Word Study for G2948 (κυλλός)

kyllós /kool-los'/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom the same as κυλιόω

Meaningrocking about, i.e. crippled (maimed, in feet or hands)

KJV usagemaimed.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of kyllós — 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 kyllós, represented by G2948, refers to being maimed or crippled in the hands or feet. Defined as "rocking about," it describes a significant physical impairment. This specific term appears 4 times in 4 unique verses, highlighting its use in contexts of both severe affliction and radical spiritual teaching.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the Gospels, G2948 is used in two distinct ways. First, it describes a group of people healed by Jesus. Great multitudes brought the maimed to Jesus' feet, and He healed them Matthew 15:30. This miracle caused the crowd to wonder and glorify God when they saw "the maimed to be whole" Matthew 15:31. Second, the term is used metaphorically to teach about the seriousness of sin. It is better to enter into life maimed by cutting off a hand that causes one to sin, than to be cast into hell with two hands (Mark 9:43; Matthew 18:8).

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words appear alongside G2948, creating a picture of the various afflictions Jesus addressed:

G5560 chōlós (lame): This word describes a person who is limping or crippled. It is frequently listed with the maimed, blind, and dumb as part of the crowds Jesus healed Matthew 15:30.
G5185 typhlós (blind): Meaning physically or mentally blind, this term is used for those who cannot see. The healing of the blind is mentioned in the same context as the restoration of the maimed Matthew 15:31.
G2974 kōphós (dumb): Referring to someone who is deaf or unable to speak, this affliction is also listed among those Jesus healed when he made the maimed whole Matthew 15:31.
G5199 hygiḗs (whole): This word means healthy or sound and is used as the direct outcome of healing. In a key passage, the wonder of the crowd is provoked when they see the maimed being made whole Matthew 15:31.

Theological Significance

The theological significance of G2948 is evident in its contextual usage.

Demonstration of Divine Power: The healing of the maimed is presented as a specific and powerful sign of Jesus's authority. When the crowds witnessed these healings, they "glorified the God of Israel," recognizing the miraculous nature of the restoration Matthew 15:31.
Metaphor for Spiritual Priority: Jesus uses the extreme image of becoming maimed to illustrate a profound spiritual truth. The willingness to sacrifice a part of the body to avoid sin shows that eternal life is infinitely more valuable than physical completeness in this world Matthew 18:8.

Summary

In summary, G2948 is a focused term for being maimed. Though it appears infrequently, its usage is powerful. It functions both as a literal description of a severe disability that Christ had the power to heal, and as a stark metaphor for the uncompromising commitment required to enter into eternal life. The word underscores the transformative power of Jesus's ministry and the supreme value he placed on spiritual righteousness over physical integrity.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists one rendering for this word. It is counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the number is how many of them use it. Select it to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Greek New Testament, this word appears as an adjective across 4 occurrences, inflected in 2 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.

κυλλούς
κυλλὸν

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 4 verses across 2 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Matthew (3 verses); never once in the other 25.

Matthew

Mark

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.