κῑβωτός G2787
kibotos -- ark; a large box-like vessel or chest, used of Noah's ark and the Ark of the Covenant
Kibotos denotes a large chest or box-shaped container. In the New Testament it carries two distinct biblical referents that share the underlying image of an enclosed, protective vessel: Noah's ark, the great ship of deliverance (Matt 24:38; Heb 11:7; 1 Pet 3:20), and the Ark of the Covenant, the gold-overlaid chest in the Holy of Holies containing the tablets of the Law (Heb 9:4). Spanish arca, French arche, and German Kasten all preserve this dual range. The word's classical sense of 'coffer' or 'chest' for storing documents gives way in Scripture entirely to these two theologically charged referents -- one a vessel of salvation from judgment, the other the locus of God's presence among his people.
Senses
1. ark — A large box-shaped vessel or container, encompassing both Noah's ark -- the great ship built at divine command to preserve life through the flood (Matt 24:38; Luke 17:27; Heb 11:7; 1 Pet 3:20) -- and the Ark of the Covenant, the sacred chest overlaid with gold that held the tablets, manna jar, and Aaron's rod (Heb 9:4). Though classical Greek uses kibotos broadly for any chest or coffer, the NT restricts it to these two salvation-historical referents. Spanish arca and French arche each cover both senses with a single word, mirroring the Greek unity. 6×
AR["الفُلكُ", "الفُلكِ", "تابوتُ", "تَابوتُ", "فُلكِ", "فُلْكًا"]·ben["জাহাজ", "জাহাজে", "সিন্দুক"]·DE["Kasten", "κιβωτόν"]·EN["ark", "of-ark"]·FR["arche"]·heb["אֲרוֹן", "הַתֵּבָה", "תֵּבָה"]·HI["जहाज", "जहाज़", "संदूक", "सन्दूक"]·ID["bahtera", "tabut"]·IT["arca", "kibōton", "kibōtos", "kibōtou"]·jav["pethi", "pethi-prejanjian", "prahu,", "prau", "prau,", "prâu"]·KO["궤를", "방주를", "방주에", "언약의-궤가"]·PT["arca", "arca,", "uma-arca"]·RU["ковчег", "ковчега,"]·ES["arca"]·SW["na", "safina", "sanduku"]·TR["gemi", "gemiye", "sandığı"]·urd["صندوق", "کشتی", "کشتی،"]
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
κῑβωτός, ἡ, box, chest, coffer, Refs 5th c.BC+; Noah's ark, LXX; the ark of LXX+2nd c.AD+; πέπτωκεν εἰς κ. has been deposited in the archives, Refs 3rd c.BC+, etc.; opposed to κίστη (which see). (Perh. a variant in Refs 8th c.BC+ cites κίβος as the radical form.)