The Greek word timiótēs, represented by G5094, refers to costliness. Derived from a word meaning expensiveness or magnificence, it appears only 1 time in 1 unique verse in the entire Bible, making its single usage highly significant.
The sole appearance of G5094 is in Revelation 18:19, within the lament over the fall of the great city of Babylon. Those who profited from her, specifically "all that had ships in the sea," were made rich "by reason of her costliness." The word here pinpoints the source of the city's vast economic power and splendor. Its use is immediately contrasted with the city's sudden demise, as the verse concludes, "for in one hour is she made desolate."
Several related words help frame the context of this valuable but doomed city:
- G4147 ploutéō (to be... rich): This word describes the direct result of the city's costliness. Those who traded with her were made rich Revelation 18:19. The word also appears in a warning, "Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods... and knowest not that thou art wretched" Revelation 3:17.
- G4172 pólis (city): This identifies the entity whose magnificence is being described. In this context, it is "that great city" Revelation 18:19, a symbol of worldly power and wealth.
- G2049 erēmóō (to lay waste, make desolate): This describes the ultimate fate of the city's splendor. The same verse that praises its costliness declares that in one hour "is she made desolate" Revelation 18:19, emphasizing the totality of its destruction.
The theological weight of G5094 is tied directly to its singular, dramatic context in Revelation.
- The Fleeting Nature of Material Wealth: The word is used to define the pinnacle of human economic achievement and magnificence, only to have it vanish "in one hour" Revelation 18:19. This starkly illustrates the impermanence of worldly riches when faced with divine judgment.
- A Symbol of Worldly Pride: The city's "costliness" represents a self-sufficient system that prides itself on wealth and splendor. Its sudden desolation serves as a powerful judgment against such pride and the misplaced trust in material things.
- The Source of Mourning: The lamentation in the passage is not for a loss of righteousness, but for the loss of economic opportunity derived from the city's costliness. This highlights a worldly grief focused on material ruin rather than spiritual reality.
In summary, G5094 is a highly specific term whose single scriptural use packs a profound theological punch. It encapsulates the idea of immense worldly value and magnificence, but its context in Revelation 18:19 serves as a solemn reminder that the most prized "costliness" of the world is transient and subject to the ultimate authority of God.
TRV