μέρος G3313
Part, portion, share; region, district; section, side; turn in sequence; piece or fragment of something.
Meros is Greek's workhorse noun for 'part' in nearly every dimension the word can carry. Its 42 New Testament occurrences range from a piece of broiled fish (Luke 24:42) and the four parts of a garment (John 19:23) to the geographic ('the parts of Galilee,' Matt 2:22) and the deeply abstract ('in part we know,' 1 Cor 13:9). Its most theologically charged use comes in John 13:8, where Jesus tells Peter 'you have no part with me' unless he submits to footwashing -- here meros carries the weight of covenant share and spiritual inheritance. Spanish parte, German Teil, and French partie all mirror this breadth.
Senses
1. part, portion, share — A part, portion, or share of a whole -- the dominant sense at 29 occurrences. This covers both concrete partitions (the master cuts the unfaithful servant's portion, Matt 24:51; the prodigal asks for his share of the estate, Luke 15:12) and abstract uses like ek merous ('in part,' 1 Cor 13:9-12) and en to merei touto ('in this respect,' 2 Cor 3:10). The theological apex is John 13:8, where 'having a part' with Jesus means sharing in his salvific work. Korean 부분/몫 and Spanish parte/porcion both differentiate the abstract from the allotment sub-senses. 29×
AR["جُزءًا","جُزءٍ","جُزْءًا","جُزْءٌ","جُزْءٍ","جِهَةِ","نَصيبَهُ","نَصِيبٌ","نَصِيبَ","نَصِيبَهُ"]·ben["অংশ","অংশ,","অংশ-র","অংশে","অংশে,","অংশের","অংশের;","অংশের।","কিছুটা"]·DE["Teil"]·EN["a-part","part","portion"]·FR["partie"]·heb["בְּ-חֵלֶק","חֵלֶק","חֶלְקוֹ","מִקְצָת"]·HI["-पैरों-के-पास","अंश","भअग","भाग","भाग-में","भागके"]·ID["bagian","bagian,","dari","sebagian","sebagian,"]·IT["meros","parte"]·jav["bagean","bageyan","pandom","perangan","péranganing","péranganing,","saperangan","saperangan,","sapérangan","sapérangan.","sepérangan,"]·KO["몶을","부분","부분-을","부분으로","부분은","부분을","부분의,","부분적으로","부분적인-것은","분깃을","편-의"]·PT["em-parte","parte","parte,","parte.","parte;"]·RU["-Израилю","-части","части","части.","часть","часть,","частью","члена,"]·ES["en-parte","parte","partido"]·SW["sehemu","sehemu,","sehemu.","yake"]·TR["-yi-","den-","geçersiz kılınacak","kısmen","kısmı","kısmından","kısımdan","parça","payın","payını"]·urd["حصّہ","حصہ","حصے","کچھ-حد-تک","کچھ-حصہ"]
Matt 24:51, Luke 11:36, Luke 12:46, Luke 15:12, John 13:8, John 19:23, Acts 5:2, Acts 19:27, Acts 23:6, Acts 23:9, Rom 11:25, Rom 15:15 (+17 more)
2. region, district — A geographic region, district, or territory -- 7 occurrences concentrated in Matthew and Acts. Herod's son rules 'in the region of Galilee' (Matt 2:22); Jesus withdraws 'into the parts of Tyre and Sidon' (Matt 15:21); Paul passes through 'the upper parts' of Asia Minor (Acts 19:1). Spanish regiones, German Gegend, and the LXX tradition of using meros for Hebrew territorial language all confirm this as a genuine spatial-geographic sense rather than a loose metaphor of 'part.' 7×
AR["أَجزاءِ","الأَجْزَاءَ","الْأَجْزَاءَ","نَوَاحِي"]·ben["অংশসমূহে","অঞ্চল","অঞ্চলে"]·DE["Teil"]·EN["parts","region","regions"]·FR["partie"]·heb["-","אֶזְרוֹר","אַזְיוֹרוֹת","חֲלָקִים","חֶלְקֵי"]·HI["कशेत्रोन","क्षेत्रों","प्रदेशों","प्रदेशों-में","भअग"]·ID["bagian-bagian","daerah"]·IT["mere","parte"]·jav["daerah","dhaérah","laladan","péranganing","tlatah","wewengkon"]·KO["곳들에","지역","지역들","지역들을","지역으로","지역을"]·PT["regiões","regiões,"]·RU["области","области,","пределы","части"]·ES["partes","regiones"]·SW["sehemu"]·TR["bölgeleri","bölgelerine","kisimlaira"]·urd["حصوں","علاقوں","علاقوں-میں","علاقہ","علاقے"]
3. section, division, side — A section, division, or side of a physical structure or group -- 4 occurrences. The soldiers divide Jesus' garments 'into four parts' (John 19:23); the disciples cast the net on 'the right side' of the boat (John 21:6); Revelation 16:19 splits Babylon 'into three parts.' Spanish partes and Korean 부분 handle this straightforwardly. The emphasis is on constituent divisions of a single larger entity, distinct from the share/allotment sense of sense 1. 4×
AR["أَجزاءٍ","أَجْزَاءٍ","أَقْسَامَ","الجانِبِ"]·ben["অংশ,","অংশগুলির","অংশে","দিকের"]·DE["Teil"]·EN["parts"]·FR["partie"]·heb["חֲלָקִים","חֶלְקֵי","צְדָדִים"]·HI["और","तरफ़","भाग","भागों"]·ID["bagian","daerah-daerah"]·IT["mere","parte"]·jav["peréngan","prantunipun","péranganing","sisih"]·KO["그-","부분","부분-으로","부분들"]·PT["parte","partes"]·RU["сторону","части,","части;","частях"]·ES["partes"]·SW["sehemu","sehemu;","wa"]·TR["bölgelerini","parça","tarafına"]·urd["حصے","طرف"]
4. turn, succession — One's turn in a sequence -- a single occurrence at 1 Cor 14:27 where Paul instructs that tongue-speakers should speak 'in turn' (ana meros). This idiomatic use with the preposition ana creates a rotational-sequential meaning found already in classical Greek (Herodotus, Thucydides). Spanish turno and Korean 차례로 both select dedicated sequence vocabulary, confirming this is not merely a contextual shade of 'part' but a genuine adverbial idiom. 1×
AR["جُزءٍ"]·ben["অংশে,"]·DE["Teil"]·EN["turn"]·FR["partie"]·heb["חֵלֶק"]·HI["अंश"]·ID["bergiliran,"]·IT["parte"]·jav["gantosan"]·KO["부분으로"]·PT["em-turno,"]·RU["части"]·ES["turno"]·SW["zamu"]·TR["biri"]·urd["باری"]
5. piece, fragment — A physical piece or fragment -- a single occurrence at Luke 24:42 where the risen Jesus is given 'a piece of broiled fish.' Here meros is concrete and tangible: not a division of an abstract whole but a broken-off fragment of food. Spanish parte de and Korean 한 조각 ('one piece') both specify a material fragment. The post-resurrection meal setting gives this humble sense unexpected theological resonance -- the risen Lord eats real food in real pieces. 1×
AR["قِطْعَةً"]·ben["অংশ"]·DE["Teil"]·EN["a-piece"]·FR["partie"]·heb["חֵלֶק"]·HI["टुकड़ा"]·ID["sepotong"]·IT["meros"]·jav["sapérangan"]·KO["한-조각을"]·RU["часть"]·ES["parte"]·SW["kipande"]·TR["parçasını"]·urd["ٹکڑا"]
Related Senses
H5921a 1. upon, on, over (spatial) (5443×)H0413 1. directional: to, toward (5366×)H1121a 1. son, male offspring, descendant (4914×)H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)H4428 1. king, human ruler (2518×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)H6440 1. before, in front of (spatial) (1870×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H3027 1. physical hand (body part) (1596×)H1697 1. word, speech, utterance (1235×)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×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
μέρος, εος, τό, (μείρομαι) first in Refs:— share, portion, Refs 5th c.BC+; of work put out to contract, allotment, Refs __2 heritage, lot, destiny, μεθέξειν τάφου μ. Refs 5th c.BC+; τοῦτο γὰρ.. σπάνιον μ. is a rare portion, Refs 5th c.BC+; ἀπὸ μέρους προτιμᾶσθαι from considerations of rank or family, Refs 5th c.BC+ __II one's turn, ἐπείτε αὐτῆς μ. ἐγίνετο τῆς ἀπίξιος Refs 5th c.BC+; ὅταν ἥκῃ μ.…