgment, like the **forty** years Israel was grieved in the wilderness [[Hebrews 3:17]].
* `{{G5507}}` **chílioi** (a thousand): This numeral is critically linked to `{{G2094}}` in eschatological passages, defining the **thousand** years Satan is bound [[Revelation 20:2]] and the **thousand** years the saints reign with Christ [[Revelation 20:6]].
### Theological Significance
The use of `{{G2094}}` carries significant weight, structuring our understanding of God's sovereignty over time.
* **Marking Historical Epochs:** The word is used to delineate major eras in God's plan, such as the period of the judges lasting about four hundred and fifty **years** [[Acts 13:20]] or the span of Israel's bondage in a strange land for four hundred **years** [[Acts 7:6]].
* **Quantifying Human Lifespans and Ministry:** It establishes timelines for key figures, including Jesus beginning his ministry at about thirty **years** of age [[Luke 3:23]] and Paul's ministry activities spanning multiple **years** [[Galatians 2:1]].
* **Prophetic Timetables:** `{{G2094}}` is essential for biblical prophecy, most notably in establishing the thousand-**year** period in Revelation, a cornerstone of eschatological discussion ([[Revelation 20:3]], [[Revelation 20:5]], [[Revelation 20:7]]).
* **Contrasting Divine and Human Time:** The word underscores the difference between God's eternal nature and human finitude, as seen in the declaration that God's **years** shall not fail [[Hebrews 1:12]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{G2094}}` functions as a fundamental building block for the biblical narrative. It moves beyond a simple calendrical unit to define periods of suffering, ministry, covenant history, and prophecy. From the age of a young girl brought back to life [[Mark 5:42]] to the thousand-year reign of Christ, **étos** provides the temporal framework through which God's unfolding plan of redemption is measured and understood.
TRV