βῆμα· G0968
Judgment seat, tribunal; a step or foot's length of ground
The noun bema appears twelve times in the New Testament with two sharply distinct senses rooted in its etymology. Originally meaning 'a step' or 'a pace' — the space covered by one foot — it came to denote the raised platform (one 'step' up) from which officials rendered judgment. In eleven occurrences it is the tribunal or judgment seat: Pilate's judgment seat where he heard Jesus' case (Matt 27:19; John 19:13), Herod Agrippa's throne at Caesarea (Acts 12:21), Gallio's tribunal at Corinth (Acts 18:12-17), and Paul's appeals to Caesar's judgment seat (Acts 25:6-17). Most theologically, Paul speaks of standing before the bema of God and of Christ (Rom 14:10; 2 Cor 5:10). A single occurrence preserves the original spatial meaning.
Senses
1. judgment seat — A judgment seat, tribunal, or official platform from which legal verdicts and royal decrees are issued. This architectural and legal sense dominates the word's NT usage, appearing eleven times across the Gospels, Acts, and Epistles. Pilate sat on the bema at the Pavement (John 19:13) to pronounce judgment on Jesus; Gallio dismissed Jewish charges against Paul from the bema at Corinth (Acts 18:12-16); Festus heard Paul's defense from the bema at Caesarea (Acts 25:6, 10, 17). The theological apex comes in Romans 14:10 and 2 Corinthians 5:10, where every person must appear before the bema of Christ for final accounting. Spanish uniformly renders 'tribunal,' French 'tribunal,' and German 'Richterstuhl' (judge's chair), all confirming the forensic, judicial setting. The raised platform evokes authority, publicity, and the gravity of verdict. 11×
AR["كُرسِيِّ", "كُرْسِيِّ", "كُرْسِيِّ-القَضَاءِ", "كُرْسِيِّ-الْحُكْمِ", "كُرْسِيِّ-الْقَضَاءِ", "مِنْبَرِ", "مِنْصَّةٍ"]·ben["বিচার-আসনের", "বিচার-আসনের,", "বিচারাসন", "বিচারাসনে", "বিচারাসনের"]·DE["Richterstuhl"]·EN["judgment-seat"]·FR["tribunal"]·heb["בֵּמַת", "בֵּמָה", "בָּמָה", "הַבֵּמָה", "כִּסֵּא"]·HI["न्याय-आसन", "न्याय-आसन-के", "न्याय-पीठ", "न्यायपीठके", "न्यायपीठपर", "न्यायासन", "मंच"]·ID["kursi-pengadilan", "kursi-pengadilan,", "kursi-penghakiman", "takhta", "takhta-pengadilan", "takhta-penghakiman"]·IT["bematos", "tribunale"]·jav["dhampar", "dhampar,", "kursi-pangadilan", "kursi-pengadilan", "kursi-pengadilan,", "pangadilan", "pangadilan,"]·KO["심판대에", "재판석", "재판석-앞에", "재판석-앞에서", "재판석에", "재판석으로부터"]·PT["tribunal", "tribunal,"]·RU["судилища", "судилище", "судилище,", "судилищем", "судилищу"]·ES["tribunal"]·SW["kiti-cha-enzi,", "kiti-cha-hukumu"]·TR["o-", "tahtın", "yargı-kürsüsü-önünde", "yargı-kürsüsünden", "yargı-kürsüsüne", "yargı-kürsüsünün"]·urd["تخت", "تخت-عدالت", "مسند", "مسند-پر", "مسند-کے"]
2. a step — A step, pace, or foot's breadth of ground — the original spatial meaning from which the judicial sense developed. Acts 7:5 quotes God's promise to Abraham that he would give him the land, though at that time he gave him 'not even a step (bema) of ground' to stand on. Spanish renders 'paso' (a step/pace) and English 'a-step,' clearly distinguishing this from the tribunal sense. French and German interestingly retain 'tribunal' and 'Richterstuhl' even here, suggesting translators sometimes miss the spatial nuance, but the Greek and the context of land-measurement unmistakably point to a unit of physical space — one footfall's worth — underscoring the irony of Abraham's landless faith. 1×
AR["مَوْطِئَ"]·ben["পদক্ষেপ"]·DE["Richterstuhl"]·EN["a-step"]·FR["tribunal"]·heb["מִדְרַךְ"]·HI["पैर-रखने-की-जगह"]·ID["setapak"]·IT["tribunale"]·jav["tapaking"]·KO["발-의"]·PT["pisada"]·RU["шага"]·ES["paso"]·SW["hatua"]·TR["basacak-kadar"]·urd["قدم"]
Related Senses
H4941 1. justice, righteousness (134×)H4941 2. judgment, judicial decision (119×)H4941 3. ordinances, statutes (plural) (110×)H8199 1. to judge, adjudicate (98×)G2919 1. judge, pass judgment (76×)H8199 2. judge (person, office-holder) (61×)G2920 1. judgment / condemnation (48×)H7378 1. Qal: quarrel, contend, strive (42×)H4941 4. prescribed ordinance, regulation (34×)G1832 1. it is lawful, it is permitted (32×)G2917 1. judgment, condemnation (27×)G2919 2. be judged, stand trial (27×)H5360 1. vengeance, retribution (27×)H7378 2. Qal: plead, defend, litigate (22×)G2723 1. accuse, bring charges against (20×)G2923 1. judge (one who judges/decides) (19×)G2632 1. condemn, pass judgment against (18×)H1777 1. judge, adjudicate (18×)H1576 1. recompense, retribution (17×)H5359 1. vengeance, retribution (17×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
βῆμα· πρόβατα, Refs 5th c.AD+