σκεῦος G4632
A vessel, container, or instrument; household goods; nautical gear or tackle
The noun σκεῦος covers a broad range of manufactured objects, from everyday containers to a person's entire household property. In its most common New Testament usage it denotes a vessel or jar — the jar of sour wine at the cross (John 19:29), the great sheet lowered like a vessel from heaven (Acts 10:11), or the metaphorical 'vessel of mercy' and 'vessel of wrath' (Rom 9:22-23). Paul himself is called a σκεῦος ἐκλογῆς, 'a chosen instrument' (Acts 9:15). In its plural collective sense, it refers to household goods or possessions (Matt 12:29), and once to ship's tackle in the storm scene of Acts 27:17.
Senses
1. vessel, container — A vessel, jar, container, or instrument — both literal and metaphorical. This dominant sense (19 occurrences) encompasses physical receptacles like the jar at the cross (John 19:29), the lamp placed on a stand rather than under a vessel (Luke 8:16), and the sheet-like container in Peter's vision (Acts 10:11). Figuratively, Paul is a 'chosen vessel' (Acts 9:15) and human beings are vessels of mercy or wrath (Rom 9:22-23). Spanish 'vasija/objeto' and German 'Gefaess' confirm the container core. 19×
AR["آنِيَةٌ","آنِيَةٍ","آنِيَةَ","آنِيَةُ","آنِيَةِ","إناءٍ","إناءَ","إِناءً","إِنَاءً","إِنَاءٌ","إِنَاءُ","بِوِعاءٍ"]·ben["পাত্র","পাত্রকে","পাত্রগুলি","পাত্রসমূহ","পাত্রে","পাত্রে,"]·DE["Gefaesse","Gefäß"]·EN["a-jar","a-vessel","vessel","vessels","with-a-vessel"]·FR["vase"]·heb["בִּכְלִי","כְּלִי","כְּלֵי","כֵּלִים"]·HI["पात्र","बरतन","बर्तन","बर्तन-से","बर्तनों","बर्तनों-को","शरेएर"]·ID["Bejana","barang","bejana","bejana-bejana","dengan-wadah","perkakas","perkakas-perkakas"]·IT["vaso"]·jav["badan,","barang","barang,","barang-barang","piranti","prabot","wadhah","wadhah,"]·KO["그릇","그릇-이","그릇-이다","그릇들-이","그릇들에","그릇들을","그릇들이","그릇으로","그릇을","그릇이","기구들을","기구를"]·PT["com-vaso","objeto","utensílios","vaso","vaso,","vasos"]·RU["-бесчестие","Сосуд","к-","которые","сосуд","сосудах","сосудом","сосуду","сосуды"]·ES["Vasija","con-vasija","objeto","utensilio","utensilios","vasijas","vaso","vasos"]·SW["chombo","kwa-chombo","vyombo","vyombo,","wake"]·TR["Kap","bedenini","eşya","eşyasını","kaba","kabı","kap","kapla,","kaplar","kaplarda","kapları","kaplarına","kaplarını"]·urd["برتن","برتن-سے","برتن-کو","برتن-کے","برتنوں","برتنوں-پر"]
Mark 11:16, Luke 8:16, John 19:29, Acts 9:15, Acts 10:11, Acts 10:16, Acts 11:5, Rom 9:21, Rom 9:22, Rom 9:23, 2 Cor 4:7, 1 Thess 4:4 (+7 more)
2. goods, household property — Household goods, possessions, or personal property in the collective plural. Jesus' parable of binding the strong man turns on this sense: one must first bind him before plundering his 'goods' (Matt 12:29, Mark 3:27). In Luke 17:31, the person on the housetop must not go down to retrieve their 'belongings.' Spanish 'bienes/pertenencias' marks the shift from singular container to collective property clearly. 3×
AR["أَمتِعَتَهُ","أَمتِعَتُ","أَمْتِعَتِهِ"]·ben["জিনিস","পাত্র","পাত্রগুলি"]·DE["Gefaesse","Gefäß"]·EN["goods"]·FR["vase"]·heb["כֵּלִים","כֵּלָיו"]·HI["यदि-नहीं","सअमन-को","सामान"]·ID["barang-barang","barang-barangnya"]·IT["vaso"]·jav["barang","barang-barang","barang-barangé"]·KO["그릇들을","물건들을","물건들이"]·PT["bens"]·RU["вещи"]·ES["bienes","pertenencias"]·SW["vitu","vyombo"]·TR["eşyalar","eşyalarını"]·urd["سامان","سامان-کو"]
3. gear, ship's tackle — Nautical equipment, rigging, or ship's tackle — a specialized technical sense attested once at Acts 27:17. During the violent Mediterranean storm, the sailors 'lowered the gear,' referring to the sail or rigging apparatus. The singular σκεῦος here parallels classical Greek maritime usage where it denoted a ship's equipment. Spanish 'aparejo' (rigging/tackle) captures this nautical specificity precisely. 1×
AR["الأَدَاةَ"]·ben["যন্ত্র"]·DE["Gefäß"]·EN["gear"]·FR["vase"]·heb["הַמִּפְרָשׂ"]·HI["साधनको"]·ID["layar,"]·IT["vaso"]·jav["jangkar,"]·KO["장비를"]·PT["aparelho,"]·RU["снасть"]·ES["aparejo"]·SW["tanga"]·TR["yelkeni"]·urd["بادبان"]
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
σκεῦος, εος, τό, vessel or implement of any kind, in singular, Refs 5th c.BC+:—but the plural is frequently used in a collective sense, all that belongs to a complete outfit, house-gear, utensils, chattels, opposed to live-stock and fixtures, Refs 5th c.BC+; σ. γεωργικά farming implements, Refs 5th c.BC+; ἱερὰ σ. sacred vessels and implements, Refs 5th c.BC+; a druggist's stores, Refs 4th c.BC+;…