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BIBLE DICTIONARY + WORD STUDY

Flax

Original Hebrew / Aramaic / Greek connected to this term

How to read this: there is rarely one magic “true meaning” hidden behind an English word. A lexicon records a word’s semantic range. The intended meaning is narrowed by grammar, sentence, author, historical usage and context.

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H6086

עֵץ

ets — tree: wood

: wood 1) tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows 1a) tree, trees 1b) wood, pieces of wood, gallows, firewood, cedar-wood, woody flax

254 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

GREEK · G3022

λευκός

leukos — white

λευκο-βύσσινος, -ον (cf. λευκολινής, a robe of white flax, C.I., 155, 17), white linen: Rev.19:14 (WH, mg.).† λευκός, ή, -όν [in LXX chiefly for לָבָן ;] 1. bright, brilliant: of clothing, Mat.17:2, Mrk.9:3 16:5, Luk.9:29, Act.1:10, Rev.3:5 4:4 6:11 7:9, 13 19:14 (cf. Ecc.9:8); ὡς χιών, Mat.28:3; ἐν λ.. (sc. ἱματίοις), Jhn.20:12, Rev.3:4; θρόνος, Rev.20:11. 2. white: Mat.5:36, Rev.1:14 2:17 4:4 6:2 14:14 19:11; figuratively, of garments, Rev.3:18; of ripened grain, Jhn.4:35.† (AS)

23 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

GREEK · G3043

λίνον

linon — linen/wick

λίνον (Tr. λῖνον), -ου, τό [in LXX: Exo.9:31 (פִּשְׁתָּה), al. ;] 1. flax: Mat.12:20 (LXX). 2. linen: Rev.15:6 (R, mg., see: λίθος).† λίθος, -ου, ὁ (and, in Att.., of precious stones, ἡ.) [in LXX for אֶבֶן, Gen.11:3, al.; λ. τίμιος, for פָּז, Psa.19:10 21:3, Pro.8:19, al. ;] a stone: Mat.4:6, al.; pl., Mat.3:9, al.; at the entrance of a tomb, Mat.27:60, 66 28:2, Mrk.15:46 16:3-4, Luk.24:2, Jhn.11:38, 32 11:41 20:1; λ. μυλικός, Luk.17:2, cf. Rev.18:21; of building stones, Mat.21:42, [44], Mat.24:2, Mrk.12:10 13:1-2, Luk.19:44 20:17-18 21:5-6 Act.4:11, 1Pe.2:7; metaphorically, of Christ, λ. ἀκρογωναῖος, ἐκλεκτός, ἔντιμος, 1Pe.2:6 (LXX); λ. ζῶν, 1Pe.2:4; προσκόμματος, 1Pe.2:8, Rom.9:33; of Christians, λ. ζῶντες, 1Pe.2:5; of precious stones, λ. τίμιος, Rev.17:4 18:12, 16 21:11, 19; ἴασπις, Rev.4:3; ἐνδεδυμένοι λ. καθαρόν, Rev.15:6 (λίνον, Rec., R, mg., see Swete, in l); metaphorically, λ. τίμιοι, 1Co.3:12; of the tables of the law, 2Co.3:7; of idols, Act.17:29 (AS)

2 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

GREEK · G1040

βύσσος

bussos — fine linen

βύσσος, -οῦ, ἡ (cf. Heb. בּוּץ), [in LXX chiefly for שֵׁשׁ, בּוּץ ;] byssus, a fine species of flax, also the linen made from it: Luk.16:19.† (AS)

1 tagged verse occurrence · see every occurrence →

Historical dictionary entry

(Heb. pishtah, i.e., “peeled”, in allusion to the fact that the stalks of flax when dried were first split or peeled before being steeped in water for the purpose of destroying the pulp). This plant was cultivated from earliest times. The flax of Egypt was destroyed by the plague of hail when it “was bolled”, i.e., was forming pods for seed (Ex. 9:31). It was extensively cultivated both in Egypt and Palestine. Reference is made in Josh. 2:6 to the custom of drying flax-stalks by exposing them to the sun on the flat roofs of houses. It was much used in forming articles of clothing such as girdles, also cords and bands (Lev. 13:48, 52, 59; Deut. 22:11). (See LINEN.)

Scripture references

Exodus 9:31Joshua 2:6Leviticus 13:48Leviticus 13:52Leviticus 13:59Deuteronomy 22:11Isaiah 19:9Hosea 2:5Hosea 2:9

Source: Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897). Historical dictionary wording reflects the scholarship and language of its era.

Compare other reference traditions

Look up Flax in Smith’s Bible Dictionary and ISBE →