### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Greek word **ōdín**, represented by `{{G5604}}`, signifies a pang or throe, especially that of childbirth. It appears 4 times across 4 unique verses in the Bible. Based on its core meaning, it is translated as **pain**, **sorrow**, or **travail**.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In scripture, `{{G5604}}` is used metaphorically to describe intense and pivotal moments. It describes the "pains of death" which God "loosed" in the resurrection of Jesus, highlighting that death could not hold him [[Acts 2:24]]. The term is also used to illustrate the suddenness of judgment, which comes upon the unsuspecting like the **travail** of a woman in childbirth [[1 Thessalonians 5:3]]. In the gospels, Jesus uses the word to characterize calamities like earthquakes and famines, calling them "the beginning of **sorrows**" ([[Matthew 24:8]], [[Mark 13:8]]).
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words are used in conjunction with `{{G5604}}`, adding to its contextual meaning:
* `{{G3089}}` **lýō** (to "loosen"): This word is used to describe God's action upon the "pains of death," showing that these pains were broken or dissolved through the resurrection [[Acts 2:24]].
* `{{G2288}}` **thánatos** (death): This term is directly qualified by `{{G5604}}` in the phrase "pains of **death**," framing death itself as a process involving agonizing throes [[Acts 2:24]].
* `{{G3639}}` **ólethros** (destruction): This is linked to the suddenness of `{{G5604}}`, as unexpected **destruction** is said to come upon people just as travail comes upon a woman with child [[1 Thessalonians 5:3]].
* `{{G5016}}` **tarachḗ** (disturbance... trouble(-ing)): Listed alongside famines and earthquakes, these **troubles** are identified as part of the "beginnings of sorrows" [[Mark 13:8]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{G5604}}` is centered on themes of struggle preceding a significant event.
* **Overcoming Death:** The use of "pains of death" in [[Acts 2:24]] frames Christ's experience not just as an end, but as an ordeal that was actively "loosed" or overcome by God's power when He was raised up.
* **Imminent Judgment:** In [[1 Thessalonians 5:3]], the "travail" metaphor emphasizes that destruction will be sudden and unavoidable for those living in a false sense of peace and safety.
* **The Beginning of the End:** By describing end-time upheavals as "the beginning of sorrows" ([[Matthew 24:8]], [[Mark 13:8]]), the term functions as a sign. It indicates that these events are not the end itself but the preliminary pangs leading to a final, climactic event.
### Summary
In summary, `{{G5604}}` extends beyond its definition of a simple pang or pain. It is a powerful biblical metaphor for acute, transformative suffering. The word is used to articulate the severity of death that Christ overcame, the inescapable nature of coming destruction, and the initial signs that signal a coming climax. It illustrates a recurring biblical theme: that periods of great travail often precede a major divine act.
TRV