Word Study for G5093 (τίμιος)

tímios /tim-ee-o'-tat-os/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom τιμή

Meaningvaluable, i.e. (objectively) costly, or (subjectively) honored, esteemed, or (figuratively) beloved

KJV usagedear, honourable, (more, most) precious, had in reputation.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of tímios — 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 tímios, represented by G5093, signifies something that is valuable. It appears 14 times across 13 unique verses in the Bible. The term's application ranges from the objectively costly, like gemstones, to the subjectively honored or esteemed, and is used figuratively to describe what is beloved or dear.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In scripture, G5093 is used to describe both material and spiritual worth. In a literal sense, it refers to items of high market value, such as precious stones 1 Corinthians 3:12, pearls Revelation 17:4, and even most precious wood Revelation 18:12, which are listed as merchandise of Babylon the Great. Figuratively, the term elevates to describe concepts of immense spiritual value. The blood of Christ is called precious 1 Peter 1:19, and a believer's tested faith is described as "much more precious than of gold" 1 Peter 1:7. It also denotes honor and reputation, as marriage is described as honourable Hebrews 13:4, and Gamaliel was a man "had in reputation" Acts 5:34.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the concept of value and honor:

G5092 timḗ (a value... esteem... honour, precious, price, some): As the root word of tímios, it directly refers to the price or honor assigned to something. It is used alongside G5093 to describe the outcome of a tested faith, which is found unto praise, honour, and glory 1 Peter 1:7.
G3037 líthos (a stone (literally or figuratively)): This word is frequently paired with G5093 to describe precious stones, which serve as materials for both worldly adornment Revelation 17:4 and the foundations of the New Jerusalem Revelation 21:19.
G4102 pístis (persuasion, i.e. credence... faith, fidelity): The value of a believer's faith is highlighted by being described as more precious than gold 1 Peter 1:7.
G1862 epángelma (a self-committal (by assurance of conferring some good)): God's promises are described as "exceeding great and precious," signifying their immense worth and reliability 2 Peter 1:4.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G5093 is significant, highlighting what God considers to be of true and lasting worth.

The Value of Redemption: The word underscores the infinite cost of salvation, accomplished not with corruptible things but with the precious blood of Christ 1 Peter 1:19.
The Worth of Enduring Faith: A believer's faith, when tried by fire, is proven to be "more precious than of gold," resulting in praise, honour, and glory at Christ's appearing 1 Peter 1:7.
The Nature of God's Gifts: God gives believers "exceeding great and precious promises" so that they might become partakers of the divine nature, escaping the world's corruption 2 Peter 1:4.
The Sanctity of Marriage: The institution of marriage is to be held as honourable among all, reflecting its divinely appointed value Hebrews 13:4.

Summary

In summary, G5093 is a word that bridges the gap between material cost and spiritual value. While it can denote expensive earthly goods, its most profound use is in describing the priceless nature of Christ's sacrifice, the believer's faith, and the promises of God. It teaches that what is truly precious is not defined by worldly markets but by divine estimation, honor, and love.

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 14 occurrences, inflected in 10 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Dative Singular Masculine 4×
Nominative Singular Masculine 2×
Accusative Plural Masculine 1×
Accusative Singular Feminine 1×
Accusative Singular Masculine 1×
Dative Singular Neuter 1×
Genitive Singular Masculine 1×
Genitive Singular Neuter 1×
Nominative Plural Neuter 1×
Nominative Singular Neuter Comparative 1×

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
Genitive: Possession or source — often "of".
Dative: The indirect object — often "to" or "for".
Accusative: The direct object of the verb.
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
Feminine: Feminine grammatical gender.
Neuter: Neuter grammatical gender.

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 13 verses across 7 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Revelation (5 verses); never once in the other 20.

Acts

1 Corinthians

Hebrews

James

1 Peter

2 Peter

Revelation

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.