Word Study for G3501 (νέος) | Strong's Concordance

néos /neh-o'-ter-os/ Ask about this word

Meaningincluding the comparative; a primary word; "new", i.e. (of persons) youthful, or (of things) fresh; figuratively, regenerate

KJV usagenew, young.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of néos — 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 νέος (néos), represented by G3501, is a primary word used to describe what is "new". It appears 24 times across 20 unique verses. The term most often refers to youthfulness in people or freshness in things, and is also used figuratively to describe a regenerate state.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In scripture, G3501 is frequently used to denote age, particularly in instructing the younger generation in their relationship to the elder (1 Peter 5:5, 1 Timothy 5:1). This includes specific admonitions for young men Titus 2:6, younger women 1 Timothy 5:14, and younger widows 1 Timothy 5:11. The word is also central to the parable of the new wine, which must not be put into old bottles lest they burst (Mark 2:22, Luke 5:37). Figuratively, it describes the "new man" which is renewed in knowledge Colossians 3:10 and the "new covenant" mediated by Jesus Hebrews 12:24.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words expand upon the concept of newness and age:

G2537 kainós (new): This word denotes newness, especially in freshness, while néos relates to age. It is used in parallel, such as when new G3501 wine must be put into new G2537 bottles Matthew 9:17.
G3820 palaiós (old): As a direct contrast, this word for "antique" or "worn out" is used in opposition to G3501, as seen with old leaven 1 Corinthians 5:7 and old bottles Mark 2:22.
G4245 presbýteros (elder): This term for an older person or senior is the direct counterpart to younger G3501 when discussing relationships between people and church structure 1 Peter 5:5.
G1095 gēráskō (to be old): This verb describes the process of waxing old and is contrasted with the state of being young G3501 John 21:18.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G3501 is significant, highlighting key spiritual truths.

Spiritual Regeneration: G3501 is used to illustrate the transformed believer, who has put on the "new man" Colossians 3:10 and is part of a "new lump", purged of old leaven 1 Corinthians 5:7.
The New Covenant: The term holds great importance in its description of the "new covenant" established through the blood of Jesus, the mediator Hebrews 12:24.
Kingdom Principles: The parable of new wine in old bottles teaches that the fresh work of God cannot be contained by old, rigid structures (Matthew 9:17, Luke 5:37). This highlights a fundamental principle of incompatibility between the old life and the new.
Redefined Status: While social order is addressed by instructing the younger to submit to the elder 1 Peter 5:5, Jesus inverts this by teaching that the greatest will be as the younger, associating this status with service Luke 22:26.

Summary

In summary, G3501 extends beyond a simple reference to age. It is a key biblical term that defines freshness, youth, and spiritual renewal. From the practical illustration of new wine to the profound concept of the new man and the new covenant, néos serves as a vital word to distinguish between the former and the regenerate, the old and the renewed life in Christ.

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 an adjective across 25 occurrences, inflected in 11 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Accusative Singular Masculine 8×
Nominative Singular Masculine Comparative 4×
Accusative Plural Feminine Comparative 3×
Accusative Plural Masculine Comparative 2×
Nominative Singular Masculine 2×
Accusative Plural Feminine 1×
Accusative Singular Feminine Location 1×
Genitive Singular Feminine 1×
Nominative Plural Masculine Comparative 1×
Nominative Singular Neuter 1×
Vocative Plural Masculine Comparative 1×

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
Genitive: Possession or source — often "of".
Accusative: The direct object of the verb.
Vocative: Direct address — naming who is spoken to.
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
Feminine: Feminine grammatical gender.
Neuter: Neuter grammatical gender.
Location: The name of a place.

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 20 verses across 11 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Luke (6 verses); never once in the other 16.

Matthew

Mark

Luke

John

Acts

1 Corinthians

Colossians

1 Timothy

Titus

Hebrews

1 Peter

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, 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.