adjective
kainos
Strong’sG2537
fresh, new
stem kain-42 times in the New Testamentin 14 of 27 books10 of 26 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
καινός describes something new or fresh, especially new in quality or nature rather than simply new in age — unused, unworn, novel 124. It is regularly set against what is old or worn out, as new cloth or wine against old, a new heart or mind against the old, or a new creation, covenant, name, commandment, song, or heaven and earth against what has gone before 1. One source notes that this word properly contrasts with a separate Greek word for "new" that refers to recency in time (the young or recent), while this word points rather to freshness of quality, the unworn or unaccustomed, though the distinction is not always sharply kept in later Greek 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
καινός, -ή, -όν,
[in LXX (Ez 11:19, al.) for חָדָשׁ, exc. Is 65:15 (אַחֵר);]
SYN.: νέος, "the new primarily in reference to time, the young, recent; κ.... the new primarily in reference to quality, the fresh, unworn". Cf. Tr., Syn., § lx (the distinction, however, is less marked in late Gk.; cf. He 12:24 with He 8:8(LXX), 13 9:15 12:24 supr., and v. MM, Exp., xv).
G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 1922 — public domain. References open in the reader.
Strong’s G2537 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from
Saidkahee-nos'
Fromof uncertain affinity; new (especially in freshness; while G3501 is properly so with respect to age
King Jamesnew.
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
new, fresh, ἔργα οὔτ᾽ ὦν κ. οὔτε παλαιά Refs 5th c.BC+; κ. λόγους φέρειν to bring news, Refs; τίδ᾽ ἐστὶ κ.; Refs 5th c.BC+; ἢ βούλεσθε περιιόντες πυνθάνεσθαι, “λέγεταί τι κ.;” Refs 4th c.BC+ anew, afresh, Refs 5th c.BC+, etc. (also ἐκ καινοῦ Refs 3rd c.AD+; especially of new dramas, τραγῳδῶν γιγνομένων καινῶν Refs 4th c.BC+; briefly τραγῳδοῖς κ. at the representation of the new tragedies, Docum. cited in Refs 4th c.BC+; but κ. κωμῳδία, τραγῳδία, of a new style of drama, Refs 2nd c.AD+
2 newly-made, κύλικες, τριήρης, ὀθόνια, οἶνος, Refs 4th c.BC+
3 adverb -νῶς newly, afresh, Refs 2nd c.AD+
II newly-invented, novel, καινότεραι τέχναι Refs 5th c.BC+; κ. θεοί strange gods, Refs 5th c.BC+; καινὰ ἐπιμηχανᾶσθαι innovations, Refs 5th c.BC+; οὐδὲν -ότερον εἰσέφερε τῶν ἄλλων he introduced as little of anything new as others, Refs 5th c.BC+; τὸ κ. τοῦ πολέμου probably falsa lectio for{κενόν} (see. κενός), Refs 5th c.BC+; οὐ καινόν nothing to be surprised at, Refs 5th c.BC+; τὸ -ότατον what is strangest, parenthetically, Refs 5th c.BC+ adverb, μὴ σὺ -νῶς μοι λάλει in new, strange style, Refs 5th c.BC+: comparative -οτέρως, νοῆσαι περί τινος Refs 4th c.BC+; without precedent, -νῶς κατακριθῆναι Refs 1st c.AD+
III κ. ἄνθρωπος, = Latin novus homo, Refs 1st c.AD+; πράγματακ., = res novae, Refs
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 | masculine singular | feminine singular | neuter singular | masculine plural | feminine plural | neuter plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| subject nominative | kainos | kainas6×καινὴ | kainem7×καινὸν | kainois | kainais | kaineim3×καινὰ |
| object accusative | kainon3×καινὸν | kainan11×καινὴν | kainoin4×καινούς | kainain | ||
| direct address vocative | kainor | kainar | kainoir | kainair | ||
| of, belonging to genitive | kainou | kainau3×καινῆς | kaineu2×καινοῦ | kainoiu | kainaiu | kaineiu |
| to, for dative | kaino | kaina | kaine1×καινῷ | kainoi | kainai1×καιναῖς | kainei |
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
kain 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.
42 occurrences, every one of them listed
kainon“new”objectaccusative singular3×
Ephesians 2:15… duo ktizateia en heauto eis henon kainon anthrōpon poiarōntos eirēnan,… this to create in Himself one new man out of the two, thus …
Ephesians 4:24kai enduera ton kainon anthrōpon ton kata theon ktiziranton en …and to put on the new self, created to be like God …
Revelation 21:1Kai horama ouranon kainon kai gēan kainan; tos gar prōtos …Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for …
kainas“new”subjectnominative singular6×
Mark 1:27… heautoin legarōntoin; Tinem atō houtem? didachas kainas; kata exousian kai tei pneumei tei …… one another, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even …
Luke 22:20… deipnara, legarōntos; Houtem tem potēriem tas kainas diathēkas en te haime mu, tem …… cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is …
Acts 17:19… agala, legarōntois; Dunonō gnōskara tinas tas kainas houtas tas hupo su lalorōntas didachas?… him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?
1 Corinthians 11:25… deipnara, legarōntos; Houtem tem potēriem tas kainas diathēkas atō en te ēme haime; …… cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this …
2 Corinthians 5:17hōste ei tinos en Christo, kainas ktisias; teim archaieim parerchata, idou genatē …… is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away …
Galatians 6:15… peritomas tinem atō oute akrobustias, alla kainas ktisias.… means anything. What counts is a new creation.
kainan“new”objectaccusative singular11×
John 13:34entolan kainan dōamō vi hina agapaveiō allēloin, kathōs …A new commandment I give you: Love one …
Hebrews 8:8… kai epi ton oikon Ioudou diathēkan kainan,… Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel …
Hebrews 8:13en te legarō Kainan palaiatē tan prōtan, tem de palaiorōntem …By speaking of a new covenant, He has made the first …
2 Peter 3:13kainoin de ouranoin kai gēan kainan kata tem epangelmem autou prosdokanō, en …… to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.
1 John 2:7Agapētoir, ouk entolan kainan grafamō vi, alla entolan palaian han …… am not writing to you a new commandment, but an old one, which …
1 John 2:8palin entolan kainan grafamō vi, hem atō alēthem en …… am also writing to you a new commandment, which is true in Him …
2 John 1:5… erōtamō sin, kuriar, ouk hōs entolan kainan grafarōntos si alla han echane apo …… you, dear lady — not as a new commandment to you, but one we …
Revelation 5:9kai adalō ōdan kainan legarōntois; Axios asō labara tem bibliem …And they sang a new song: “Worthy are You to take …
Revelation 14:3kai adalō hōs ōdan kainan enōpion tou thronou kai enōpion teiu …And they sang a new song before the throne and before …
Revelation 21:1Kai horama ouranon kainon kai gēan kainan; tos gar prōtos ouranos kai tas …… saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and …
Revelation 21:2kai tan polan tan hagian Ierousalēm kainan horama katabainarōntan ek tou ouranou apo …I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven …
kainau“new”of, belonging togenitive singular3×
2 Corinthians 3:6hos kai hikanata nin diakonoin kainau diathēkau, ouk grammeu alla pneumeu, tem …… qualified us as ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but …
Hebrews 9:15Kai dia houtem diathēkau kainau mesitos atō, hopōs thanatou generantou eis …… Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are …
Revelation 3:12… tau polau tou theou mu, tau kainau Ierousalēm, tas katabainarōntas ek tou ouranou …… the city of My God (the new Jerusalem that comes down out of …
kainem“new”subject or objectdirect singular7×
Matthew 26:29“new”… ekeinau hotan autem pinameiō meta vu kainem en ta basileia tou patrou mu.… this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in My Father’s kingdom.”
Mark 14:25“new”… tau hēmerau ekeinau hotan autem pinameiō kainem en ta basileia tou theou.… vine until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God.”
Luke 5:36… palaiem; ei de mēge, kai tem kainem schizati kai te palaie ouk sumfōnati …… he does, he will tear the new garment as well, and the patch …
Revelation 2:17… leukan, kai epi tan psēfan onomem kainem graforēntem hem oudenos oidatē ei mē …… a white stone inscribed with a new name, known only to the one …
Revelation 3:12… mu, kai tem onomem mu tem kainem.… heaven from My God), and My new name.
Mark 2:21… airatō tem plērōmem apo auteu tem kainem teu palaieu, kai cheirōnem schismem genotō.… old garment. If he does, the new piece will pull away from the …
John 19:41… kēpos, kai en to kēpo mnēmeiem kainem, en he oudepō oudenos ate tithorēntos;… crucified, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had …
kaineu“new”of, belonging togenitive singular2×
Luke 5:36… autoin hoti Oudenos epiblēmem apo himatieu kaineu schizarantos epibalatō epi himatiem palaiem; ei …… a piece of cloth from a new garment and sews it on an …
Luke 5:36… sumfōnati tem epiblēmem tem apo teu kaineu.… well, and the patch from the new will not match the old.
kaine“new”to, fordative singular1×
Matthew 27:60kai tithata autem en te kaine autou mnēmeie hem latomata en ta …and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut into …
kainoin“fresh”objectaccusative plural4×
Matthew 9:17“fresh”… alla balalō oinon neon eis askoin kainoin, kai amfoterois suntērolō.… burst, the wine will spill, and the wineskins will be ruined. Instead, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”
Mark 2:22“fresh”… askois. alla oinon neon eis askoin kainoin.… ruined. Instead, new wine is poured into new wineskins.”
Luke 5:38“fresh”alla oinon neon eis askoin kainoin blēteem.Instead, new wine is poured into new wineskins.
2 Peter 3:13kainoin de ouranoin kai gēan kainan kata …… we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where …
kainai“new”to, fordative plural1×
Mark 16:17… onome mu daimoneim ekbalali, glōssai lalali kainai,… out demons; they will speak in new tongues;
kaineim“new”subject or objectdirect plural3×
Matthew 13:52… hotinos ekbalatō ek tou thēsaurou autou kaineim kai palaieim.… who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”
Revelation 21:5… tos kathorōntos epi to throno; Idou kaineim poiamō panteim. kai legatō; Grafasar, hoti …… said, “Behold, I make all things new.” Then He said, “Write this down …
2 Corinthians 5:17… ktisias; teim archaieim parerchata, idou genatē kaineim;… old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!
kainoterem1×
Acts 17:21… ē legarō tinem ē akouarō tinem kainoterem.… nothing more than hearing and articulating new ideas.