ὀδούς G3599
odous -- tooth; a hard bony structure in the jaw, often in 'gnashing of teeth' imagery
The noun odous ('tooth') denotes the hard bony structure rooted in the jaw used for biting and chewing. While the word has a straightforward anatomical meaning, its New Testament profile is dominated by one vivid formula: brygmos ton odonton, 'gnashing of teeth,' which Jesus employs repeatedly to depict the anguish and rage of eschatological judgment (Matt 8:12; 13:42, 50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30; Luke 13:28). The only other context is the lex talionis quotation 'tooth for tooth' (Matt 5:38), drawn from Exodus 21:24. The convergence of Spanish diente, French dent, and German Zahn on a single gloss confirms that no polysemy is at work -- just one word pressed into powerful figurative service.
Senses
1. tooth — A tooth -- used almost exclusively in the NT formula 'gnashing of teeth' for eschatological anguish (Matt 8:12; 13:42, 50; 25:30; Luke 13:28), plus once in 'tooth for tooth' (Matt 5:38). Spanish diente, French dent, and German Zahn render it uniformly with no semantic subdivision. 12×
AR["أَسنانِ", "أَسنَانِ", "أَسْنَانَ", "أَسْنَانَهُ", "أَسْنَانُهَا", "أَسْنَانِ", "الأَسنانِ", "الْأَسْنَانِ", "سِنًّا", "سِنِّ"]·ben["দাঁত", "দাঁতগুলি", "দাঁতের", "দাঁতের;"]·DE["Zaehne", "Zahn"]·EN["teeth", "tooth"]·FR["dent", "dents"]·heb["שִׁנֵּיהֶם", "שִׁנַּיִם", "שֵׁן"]·HI["दअन्तोन-क", "दाँत", "दाँत-की", "दाँतों", "दाँतों-का", "दांत", "दांतों", "दांतों-का", "दांतों-को"]·ID["gigi", "gigi-gigi", "giginya"]·IT["dente", "odontes"]·jav["untu", "untu-untunipun", "untu.", "untunipun"]·KO["이", "이-를", "이들", "이들-을", "이들-의", "이빨들이", "이의"]·PT["dente", "dentes", "dentes."]·RU["зуб", "зубами", "зубов", "зубов.", "зубы"]·ES["diente", "dientes"]·SW["-meno", "Wengi", "jino", "meno", "meno."]·TR["-o", "diş", "dişleri", "dişlerin", "dişlerini"]·urd["دانت", "دانت-کے", "دانتوں", "دانتوں-سے", "دانتوں-کا"]
Related Senses
H7200 1. Qal: to see, perceive (1257×)G4771 2. you (singular address) (1077×)H8085 1. Qal: hear, perceive aurally (921×)H0859a 1. you (2nd person masculine singular pronoun) (743×)H0398 1. eat (consume food) (697×)H4191 1. die (Qal: natural/general death) (645×)G3708 1. see, perceive visually (419×)G0191 1. hear, perceive sound (360×)H???? 3. (352×)G3708 2. behold, look (exclamatory) (256×)H7272 1. foot (body part) (236×)H8354 1. drink, consume liquid (209×)H3205 1. Qal active: bear/give birth (female subject) (204×)H3205 2. Qal active: beget/father (male subject) (198×)H2421 1. Qal: live, be alive (177×)H8085 2. Qal: listen, heed, pay attention (172×)H2416a 1. alive, living (state/attribute) (146×)H2416e 1. life, lifespan, lifetime (145×)G2198 1. be alive, have life (133×)H8193 1. lip, lips (body part) (123×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ὀδούς, όντος, ὁ, nominative ὀδούς LXX+4th c.BC+; Ionic dialect ὀδών Refs 5th c.BC+:—tooth, Refs 8th c.BC+; ἕρκος ὀδόντων, see at {ἕρκος}; πρίειν ὀδόντας, see at {πρίω}; ὀ. ὀξεῖς incisors, opposed to πλατεῖς, molars, Refs 4th c.BC+ __2 metaphorically, γλυκὺς ὀ. ὁ τοῦ πόθου Refs 2nd c.AD+; ὁ τῆς λύπης ὀ. the tooth of grief, Refs 3rd c.AD+ __II anything pointed or sharp, tooth, prong, spike, etc.,…