κόσμος G2889
World, ordered creation, human society; also adornment — the created order, inhabited earth, or system of human values; rarely, outward decoration.
Kosmos carries immense theological freight in the New Testament. Rooted in the idea of 'order' and 'arrangement,' it became the standard term for the created universe, the inhabited earth, and — in John's writings especially — the fallen human order that stands in tension with God's kingdom. 'God so loved the kosmos' (John 3:16) embraces the whole of rebellious humanity in divine compassion. Yet kosmos can also denote what is hostile to God: 'the kosmos knew him not' (John 1:10). In a single striking occurrence (1 Pet 3:3), the word returns to its etymological root, meaning outward adornment or decoration — a usage every major translation distinguishes from the dominant sense.
Senses
1. [split] world — The created order, the inhabited earth, or the system of human society and its values — the sphere in which God's redemptive work unfolds. All major languages render it with a single dominant term: 'world' (eng), 'mundo' (spa), 'monde' (fra), 'Welt' (deu). In John's theology, it carries a layered range: the object of God's love (John 3:16), the arena Jesus enters to save (John 12:47), and simultaneously the system that rejects the light (John 1:10; 1 John 2:15-17). Paul uses it for the whole created order (Rom 1:20) and for Gentile humanity beyond Israel (Rom 11:12). 0×
AR["العَالَمَ", "العَالَمِ", "الْعَالَمِ", "عالَمَ", "عَالَمَ", "عَالَمُ", "عَالَمِ"]·ben["জগত", "জগতকে", "জগতে", "জগতের", "জগতের।", "জগৎ", "পৃথিবী", "পৃথিবীর"]·DE["Welt"]·EN["of-world", "world"]·FR["monde"]·heb["הָעוֹלָם", "עוֹלָם"]·HI["जगत", "संसार", "संसार,", "संसार-का।", "संसार-की", "संसार-के", "संसार।", "सनसअर", "सनसअर-पर"]·ID["dunia", "dunia,", "dunia."]·IT["mondo"]·jav["donya", "jagad", "jagad,", "jagad.", "jagat", "jagat;"]·KO["세상", "세상-에", "세상-에서", "세상-을", "세상-의", "세상에", "세상을", "세상의", "세상이", "세상이다"]·PT["mundo", "mundo,", "mundo."]·RU["мир", "мира", "мире", "миру"]·ES["-mundo", "del-mundo", "mundo"]·SW["ulimwengu", "wote"]·TR["dünya", "dünyada", "dünyanın", "dünyaya", "dünyayı"]·urd["دنیا", "دنیا-پر", "دنیا-کو", "دنیا-کی", "دنیا۔", "دُنیا-میں"]
Matt 4:8, Matt 5:14, Matt 13:38, Matt 16:26, Matt 18:7, Matt 25:34, Matt 26:13, Mark 8:36, Mark 14:9, Mark 16:15, Luke 9:25, Luke 12:30 (+38 more)
1. world as system opposed to God — Split from sense 70999. Criteria: The system of human society and values that rejects Christ; 'the world knew him not' (John 1:10); 'do not love the world' (1 John 2:15-17) 102×
AR["-عَالَمُ", "-عَالَمِ", "العَالَمِ", "الْعَالَمِ", "عالَم", "عَالَمُ", "عَالَمِ"]·ben["জগত", "জগতকে", "জগতে", "জগতের", "জগৎ", "পৃথিবী", "পৃথিবীর"]·DE["Welt"]·EN["world"]·FR["monde"]·heb["הָעוֹלָם", "עוֹלָם"]·HI["संसार", "संसार,", "संसार-के", "संसार-को", "सनसअर-पर"]·ID["dunia", "dunia,"]·IT["mondo"]·jav["jagad", "jagad,", "jagad?"]·KO["세상", "세상-에", "세상에는", "세상에서", "세상은", "세상의", "세상이"]·PT["mundo", "mundo,"]·RU["мир", "мира", "миру"]·ES["mundo"]·SW["ulimwengu"]·TR["dünya", "dünyadan", "dünyanın", "dünyaya"]·urd["دنیا", "دنیا-پر", "دنیا-کا", "دنیا-کی"]
Matt 4:8, Matt 18:7, John 1:10, John 1:10, John 3:19, John 7:7, John 8:23, John 12:19, John 12:31, John 12:31, John 13:1, John 14:17 (+38 more)
2. adornment, outward decoration — Outward adornment or decoration of the body — the original etymological sense of kosmos as 'arrangement' or 'ordered beauty.' Found only at 1 Pet 3:3, where Peter contrasts external kosmos (braiding hair, gold jewelry, fine clothing) with the hidden person of the heart. Spanish renders it 'adorno' (ornament) rather than 'mundo,' and English uses 'adornment,' showing that translators across traditions recognize this as a distinct sense preserving the word's pre-biblical Greek meaning. 1×
AR["زينَةَكُنَّ"]·ben["সাজসজ্জা"]·DE["Welt"]·EN["adornment"]·FR["monde"]·heb["קִשּׁוּט"]·HI["शृंगार"]·ID["perhiasan"]·IT["mondo"]·jav["payas;"]·KO["꾸미이"]·PT["adorno;"]·RU["украшение;"]·ES["adorno"]·SW["urembo"]·TR["süsü"]·urd["آراستگی؛"]
2. world as creation / object of God's love — Split from sense 70999. Criteria: The created order or inhabited earth as the sphere of redemption; 'God so loved the world' (John 3:16); 'God sent his Son into the world' (John 12:47) 83×
AR["العَالَمَ", "العَالَمِ", "الْعَالَمِ", "عالَمَ", "عَالَمَ", "عَالَمُ", "عَالَمِ"]·ben["জগত", "জগতকে", "জগতে", "জগতের", "জগতের।", "জগৎ", "পৃথিবী", "পৃথিবীকে", "পৃথিবীতে", "পৃথিবীর"]·DE["Welt"]·EN["of-world", "world"]·FR["monde"]·heb["הָעוֹלָם", "עוֹלָם"]·HI["जगत", "संसार", "संसार,", "संसार-का,", "संसार-का।", "संसार-की", "संसार।", "सनसअर"]·ID["dunia", "dunia,", "dunia."]·IT["mondo"]·jav["donya", "jagad", "jagad,", "jagad.", "jagat", "jagat;"]·KO["세상", "세상-에서", "세상-을", "세상-의", "세상에", "세상을", "세상의", "세상이", "세상이다"]·PT["mundo", "mundo,", "mundo."]·RU["мир", "мира", "мире", "миру"]·ES["-mundo", "del-mundo", "mundo"]·SW["ulimwengu", "wote"]·TR["dünya", "dünyada", "dünyanın", "dünyaya", "dünyayı"]·urd["-ال", "دنیا", "دنیا-کو", "دنیا-کی", "دنیا۔", "دُنیا-میں"]
Matt 5:14, Matt 13:38, Matt 16:26, Matt 25:34, Matt 26:13, Mark 8:36, Mark 14:9, Mark 16:15, Luke 9:25, Luke 12:30, John 1:9, John 1:10 (+38 more)
Related Senses
H8033 1. There (locative adverb) (835×)H7760a 1. put, place, set physically (444×)H8064 1. heavens / sky (329×)H5439 1. around, all around (spatial) (319×)H4057b 1. wilderness, desert region (270×)H3220 1. sea, body of water (269×)H0520a 1. cubit (unit of length) (246×)H0127 1. ground, land (territory) (210×)H3383 1. Jordan River (proper noun) (183×)G1093 1. earth, the world (176×)H5800a 1. forsake, abandon (Qal active) (166×)H8121 1. sun (celestial body) (133×)H7126 1. offer, present sacrificially (122×)H6828 1. north, cardinal direction (120×)H2351 1. outside, exterior space (119×)H5104 1. river, stream (119×)H7341 1. width, breadth (101×)G1563 1. there (95×)H7126 2. draw near, approach (95×)G2281 1. sea, large body of water (91×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
κόσμος, ὁ, order, κατὰ κόσμον in order, duly, εὖ κατὰ κ. Refs 8th c.BC+; οὐ κατὰ κ. shamefully, Refs 8th c.BC+ to sit in order, Refs 8th c.BC+; κ. φέρειν bear becomingly, Refs 5th c.BC+; κόσμῳ οὐδενὶ κοσμηθέντες in no sort of order, Refs 5th c.BC+; φεύγειν, ἀπιέναι οὐδενὶ κ., Refs, etc.; ἀτάκτως καὶ οὐδενὶ κ. Refs 5th c.BC+; οὐκέτι τὸν αὐτὸν κ. no longer in the same order, Refs 5th c.BC+:…