noun · feminine
glōssas
Strong’sG1100
the tongue, a language, nation
stem glōss-50 times in the New Testamentin 10 of 27 books8 of 10 forms occur
What it means
A plain-English reading of the word, with the lexicons it draws on — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, and Liddell-Scott-Jones — right below it, in full.
AI Summary
The tongue, the organ of speech in the mouth, is used literally of the physical tongue 1234.
The word is also used of anything shaped like a tongue, such as the flame-like shapes described at Pentecost 13.
A language, and by extension a nation or people distinguished by their language, is the word's other main sense 1234. In this sense it is often paired with words for "tribe," "people," and "nation" 1, and it is the term used in the New Testament for speaking in languages not naturally learned, as in the phrases "to speak in other tongues" or "to speak with a tongue/tongues" 12.
Sources: 1 Abbott-Smith 2 Strong's 3 LSJ 4 Dodson. Condensed by anthropic/claude-sonnet-5 on 2026-09-23 — it may still misstate what these say; check them yourself if it matters to you.
The lexicons it was drawn from, in full:
Abbott-Smith — the 1922 lexicon entry, in full
γλῶσσα, -ης, ἡ,
[in LXX chiefly for לָשׁוֹן;]
G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 1922 — public domain. References open in the reader.
Strong’s G1100 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from
Saidgloce-sah'
the tongue; by implication, a language (specially, one naturally unacquired)
Fromof uncertain affinity;
King Jamestongue.
James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, 1890 — public domain. The numbers in it link to the entries here.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — the classical dictionary this word appears in
Ionic dialect γλάσσα, Refs 3rd c.BC+, Attic dialect γλῶττα, ης, ἡ, tongue, Refs 8th c.BC+
b γ. λάρυγγος, ={γλωττίς}, larynx, Refs 2nd c.AD+
2 tongue, as the organ of speech, γλώσσης χάριν through love of talking, Refs 8th c.BC+; γλώσσῃ δεινός, θρασύς, Refs 5th c.BC+ by frankness of speech, Refs 6th c.BC+, of fraud opposed to violence, Refs 8th c.BC+; also, by word of mouth, Refs 5th c.BC+; τὰ γλώσσης ἄπο, i.e. our words, Refs 5th c.BC+; ἀπὸ γ. φράσω by heart, opposed to γράμμασιν, Refs 5th c.BC+; οὐκ ἀπὸ γλώσσης not from mere word of mouth, but after full argument, Refs 4th c.BC+; μὴ διὰ γλώσσης without using the tongue, Refs 5th c.BC+ —phrases: πᾶσαν γλῶτταν βασάνιζε try every art of tongue, Refs 5th c.BC+; πᾶσαν ἱέναι γλῶσσαν let loose one's whole tongue, speak withoutrestraint, Refs 5th c.BC+; κακὰ γ. slander, Refs 5th c.BC+, i.e. with blasphemies, Refs 5th c.BC+
3 of persons, one who is all tongue, speaker, of Pericles, μεγίστη γ. τῶν Ἑλληνίδων Refs 5th c.BC+
4 ἡ γ. τοῦ ταμιείου the advocacy of the fiscus, Refs 2nd c.AD+
II language, ἄλλη δ᾽ ἄλλων γ. μεμιγμένη Refs 8th c.BC+; γλῶσσαν ἱέναι speak a language or dialect, Refs 5th c.BC+; γ. Ἑλληνίδα, Δωρίδα ἱέναι, Refs 5th c.BC+; dialect, ἡ Ἀττικὴ γ. Refs 4th c.BC+
II.2 obsolete or foreign word, which needs explanation, Refs 4th c.BC+
II.3 people speaking a distinct language,LXX+4th c.BC+
III anything shaped like the tongue NT
III.1 in Music, rced or tongue of a pipe, Refs 4th c.BC+
III.2 tongue or thong of leather, shoe-latchet, Refs 5th c.BC+
III.3 tongue of land, Refs 2nd c.AD+
III.4 ingot, γ. χρυσῆ LXX
III.5 marking on the liver, in divination, Refs 5th c.AD+ from γλωχ-y[acaron], compare γλώξ, γλωχί; γλάσσα from *γλᾰχ-y[acaron], weak grade of same root.)
H. G. Liddell, R. Scott, H. S. Jones, A Greek-English Lexicon (9th ed., 1925–1940) — digitised by the Perseus Digital Library and corrected and expanded by Tyndale House, Cambridge, via STEPBible-Data's TFLSJ table, CC BY 4.0. Covers all of Greek literature, not just the Bible.
Translated as
Every occurrence, sorted by the English it was actually given — the evidence for what the word means, not a gloss of it.
Berean Standard Bible (BSB), dedicated to the public domain — berean.bible.
Biblang forms
Every form this word takes in Biblang, with the Greek it corresponds to and how often the New Testament uses it.
| Job in the sentence case | one singular | more than one plural |
|---|---|---|
| subject nominative | glōssas7×γλῶσσα | glōssais4×γλῶσσαι |
| object accusative | glōssan7×γλῶσσαν | glōssain1×γλώσσας |
| direct address vocative | glōssar | glōssair |
| of, belonging to genitive | glōssau4×γλώσσης | glōssaiu5×γλωσσῶν |
| to, for dative | glōssa7×γλώσσῃ | glōssai15×γλώσσαις |
Tinted cells are forms the New Testament never uses, so there is no Greek to show against them — but they are still correct Biblang, built from the slots below like any other.
Why these forms, and no others — the slots that make them
glōssa is this word in every one of its forms. The slots after it make all the rest.
same in every form varies — every value shown
Where it appears
Every verse the word appears in, filed under the form it takes there.
50 occurrences, every one of them listed
glōssas“tongue”subjectnominative singular7×
Luke 1:64… tem stomem autou parachrēma kai tas glōssas autou, kai lalate eulogarōntos ton theon.… Zechariah’s mouth was opened and his tongue was released, and he began to …
Acts 2:26… tas kardias mu kai agallieta tas glōssas mu, ēti de kai tas sarkas …… my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will dwell …
Romans 14:11… mi kamptati pantem gonuem, kai pantas glōssas exomologeti to theo.… knee will bow before Me; every tongue will confess to God.”
Philippians 2:11kai pantas glōssas exomologeteia hoti kurios Iēsus Christos eis …and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord …
James 3:5houtōs kai tas glōssas mikrem melem atō kai megeim auchatō. …In the same way, the tongue is a small part of the …
James 3:6kai tas glōssas purem, tos kosmos tau adikiau tas …The tongue also is a fire, a world …
James 3:6“tongue”… purem, tos kosmos tau adikiau tas glōssas katastēotō en tei melei nu, tas …… is a fire, a world of wickedness among the parts of the body. It pollutes the whole person, sets the course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire …
glōssan“tongue”objectaccusative singular7×
Luke 16:24… daktulou autou hudeu kai katapsuchateia tan glōssan mu, hoti odunomō en ta floga …… finger in water and cool my tongue. For I am in agony in …
1 Corinthians 14:26… psalmon echatō, didachan echatō, apokalupsian echatō, glōssan echatō, hermēneian echatō; panteim pros oikodoman …… or a teaching, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. All of these …
James 1:26… tinos dokatō thrēskos arō mē chalinagōgarōntos glōssan autou alla apatarōntos kardian autou, houtou …… and yet does not bridle his tongue, he deceives his heart and his …
James 3:8tan de glōssan oudenos damazara dunotō anthrōpoiu; akatastatem kakosem, …but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full …
1 Peter 3:10… kai horara hēmerain agathain pauatar tan glōssan apo kakoseu kai cheileim teu mē …… see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from …
Revelation 13:7“language”… epi pantan fulan kai laon kai glōssan kai ethnem.… given authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation.
Revelation 14:6“language”… epi pantem ethnem kai fulan kai glōssan kai laon,… the earth — to every nation and tribe and tongue and people.
glōssau“tongue”of, belonging togenitive singular4×
Mark 7:33… oueim autou kai ptuarantos hapteta tau glōssau autou,… He spit and touched the man’s tongue.
Mark 7:35… akoais, kai luita tos desmos tau glōssau autou, kai lalate orthōs;… man’s ears were opened and his tongue was released, and he began to …
1 Corinthians 14:9houtōs kai vis dia tau glōssau ean mē eusēmon logon dōaveia, pōs …… you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you …
Revelation 5:9“language”… haime su ek pantau fulau kai glōssau kai laou kai ethneu,… and by Your blood You purchased for God those from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.
glōssa“tongue”to, fordative singular7×
1 Corinthians 14:2tos gar lalarōntos glōssa ouk anthrōpoi lalatō alla theo, oudenos …For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men, but …
1 Corinthians 14:4tos lalarōntos glōssa heauton oikodomatō; tos de profēteuarōntos ekklēsan …The one who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but the one who …
1 Corinthians 14:13Dio tos lalarōntos glōssa proseuchotōr hina diermēneuateiō.… the one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret.
1 Corinthians 14:14ean gar proseuchomeiō glōssa, tem pneumem mu proseuchotō, tos de …For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind …
1 Corinthians 14:19… allosoin katēchameia, ē murioi logoin en glōssa.… than ten thousand words in a tongue.
1 Corinthians 14:27eite glōssa tinos lalatō, kata duo ē tem …If anyone speaks in a tongue, two, or at most three, should …
1 John 3:18“tongue”Teknieim, mē agapaneiō logo mēde ta glōssa alla en erge kai alētheia.Little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth.
glōssais“tongues”subjectnominative plural4×
Acts 2:3kai horila autoi diamerizorōntais glōssais hōsei pureu, kai kathizata epi henon …They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated …
1 Corinthians 13:8… piptatō. eite de profēteiais, katargili; eite glōssais, paueli; eite gnōsias, katargiti.… they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be restrained; where there …
1 Corinthians 14:22hōste tais glōssais eis sēmem alō ouk toi pisteuarōntoi …Tongues, then, are a sign, not for …
Revelation 17:15“languages”… kai ochlois alō kai ethneim kai glōssais.… was seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.
glōssain“tongues”objectaccusative plural1×
Revelation 16:10… basileias auteu skotorēntas, kai masole tain glōssain autoiu ek tou ponou,… and men began to gnaw their tongues in anguish
glōssaiu“tongues”of, belonging togenitive plural5×
1 Corinthians 12:10… profēteias, alloso diakrisiais pneumeiu, hetero geneim glōssaiu, alloso hermēneias glōssaiu;… spirits, to another speaking in various tongues, and to still another the interpretation …
1 Corinthians 12:10… pneumeiu, hetero geneim glōssaiu, alloso hermēneias glōssaiu;… to still another the interpretation of tongues.
1 Corinthians 12:28… epeita charismeim iameiu, antilēmpsiain, kubernēsiain, geneim glōssaiu.… of healing, helping, administration, and various tongues.
Revelation 7:9“language”… ethneu kai fulaiu kai laoiu kai glōssaiu, stēarēntois enōpion tou thronou kai enōpion …… from every nation and tribe and people and tongue, standing before the throne and before the Lamb …
Revelation 11:9“languages”… ek toiu laoiu kai fulaiu kai glōssaiu kai ethneiu tem ptōmem autoiu hēmerain …… a half days all peoples and tribes and tongues and nations will view their bodies and …
glōssai“tongues”to, fordative plural15×
Mark 16:17… en te onome mu daimoneim ekbalali, glōssai lalali kainai,… demons; they will speak in new tongues;
Acts 2:4… pneumeu hagieu, kai archela lalarō heterai glōssai kathōs tem pneumem dōate apofthengorō autoi.… and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
Acts 2:11… Arabois, akouanō lalarōntoiu autoiu tai hēmeterai glōssai teim megaleieim tou theou.… wonders of God in our own tongues!”
Acts 10:46akouale gar autoiu lalarōntoiu glōssai kai megalunarōntoiu ton theon. tote apokrinita …For they heard them speaking in tongues and exalting God. Then Peter said,
Acts 19:6… tem hagiem epi autoin, lalale tē glōssai kai profēteuale.… upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.
Romans 3:13tafos anoigorēntos tos larungos autoiu, tai glōssai autoiu doliale, ios aspidaiu hupo teim …“Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The venom of vipers …
1 Corinthians 12:30… pantois charismeim echalō iameiu? mē pantois glōssai lalalō? mē pantois diermēneualō?… of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?
1 Corinthians 13:1Ean tai glōssai toiu anthrōpoiu lalameiō kai toiu angeloiu, …If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but …
1 Corinthians 14:5thelamō de pantoin vin lalarō glōssai, mallon de hina profēteuaveiō; megoteros de …… all of you could speak in tongues, but I would rather have you …
1 Corinthians 14:5… de tos profēteuarōntos ē tos lalarōntos glōssai, ektos ei mē diermēneuateiō, hina tas …… greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets so that the …
1 Corinthians 14:6… de, adelfoir, ean erchameia pros vin glōssai lalarōntos, tinem vin ōfelami, ean mē …… I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you, unless …
1 Corinthians 14:18eucharistamō to theo, pantoiu vu mallon glōssai lalamō;… thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you.
1 Corinthians 14:23… epi tem autem kai pantois lalaleiō glōssai, eiserchaleia de idiōtois ē apistois, ouk …… comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and some who are uninstructed or …
1 Corinthians 14:39… profēteuarō, kai tem lalarō mē kōluavōr glōssai;… and do not forbid speaking in tongues.
Revelation 10:11“languages”… profēteuara epi laoi kai ethnei kai glōssai kai basilevoi polloi.… You must prophesy again about many peoples and nations and tongues and kings.”