νῖκος G3534
Victory; triumph, especially over death and the grave
A later Greek form of nike (victory), used in the New Testament almost exclusively in the context of God's ultimate triumph. Matthew 12:20 quotes Isaiah's promise that justice will be brought forth 'to victory,' while the dense cluster in 1 Corinthians 15:54-57 celebrates the eschatological swallowing up of death in victory. Paul's exultant 'Where, O death, is your victory?' transforms an Old Testament taunt into a resurrection hymn. Spanish victoria, French victoire, and German Sieg unanimously render it as decisive, complete triumph — never a partial win.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Decisive victory or triumph, particularly God's final conquest over hostile powers. In Matt 12:20, it refers to the ultimate success of justice (quoting Isa 42:3 LXX, where nikos renders the Hebrew lanetsach, 'to completeness/forever'). In 1 Cor 15:54-57, it appears three times in rapid succession as Paul declares death swallowed up in victory and taunts death for having lost its sting. Spanish victoria and French victoire confirm the consistent sense of total, irreversible triumph. 4×
AR["غَلَبَةٍ", "غَلَبَةَ", "غَلَبَةُ", "نَصرٍ"]·ben["জয়,", "জয়?", "জয়ে", "জয়ে।"]·DE["Sieg", "νῖκος"]·EN["victory"]·FR["victoire"]·heb["הַ-נִּצָּחוֹן", "נִצָּחוֹן"]·HI["जय", "जय-में", "विजय-कि"]·ID["kemenangan", "kemenangan,", "kemenangan.", "kemenangan?"]·IT["nikos", "vittoria"]·jav["-kamenangan", "kamenangan"]·KO["승리", "승리가", "승리를"]·PT["vitória,", "vitória.", "vitória?"]·RU["победа", "победе", "победу"]·ES["victoria"]·SW["ushindi", "ushindi?"]·TR["için-", "o-", "zafere"]·urd["فتح", "فتح-تک", "فتح-میں"]
Related Senses
H4421 1. war, battle, armed conflict (319×)H0341 1. enemy, adversary, foe (284×)H3898a 1. Nifal: to fight, wage war (167×)H2026 1. kill, slay (active) (146×)H2451 1. wisdom, discernment (146×)H5483b 1. horse (the animal) (138×)H0006 1. to perish, be destroyed (105×)H7843 1. Hifil: destroy, annihilate (83×)H2491a 1. slain, fatally pierced (74×)H6862c 1. adversary, enemy, foe (69×)H8045 1. destroy, exterminate (69×)G0615 1. kill, put to death (60×)H6571b 1. horseman, cavalryman (52×)H8077a 1. desolation, waste (abstract state) (52×)G4678 1. of wisdom (51×)G4717 1. crucify, fasten to a cross (46×)H2763a 1. utterly destroy (Hifil active) (44×)G0622 1. perish, be destroyed (intransitive) (41×)H0006 2. to destroy, annihilate (Piel) (38×)H8074 1. be desolate, lie waste (36×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
νῖκος, εος, τό, later form for νίκη, LXX+1st c.BC+; written νεῖκος), NT+8th c.BC+; εἰς νῖκος for ever, LXX