noun · feminine
grafas
Strong’sG1124
a writing, passage of scripture, the scriptures
stem graf-49 times in the New Testamentin 13 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
γραφή most often means the Scriptures, the sacred writings of the Old Testament 1234. In the plural it refers to the body of sacred writings as a whole 13, while in the singular it can refer to one particular passage being cited 13.
More broadly, the word can simply mean a writing or document, that is, something that has been written down 124.
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
γραφή, -ῆς, ἡ
(< γράφω), [in LXX chiefly for כְּתָב;]
G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 1922 — public domain. References open in the reader.
Strong’s G1124 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from
Saidgraf-ay'
a document, i.e. holy Writ (or its contents or a statement in it)
Fromfrom G1125;
King Jamesscripture.
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
representation by means of lines: hence,
I drawing, delineation, Refs 5th c.BC+; κατὰ γραφήν in outline, conjecture in Refs 5th c.BC+; also of painting, γραφῇ κοσμέειν Refs 5th c.BC+; the art of drawing or painting, Refs 5th c.BC+
I.2 that which is drawn or painted, drawing, picture, ὅσον γραφῇ only in a picture, Refs 5th c.BC+; σπόγγος ὤλεσεν γραφήνRefs 4th c.BC+; also of embroidery, Refs 4th c.BC+
I.3 γ. παρειῶν painting, rouging the cheeks, Refs
II writing or the art of writing, Refs 5th c.BC+ the registration of.., Refs 4th c.BC+
II.2 that which is written, writing, Refs 5th c.BC+: hence, of various written documents, letter, Refs 5th c.BC+: also in plural, Refs 5th c.BC+; ψευδεῖς γ. spurious documents, cited in Refs 5th c.BC+ false statements); of published writings, τῶν φιλοσόφων Refs 1st c.BC+; ἐν τῇ πρώτῃ γ. in the first book, Refs 4th c.BC+; written law, Refs 5th c.BC+; contract, Refs 2nd c.BC+: plural, copies of judgements delivered in court, Refs
II.2.b catalogue, list, return, ἱερῶν Refs 2nd c.BC+; τοῦ κατ᾽ ἄνδρα Refs 1st c.BC+; τὰς κατ᾽ ἄνδρα γραφάς Refs 2nd c.BC+, etc.; price-list, Refs 1st c.BC+
II.2.c inscription, Refs 5th c.BC+
II.2.d MS. reading, Refs 1st c.BC+
II.3 the Holy Scripture,NT+1st c.AD+: also in singular, of a particular passage, NT
II.4 γ. φαρμάκου medical prescription, Refs 2nd c.AD+
II.5 record-office, archive, Refs 3rd c.BC+
III (γράφομαι) as law-term,
III.1 bill of indictment in a public prosecution, λέγε, τὴν γ. αὐτὴν λαβών Refs 4th c.BC+
III.2 criminal prosecution in the interest of the state Refs 5th c.BC+; γ. κατασκευάζειν κατά τινος, ἐπί τινα, Refs 4th c.BC+; γ. εἰσέρχεσθαι, εἰσιέναι, appear before the court in a public prosecution, either as prosecutor or prosecuted, Refs
III.3 generally, an ordinary public action, opposed to to special forms (such as εἰσαγγελία, εὔθυναι, etc.), γραφάς, εὐθύνας, εἰσαγγελίας, πάντα ταῦτ᾽ ἐπαγόντων μοι Refs 5th c.BC+
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 | grafas21×γραφὴ | grafais3×γραφαὶ |
| object accusative | grafan4×γραφὴν | grafain9×γραφάς |
| direct address vocative | grafar | grafair |
| of, belonging to genitive | grafau3×γραφῆς | grafaiu3×γραφῶν |
| to, for dative | grafa2×γραφῇ | grafai4×γραφαῖς |
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
grafa 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
Words built on the same stem
Other words sharing the exact same stem — not merely related in meaning.
Where it appears
Every verse the word appears in, filed under the form it takes there.
49 occurrences, every one of them listed
grafas“scripture”subjectnominative singular21×
Luke 4:21… pros autoin hoti Sēmeron plērotē tas grafas houtas en tei ouei vu.… He began by saying, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
John 7:38… pisteuarōntos eis min, kathōs legata tas grafas, potamois ek tau koiliau autou rali …Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said: ‘Streams of living water …
John 7:42ouk tas grafas legata hoti ek teu spermeu David, …Doesn’t the Scripture say that the Christ will come …
John 10:35… geneta, kai ouk dunotō luira tas grafas,… word of God came — and the Scripture cannot be broken —
John 13:18… oidamē tinoin eklegema; alla hina tas grafas plēriteia; Tos trōgarōntos mu ton arton …… But this is to fulfill the Scripture: ‘The one who shares My bread …
John 17:12… tos huios tau apōleiau, hina tas grafas plēriteia.… son of destruction, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.
John 19:24… peri autou tinou eti; hina tas grafas plēriteia tas legarōntas; Diamerizela teim himatieim …… it.” This was to fulfill the Scripture: “They divided My garments among them …
John 19:28… ēdē panteim telotē hina teleiiteia tas grafas legatō; Dipsamō.… been accomplished, and to fulfill the Scripture, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.”
John 19:36geneta gar houteim hina tas grafas plēriteia; Ostem ouk suntribiti autou.… these things happened so that the Scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of …
John 19:37kai palin heteras grafas legatō; Horeli eis hon ekkentala.And, as another Scripture says: “They will look on the …
Romans 4:3tinem gar tas grafas legatō? Pisteuata de Abraam to theo …For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it …
Romans 9:17legatō gar tas grafas to Faraō hoti Eis autem houtem …For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you …
Romans 10:11legatō gar tas grafas; Pantos tos pisteuarōntos epi auto ouk …It is just as the Scripture says: “Anyone who believes in Him …
Romans 11:2… oidavē en Ēliao tinem legatō tas grafas, hōs entunchanatō to theo kata tou …… Do you not know what the Scripture says about Elijah, how he appealed …
Galatians 3:8proorarantas de tas grafas hoti ek pistiau dikaiatō teim ethneim …The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the …
Galatians 3:22alla sunkleiata tas grafas teim panteim hupo hamartan hina tas …But the Scripture pronounces all things confined by sin …
Galatians 4:30alla tinem legatō tas grafas? Ekbalasar tan paidiskan kai ton huion …But what does the Scripture say? “Expel the slave woman and …
1 Timothy 5:18legatō gar tas grafas; Bouon aloarōnton ouk fimasi, kai; Axios …For the Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox …
2 Timothy 3:16pantas grafas theopneustas kai ōfelimas pros didaskalian, pros …All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for …
James 2:23kai plērita tas grafas tas legarōntas; Pisteuata de Abraam to …And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed …
James 4:5ē dokavō hoti kenōs tas grafas legatō; Pros fthonon epipothatō tem pneumem …Or do you think the Scripture says without reason that the Spirit …
grafan“scripture”objectaccusative singular4×
Mark 12:10oude tan grafan houtan anagnōskava; Lithon hon apodokimazala tois …Have you never read this Scripture: ‘The stone the builders rejected has …
John 20:9oudepō gar oidalelē tan grafan hoti datō auton ek nekroiu anastēara.… still did not understand from the Scripture that Jesus had to rise from …
Acts 1:16Androir adelfoir, date plērira tan grafan han prolegata tem pneumem tem hagiem …“Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled that the …
James 2:8… mentoi nomon telavō basilikon kata tan grafan Agapasi ton plēsion su hōs siauton, …… fulfill the royal law stated in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you …
grafau“scripture”of, belonging togenitive singular3×
Acts 8:32tas de periochas tau grafau han anagnōskate ate houtas; Hōs probatem …… eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture: “He was led like a sheep …
Acts 8:35… stomem autou kai archerantos apo tau grafau houtau euangelizeta auto ton Iēsun.Then Philip began with this very Scripture and told him the good news …
2 Peter 1:20houtem prōtem gnōskarōntois hoti pantas profēteias grafau idiau epilusiau ouk genotō,… must understand that no prophecy of Scripture comes from one’s own interpretation.
grafa“scripture”to, fordative singular2×
John 2:22… hoti houtem legate, kai pisteuala ta grafa kai to logo hon legata tos …… said this. Then they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had …
1 Peter 2:6dioti periechatō en grafa; Idou tithamō en Siōn lithon akrogōniaion …For it stands in Scripture: “See, I lay in Zion a …
grafais“scriptures”subjectnominative plural3×
Matthew 26:54pōs oun plērileia tais grafais hoti houtōs datō genera?But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must …
Matthew 26:56“scriptures”… de holem genatē hina plērileia tais grafais toiu profētoiu. tote tois mathētois pantois …But this has all happened so that the writings of the prophets would be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted Him …
Mark 14:49… kratava min; alla hina plērileia tais grafais.… But this has happened that the Scriptures would be fulfilled.”
grafain“scriptures”objectaccusative plural9×
Matthew 22:29… legata autoi; Planovō mē oidarēntois tain grafain mēde tan dunamian tou theou;… because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.
Mark 12:24… dia houtem planovō mē oidarēntois tain grafain mēde tan dunamian tou theou?… because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?
Luke 24:32… ta hoda, hōs dianoigate ni tain grafain?… on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
Luke 24:45… autoiu ton nouon teu suniēkarō tain grafain,… opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.
John 5:39Eraunavō tain grafain, hoti vis dokavō en autai zōan …You pore over the Scriptures because you presume that by them …
Acts 17:11… prothumiau, tem kata hēmeran anakrinarōntois tain grafain ei echatoiō houteim houtōs.… with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if these …
1 Corinthians 15:3… huper taiu hamartaiu nu kata tain grafain,… for our sins according to the Scriptures,
1 Corinthians 15:4… ta hēmera ta trita kata tain grafain,… the third day according to the Scriptures,
2 Peter 3:16… astēriktois streblalō hōs kai tain loipain grafain pros tan idian autoiu apōleian.… they do the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.
grafaiu“scriptures”of, belonging togenitive plural3×
Acts 17:2… sabbateim treis dialegeta autoi apo taiu grafaiu,… he reasoned with them from the Scriptures,
Acts 18:28… Ioudaioi diakatelenchote dēmosia epideikarōntos dia taiu grafaiu arō ton christon Iēsun.… in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.
Romans 15:4… hupomonau kai dia tau paraklēsiau taiu grafaiu tan elpidan echaneiō.… endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures, we might have hope.
grafai“scriptures”to, fordative plural4×
Matthew 21:42… tos Iēsus; Oudepote anagnōskava en tai grafai; Lithon hon apodokimazala tois oikodomarōntois houtos …… Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone the builders rejected has …
Luke 24:27… profētoiu diermēneuata autoi en pantai tai grafai teim peri heautou.… what was written in all the Scriptures about Himself.
Acts 18:24… eis Efesan, dunatos arōntos en tai grafai.… eloquent man, well versed in the Scriptures.
Romans 1:2… proepangeleta dia toiu profētoiu autou en grafai hagiai… through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures,