Search / G1039
βύσσινος G1039
Adj-GNS  |  5× in 1 sense
Made of fine linen (byssus); describing luxurious cloth garments, especially in Revelation's imagery of wealth and purity.
An adjective describing something made of byssus, the prized fine linen of the ancient Mediterranean world. In Revelation, it appears in two vivid contrasts: the extravagant clothing of Babylon (Rev 18:12, 16) and the bright, pure garments of the saints and the heavenly armies (Rev 19:8, 14). The French and German translations preserve the loanword 'Byssus,' reflecting how distinctive this fabric was — a material so fine that it carried both economic and symbolic weight in the ancient world.
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Senses
1. sense 1 — Describes garments or cloth made of byssus (fine linen). All five NT occurrences cluster in Revelation, where the material functions as a marker of extreme luxury in the context of Babylon's trade goods (Rev 18:12, 16) and then pivots to symbolize purity and righteousness in the bridal garment of the saints (Rev 19:8) and the clothing of heaven's armies (Rev 19:14). The Spanish 'lino fino' and English 'fine linen' both emphasize the quality of the fabric rather than just its material. 5×
PHYSICAL_ACTION › Activities Involving Cloth › Linen and Fabric
AR["الكَتّانَ", "كَتّانًا", "كَتّانٍ"]·ben["মসরিনা", "মসরিনার", "মসীনা"]·DE["Byssus"]·EN["fine-linen", "in-fine-linen", "of-fine-linen"]·FR["Byssus"]·heb["בּוּץ", "בוּץ", "הַבּוּץ"]·HI["महीन-कपड़ा", "महीन-कपड़े-का"]·ID["linen-halus"]·IT["bussinon", "bussinou"]·jav["lena-alus", "mori-alus"]·KO["세마포가", "세마포를", "세마포와", "세마포의"]·PT["de-linho-fino", "linho-fino"]·RU["в-виссон", "виссон", "виссона"]·ES["de-lino-fino", "de-lino-fino,", "lino-fino", "lino-fino,"]·SW["kitani-safi,"]·TR["ince-keten", "ince-ketenin"]·urd["کتان", "کتان-کا"]
Rev 18:12, Rev 18:16, Rev 19:8, Rev 19:8, Rev 19:14
Related Senses
G0846 1. third-person pronoun reference (5552×)H???? 1. (4670×)H6213a 1. do, perform, act (2383×)G4160 1. do, act, perform (473×)H5221 1. Hifil: to strike in battle, smite enemies (362×)H0899b 1. garment, article of clothing (216×)H6213a 2. make, construct, fabricate (148×)H3772 1. cut a covenant / make a pact (97×)H5060 1. touch physically (Qal) (96×)H3615 1. complete a task (Piel) (85×)H3772 2. cut off / destroy (Hifil causative) (81×)H3920 1. capture, seize (Qal) (76×)H???? 12. (76×)H3772 3. be cut off / be eliminated (Niphal) (74×)H6213a 3. be done, be made (Niphal) (73×)G4160 2. make, construct, create (62×)H3847 1. Qal: put on, wear (60×)H8210 1. pour out (liquid/libation) (59×)G2440 1. garment or clothing (general) (54×)H4191 4. kill / put to death (Hifil causative) (50×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
βύσσινος, η, ον, made of βύσσος, σινδὼν β. fine linen bandage, used for mummy-cloths, Refs 5th c.BC+; βύσσινον, τό, LXX+NT __II ={πορφυροῦς}, Refs 5th c.AD+