διάδημα G1238
diadem, royal headband or crown symbolizing sovereignty and kingship
A diadem was a distinctive band or fillet worn around the head as a symbol of royal authority. Unlike the stephanos (victor's wreath or festive crown), the diadem specifically marked monarchical power. In Persian and Hellenistic contexts, the diadem distinguished kings from other nobility. In Revelation's apocalyptic imagery, diadems appear on the heads of the dragon, the beast from the sea, and the conquering Christ—all representing claims to sovereignty and power. The diadem is not merely decorative but symbolic of the right to rule.
Senses
1. sense 1 — All three occurrences appear in Revelation's visions of cosmic conflict: the dragon with seven diadems on his heads (12:3), the beast from the sea with ten diadems (13:1), and Christ the conquering King with many diadems (19:12). The multilingual glosses are uniform—English 'diadems,' Spanish 'diademas,' French 'Diademe,' German 'Diademe.' The multiple diadems on each figure symbolize comprehensive sovereignty—the dragon's usurped authority, the beast's delegated power, and Christ's rightful universal kingship that supersedes all rival claims. 3×
AR["تيجانٌ", "تيجانٍ"]·ben["মুকুট", "মুকুটসমূহ"]·DE["Diademe"]·EN["diadems"]·FR["Diademe"]·heb["כְּתָרִים"]·HI["मुकुट", "राजमुकुट", "राजमुकुट।"]·ID["mahkota,", "mahkota-mahkota", "mahkota;"]·IT["diadēmata"]·jav["makutha-kathah", "makutha-makutha"]·KO["왕관들이"]·PT["diademas"]·RU["венцов", "диадем,", "диадем;"]·ES["diademas"]·SW["taji", "taji;", "vilemba"]·TR["taçlar"]·urd["تاج"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
διάδημα, ατος, τό, (διαδέω) band or fillet: especially band round the τιάρα worn by the Persian king, Refs 5th c.BC+; by his successors, Refs 2nd c.AD+; by kings generally, LXX+1st c.BC+ __II Ὀσίριδος δ., ={ἅλιμος}, Ps.Refs 1st c.AD+