τρίβος G5147
path, track, beaten way; a well-worn route or course of travel
A tribos is a worn path created by repeated use—a track beaten down by many feet. It differs from a formal road (hodos) in being more rustic and humble, though tribos can also metaphorically describe one's course of life or conduct. The New Testament uses it only in the synoptic quotation of Isaiah 40:3, where preparing the Lord's way involves making his "paths" straight. The image evokes both the ancient practice of preparing roads for royal visits and the spiritual preparation needed to receive the Messiah.
Senses
1. sense 1 — All three occurrences are the identical quotation from Isaiah 40:3 in Matthew 3:3, Mark 1:3, and Luke 3:4, introducing John the Baptist's ministry: "Make straight his paths (tribous)." The parallelism with "prepare the way of the Lord" shows tribos as synonymous with the route or course the Lord will travel. The Spanish sendas, French sentier, and German Pfad all denote paths or tracks, often smaller than main roads. The plural form emphasizes the multiple aspects of preparation needed—both physical (removing obstacles) and spiritual (repentance)—to ready the way for God's arrival. 3×
AR["سُبُلَهُ"]·ben["পথগুলি", "রাস্তা"]·DE["Pfad", "τρίβους"]·EN["paths"]·FR["sentier"]·heb["מְסִלּוֹת", "נְתִיבוֹת"]·HI["पगडण्डियाँ", "रास्ते", "राहों-को"]·ID["itu", "jalan-jalan", "jalan-jalan-setapak"]·IT["tribous"]·jav["lurung", "lurung-lurungé", "marginipun"]·KO["길들-을", "오솔길들-을"]·PT["veredas"]·RU["стези"]·ES["sendas"]·SW["mapito"]·TR["patikalarını"]·urd["راہیں", "پگڈنڈیاں", "پگڈنڈیوں-کو"]
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
τρίβος [ῐ], ἡ, but ὁ in Refs 5th c.BC+: (τρίβω):— worn or beaten track, ἐν τρίβῳ μάλιστα οἰκημένοι in the path (of the war), Refs 5th c.BC+; ἡ τ. τῆς ἀτραποῦ the track of the path, Refs 1st c.BC+; διασχισθέντες [τῆς ὁδοῦ] τρίβῳ τινί by following a track, Refs 5th c.BC+ __2 metaphorically, path, Refs 3rd c.BC+track, Refs 4th c.BC+ __II rubbing, attrition, Refs; τ. κρηπῖδος the rubbing of a shoe,…