1. precious, costly — Denotes material or intrinsic value, describing objects such as stones, metals, blood, or promises as being of great worth or costliness. The multilingual glosses consistently render this as 'precious' (Arabic ثَمين / كَريم, Hindi बहुमूल्य, Hebrew יָקָר, Korean 귀한, Spanish precioso/a). The superlative form τιμιωτάτος intensifies this same semantic field rather than creating a distinct sense. Used of Christ's blood (1 Pet 1:19), precious stones (Rev 17:4, 18:12, 21:19), building materials (1 Cor 3:12), the fruit of the earth (Jas 5:7), and divine promises (2 Pet 1:4). 11×
AR["الثَّمينَ","الثَّمينَةَ","بِثَمينٍ","ثَمينٍ","ثَمينٍ جِدًّا","ثَمِينَةً","كَريمٍ","كَريمَةً"]·ben["মূল্যবান","মূল্যবান,","মূল্যবানতম"]·DE["kostbar","τιμίαν"]·EN["most-precious","precious","with-precious"]·FR["précieux"]·heb["בְּדַם־יָקָר","יְקָר","יְקָרָה","יְקָרָה-בִּיוֹתֵר","יְקָרוֹת","יָקָר"]·HI["बहुमूल्य","बहुमूल्य-का","बहुमूल्य-की"]·ID["berharga","dengan-berharga","mahal","paling-berharga"]·IT["prezioso"]·jav["adi","aji","aji-sanget","ingkang-larang-sanget","kanthi-aji","mulia,","regeng"]·KO["가장-귀한","관한","귀하고","귀한","귀한-것으로","보배로운"]·PT["com-precioso","preciosa","preciosas","precíosíssima"]·RU["драгоценнейшего","драгоценнейшему","драгоценного","драгоценной","драгоценные","драгоценный","драгоценным","ценной"]·ES["con-preciosa","preciosa","preciosas","precioso","preciosísima,","valiosa"]·SW["kwa-damu","la-thamani","la-thamani,","la-thamani-sana,","vya-thamani","wa-thamani","wa-thamani-sana,","ya-thamani,"]·TR["değerli","en-değerli","odun"]·urd["بیش-قیمت","قیمتی","قیمتی-ترین"]
Acts 20:24, 1 Cor 3:12, Jas 5:7, 1 Pet 1:19, 2 Pet 1:4, Rev 17:4, Rev 18:12, Rev 18:12, Rev 18:16, Rev 21:11, Rev 21:19
▼ 1 more sense below
Senses
2. honored, esteemed — Describes persons who are held in honor or esteem by others, emphasizing social standing or moral worthiness rather than material value. The multilingual signature shifts decisively: Arabic مُكَرَّم (honored/venerated), Hindi आदरणीय (respectable), Hebrew נִכְבָּד (honored/distinguished), Spanish honroso/honrado. This contrasts with the 'precious/costly' sense where translations use value-oriented terms. Found in Heb 13:4 of marriage being honorable and in Acts 5:34 of Gamaliel being respected among the people. The focus is interpersonal regard and dignity rather than economic or material worth. 2×
AR["مُكَرَّم","مُكَرَّمٌ"]·ben["সম্মাননীয়","সম্মানিত"]·DE["kostbar","τίμιος"]·EN["Honorable","honored"]·FR["précieux"]·heb["נִכְבָּד"]·HI["-लोगों-द्वारा","आदरणीय"]·ID["Terhormat","dihormati"]·IT["prezioso"]·jav["Luhur","kinurmatan"]·KO["귀하다","존경-받는"]·PT["Honrado"]·RU["Честен","почитаемый"]·ES["Honroso","honrado"]·SW["Heshimu","mheshimiwa"]·TR["Değerli","saygın"]·urd["عزت-دار"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
τίμι-ος [τῑ], α, ον, Refs 5th c.BC+; also ος, ον Refs 5th c.BC+: (τιμή):— valued, __I held in honour, worthy, ὅδε πᾶσι φίλος καὶ τ. ἐστι Refs 8th c.BC+; ἄνδρα τ. Refs 4th c.BC+; γενεᾷ τίμιος [Δανάη] Refs 8th c.BC+: frequently in comparative and superlative, τιμιώταται θεῶν Refs 5th c.BC+; as form of address, -ώτατεRefs 1st c.AD+ __II of things, valuable, prized, οὐδὲν κτῆμα -ώτερον NT+5th c.BC+…