noun · masculine
kairos
Strong’sG2540
fitting season, opportunity, time
stem kair-85 times in the New Testamentin 19 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
καιρός denotes a fixed, appropriate, or critical point or period of time — a season, occasion, or opportunity — rather than time thought of simply as duration 1234. It is used of the right or fitting moment for doing something, of appointed times and seasons (including the "signs of the times" and the end times), and of periods such as a season of temptation or a set stretch of history 123. It often takes a following word specifying what the time belongs to, such as the time of fruit or of harvest 1, and occurs in set adverbial phrases meaning "in season," "for a time," "before the time," and the like 13.
In earlier, classical Greek the word also carried the more basic sense of due measure, fitness, or proportion — the right amount or fitting degree of something — rather than a point in time 13.
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
καιρός, -οῦ, ὁ,
[in LXX chiefly for עֵת, also for מוֹעֵד, etc.;]
SYN.: χρόνος, time in the sense of duration.
G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 1922 — public domain. References open in the reader.
Strong’s G2540 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from
Saidkahee-ros'
an occasion, i.e. set or proper time
Fromof uncertain affinity;
King JamesX always, opportunity, (convenient, due) season, (due, short, while) time, a while.
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
due measure, proportion, fitness (not in Refs 8th c.BC+; εἰ ὁ κ. ἦν σαφής the distinction, the point, Refs 5th c.BC+; ἡ ἀπορία ἔχει τινὰ κ. has some point or importance, Refs 4th c.BC+; καιροῦ πέρα beyond measure, unduly, Refs 5th c.BC+ codices; προσωτέρω or πορρωτέρω τοῦ κ., Refs 5th c.BC+; ὀξύτερα τοῦ κ. Refs 5th c.BC+; ὑπερβάλλων τῇ φιλοτιμίᾳ τὸν κ. Refs 5th c.BC+
II of Place, vital part of the body Refs 5th c.BC+
III more frequently of Time, exact or critical time, season, opportunity, Χρόνου κ. Refs 5th c.BC+: usually alone, κ. [ἐστιν] ἐν ᾧ Χρόνος οὐ πολὺς κτλ. Refs 5th c.BC+ Notices etextr. des MSS. médicauxRefs 5th c.BC+; κ. πρὸς ἀνθρώπων βραχὺ μέτρον ἔχει 'time and tide wait for no man', Refs 5th c.BC+; κ. ὄλβου, ={καίριος ὄλβος}, Refs; δηλοῦν, ὅ τι περ δύναται κ. Refs 5th c.BC+; τίνα κ. τοῦ παρόντος βελτίω ζητεῖτ; Refs 4th c.BC+; κ. δόσιος for giving, Refs 5th c.BC+; κ. τοῦ ποτισμοῦ, τῆς τρύγης, Refs 4th c.BC+; καιρὸν παριέναι to let the time go by, Refs 5th c.BC+; καιροῦ (τοῦ κ.) τυχεῖν Refs 5th c.BC+; καιρῷ Χειμῶνος ξυλλαβέσθαι co-operate with the occurrence of a storm, Refs 5th c.BC+; ἔχει κ. τι it happens in season, Refs 5th c.BC+; κ. ἔχειν τοῦ εὖ οἰκεῖν to be the chief cause of.., Refs 5th c.BC+
III.b adverbial phrases, ἐς καιρόν in season, Refs 5th c.BC+; ἐς αὐτὸν κ. Refs 5th c.BC+; εἰς δέοντα κ. Refs 5th c.BC+ in office at the time, Refs 2nd c.AD+; παρὰ τῷ ἐντυχόντι αἰεὶ καὶ λόγου καὶ ἔργου κ. Refs 5th c.BC+; καιρόν, absolutely, Refs 5th c.BC+; κ. γὰρ οὐδὲν ἦλθες Refs; opposed to ἀπὸ καιροῦ out of season, Refs 5th c.BC+; πρὸ καιροῦ prematurely, Refs 4th c.BC+; ἐπὶ καιροῦ also means on the spur of the moment, ἐπὶ κ. λέγειν Refs 1st c.AD+
III.2 season, πᾶσιν καιροῖς at all seasons of the year, LXX+1st c.AD+; κ. ἔτους, later Gr. for Attic dialect ὥρα ἔτους, accusative to Refs 2nd c.AD+; time of day, Refs 2nd c.AD+
III.2.b critical times, periodic states, καιροὶ σωμάτων Refs 4th c.BC+
III.3 generally, time, period, κατὰ τὸν κ. τοῦτον Refs 4th c.BC+; τὰ κατὰ καιρούς chronological sequence of events, Refs; ἐν τοῖς πάλαι, ἐντοῖς μεταξὺ κ., Refs 5th c.BC+
III.4 in plural, οἱ καιροί the times, i. e. the state of affairs, frequently in bad sense, ἐν τοῖς μεγίστοις κ. at the most critical times, Refs 5th c.BC+: also in singular, Refs 5th c.BC+; ὁ ἔσχατος κ. extreme danger, Refs 2nd c.BC+
IV advantage, profit, τινος of or from a thing, Refs 5th c.BC+; εἴ τοι ἐς κ. ἔσται ταῦτα τελεόμενα to his advantage, Refs 5th c.BC+; ἐπὶ σῷ κ. Refs 5th c.BC+; τίνα κ. με διδάσκει; Refs 4th c.BC+; τί σοι καιρὸς.. καταλείβει; what avails it..? Refs 5th c.BC+; τίνος εἵνεκα καιρο; Refs 4th c.BC+; οὗ κ. εἴη where it was convenient or advantageous, Refs 5th c.BC+; Χωρίον μετὰ μεγίστων κ. οἰκειοῦταί τε καὶ πολεμοῦται with the greatest odds, the most critical results, Refs
V Refs 4th c.BC+ name for seven, 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.
1 rarer rendering are not shown; every occurrence below carries the English it was given there.
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 | kairos17×καιρὸς | kairois3×καιροὶ |
| object accusative | kairon21×καιρὸν | kairoin5×καιροὺς |
| direct address vocative | kairor | kairoir |
| of, belonging to genitive | kairou7×καιροῦ | kairoiu3×καιρῶν |
| to, for dative | kairo24×καιρῷ | kairoi5×καιροῖς |
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
kairo 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.
85 occurrences, every one of them listed
kairos“time”subjectnominative singular17×
Matthew 21:34hote de engizata tos kairos toiu karpoiu, apostelata toin douloin autou …When the harvest time drew near, he sent his servants …
Matthew 26:18… legavar auto; Tos didaskalos legatō; Tos kairos mu engus atō; pros sin poiamō …… him that the Teacher says, ‘My time is near. I will keep the …
Mark 1:15kai legarōntos hoti Plērotē tos kairos kai engizatē tas basileias tou theou; …“The time is fulfilled,” He said, “and the …
Mark 11:13… heuriskata ei mē fulleim, tos gar kairos ouk ate sukeiu.… leaves, since it was not the season for figs.
Mark 13:33… agrupnavōr, ouk oidavē gar pote tos kairos atō;… do not know when the appointed time will come.
Luke 21:8… mu legarōntois; Mis amō kai; Tos kairos engizatē; mē poreuiveia opisō autoiu.… claiming, ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them.
John 7:6legatō oun autoi tos Iēsus; Tos kairos tos ēmos oupō pareiatō, tos de …Therefore Jesus told them, “Although your time is always at hand, My time …
John 7:6… tos ēmos oupō pareiatō, tos de kairos tos humeteros pantote atō hetoimos.… time is always at hand, My time has not yet come.
John 7:8… tan heortan houtan, hoti tos ēmos kairos oupō plērotē.… up to this feast, because My time has not yet come.”
1 Corinthians 7:29houtem de fēamō, adelfoir, tos kairos sustelorēntos atō; tem loipem hina kai …… am saying, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on those …
2 Corinthians 6:2… hēmera sōtērēau boēthama si; idou nun kairos euprosdektos, idou nun hēmeras sōtērēau;… helped you.” Behold, now is the time of favor; now is the day …
2 Timothy 4:3eti gar kairos hote tau hugiainarōntau didaskaliau ouk anecheli, …For the time will come when men will not …
2 Timothy 4:6Mis gar ēdē spendomō, kai tos kairos tau analusiau mu epistēatē.… like a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.
1 Peter 4:17hoti tos kairos teu archera tem krimem apo tou …For it is time for judgment to begin with the …
Revelation 1:3… teim en auta graforēnteim, tos gar kairos engus.… is written in it, because the time is near.
Revelation 11:18… erchata tas orgas su kai tos kairos toiu nekroiu krinira kai dōara ton …… and Your wrath has come. The time has come to judge the dead …
Revelation 22:10… tau profēteiau teu biblieu houteu, tos kairos gar engus atō.… prophecy in this book, because the time is near.
kairon“time”objectaccusative singular21×
Luke 1:20… logoi mu, hotinois plērili eis ton kairon autoiu.… will be fulfilled at their proper time.”
Luke 8:13“a while”… houtois rizan ouk echalō, hois pros kairon pisteualō kai en kairo peirasmou apostēolō.… but they have no root. They believe for a season, but in the time of testing, they fall away.
Luke 12:56… tou ouranou oidavē dokimazarō, ton de kairon houton pōs ouk oidavē dokimazarō?… you know how to interpret the present time?
Luke 19:44… si, anti heiu ouk gnōskasa ton kairon tau episkopau su.… because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God.”
Acts 12:1Kata ekeinon de ton kairon epibalata Hērōdos tos basilevos tain cheirain …About that time, King Herod reached out to harm …
Acts 19:23Geneta de kata ton kairon ekeinon tarachos ouk oligos peri tau …About that time there arose a great disturbance about …
Acts 24:25“opportunity”… Fēlikos apokrinita; Tem nun echarōntem poreuosōr, kairon de metalabarantos metakalemi sin;… coming judgment, Felix became frightened and said, “You may go for now. When I find the time, I will call for you.”
Romans 5:6… Christos arōntoiu nu asthenoiu ēti kata kairon huper aseboiu apothnēskata.For at just the right time, while we were still powerless, Christ …
Romans 9:9… gar tos logos houtos; Kata ton kairon houton erchemi kai eti ta Sarra …… the promise stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will …
Romans 13:11“time”Kai houtem oidarēntois ton kairon, hoti hōras ēdē vin ek hupnou …And do this, understanding the occasion. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber …
1 Corinthians 7:5… ei mēti an ek sumfōneu pros kairon hina scholazaveia ta proseucha kai palin …… by mutual consent and for a time, so you may devote yourselves to …
Galatians 6:10ara oun hōs kairon echanō, ergazoneiō tem agathem pros pantoin, …Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone …
Ephesians 5:16exagorazorōntois ton kairon, hoti tais hēmerais ponērais alō.redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Colossians 4:5… sofia peripatavōr pros toin exō, ton kairon exagorazorōntois.Act wisely toward outsiders, redeeming the time.
1 Thessalonians 2:17… de, adelfoir, aporfanizirantois apo vu pros kairon hōrau, prosōpe ouk kardia, perissoterōs spoudazana …… torn away from you for a short time (in person, not in heart), our …
Hebrews 9:9hotinas parabolas eis ton kairon ton enstēarēnton, kata han dōreim tē …… is an illustration for the present time, because the gifts and sacrifices being …
Hebrews 11:11“normal”… eis katabolan spermeu labata kai para kairon hēlikiau, epei piston hēgeta ton epangeleranton;… faith Sarah, even though she was barren and beyond the proper age, was enabled to conceive a child, because she considered Him faithful who had promised.
Hebrews 11:15… mnēmoneualō apo hau ekbainala, echale an kairon anakamptara;… had left, they would have had opportunity to return.
1 Peter 1:11eraunarōntois eis tinon ē poion kairon dēlate tem en autoi pneumem Christou …trying to determine the time and setting to which the Spirit …
Revelation 12:12… echarōntos thumon megon, horarēntos hoti oligon kairon echatō.… knowing he has only a short time.”
Revelation 12:14… ton topon autau, hopou trefotō ekei kairon kai kairoin kai hēmisuem kairou apo …… where she was nourished for a time, and times, and half a time.
kairou“time”of, belonging togenitive singular7×
Matthew 8:29… huior tou theou? erchasa hōde pro kairou basanizara nin?… to torture us before the appointed time?”
Luke 4:13… tos diabolos apostēata apo autou achri kairou.… temptation, he left Him until an opportune time.
Acts 13:11… tuflos mē bleparōntos ton hēlion achri kairou. parachrēma de piptata epi auton achluas …… is against you, and for a time you will be blind and unable …
Romans 8:18“time”… ouk axieim teim pathēmeim tou nun kairou pros tan mellarōntan doxan apokaluptira eis …… that our present sufferings are not comparable to the glory that will be revealed in us.
1 Corinthians 4:5hōste mē pro kairou tinem krinavōr, heōs an erchateia tos …Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He …
Hebrews 9:10… kai diaforoi baptismoi, dikaiōmeim sarkau mechris kairou diorthōsiau epikeiorōnteim.… washings — external regulations imposed until the time of reform.
Revelation 12:14… ekei kairon kai kairoin kai hēmisuem kairou apo prosōpeu tou ofiou.… time, and times, and half a time.
kairo“time”to, fordative singular24×
Matthew 11:25En ekeino to kairo apokrinirantos tos Iēsus legata; Exomologomō si, …At that time Jesus declared, “I praise You, Father …
Matthew 12:1En ekeino to kairo poreuita tos Iēsus tei sabbatei dia …At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on …
Matthew 13:30… amfotereim mechris tou therismou; kai en kairo tou therismou legami toi theristoi; Sullegavar …… together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First …
Matthew 14:1En ekeino to kairo akouata Hērōdos tos tetraarchos tan akoan …At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the reports …
Matthew 24:45… teu dōara autoi tan trofēan en kairo?… the others their food at the proper time?
Mark 10:30… mē labateia hekatontaplasiōneim nun en to kairo houto oikiain kai adelfoin kai adelfain …… receive a hundredfold in the present age — houses and brothers and sisters and …
Mark 12:2kai apostelata pros toin geōrgoin to kairo doulon, hina para toiu geōrgoiu labateia …At harvest time, he sent a servant to the …
Luke 8:13… hois pros kairon pisteualō kai en kairo peirasmou apostēolō.… for a season, but in the time of testing, they fall away.
Luke 12:42… tau therapeiau autou teu dōarō en kairo tem sitometriem?… give them their portion at the proper time?
Luke 13:1Pareiale de tinois en auto to kairo apangelarōntois auto peri toiu Galilaioiu hoiu …At that time some of those present told Jesus …
Luke 18:30“time”… ouchi mē apolabateia pollaplasiōneim en to kairo houto kai en to aiōno to …… fail to receive many times more in this age — and in the age to come …
Luke 20:10kai kairo apostelata pros toin geōrgoin doulon, hina …At harvest time, he sent a servant to the …
Luke 21:36agrupnavōr de en panto kairo dorōntois hina katischuaveia ekfeugara houteim panteim …So keep watch at all times, and pray that you may have …
Acts 7:20en ho kairo gennita Mōusos, kai ate asteios to …At that time Moses was born, and he was …
Romans 3:26… tau dikaiosunau autou en to nun kairo, eis tem arō auton dikaion kai …… demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and …
Romans 11:5houtōs oun kai en to nun kairo leimmem kata eklogan charitau genatē;… the same way, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by …
2 Corinthians 6:2legatō gar; Kairo dekto epakouama su kai en hēmera …For He says: “In the time of favor I heard you, and …
2 Corinthians 8:14en to nun kairo tem vu perisseumem eis tem ekeinoiu …At the present time, your surplus will meet their need …
Galatians 6:9tem de kalem poiarōntois mē enkakaneiō, kairo gar idio therizani mē ekluorōntois.… weary in well-doing, for in due time we will reap a harvest if …
Ephesians 2:12hoti ave to kairo ekeino chōris Christou, apallotriorēntois tau politeiau …remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, alienated …
Ephesians 6:18… proseuchau kai deēsiau, proseuchorōntois en panto kairo en pneume, kai eis autem agrupnarōntois …Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and …
2 Thessalonians 2:6… tem apokaluptira auton en to heautou kairo;… may be revealed at the proper time.
1 Peter 1:5… pistiau eis sōtērēan hetoiman apokaluptira en kairo eschato.… to be revealed in the last time.
1 Peter 5:6“proper time”… tou theou, hina vin hupsateia en kairo,… mighty hand, so that in due time He may exalt you.
kairois“times”subjectnominative plural3×
Luke 21:24… patorōntas hupo ethneiu, achri hou plērileia kairois ethneiu.… down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
Acts 3:20hopōs an erchaleia kairois anapsuxiau apo prosōpeu tou kuriou kai …that times of refreshing may come from the …
2 Timothy 3:1… gnōskasōr hoti en eschatai hēmerai enstēeli kairois chalepois;… this: In the last days terrible times will come.
kairoin“seasons”objectaccusative plural5×
Acts 1:7… Ouk vu atō gnōskara chronoin ē kairoin hoin tos patros titheta en ta …… for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by …
Acts 14:17… agathourgarōntos, ouranothen vi huetoin dōarōntos kai kairoin karpoforoin, empimplēarōntos trofēau kai eufrosunēau tain …… you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and …
Acts 17:26… panteu prosōpeu tau gēau, horizarantos prostassorēntoin kairoin kai tain horothesiain tau katoikiau autoiu,… earth; and He determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their lands.
Galatians 4:10hēmerain paratērovō kai mēnoin kai kairoin kai eniautoin.… observing special days and months and seasons and years!
Revelation 12:14… autau, hopou trefotō ekei kairon kai kairoin kai hēmisuem kairou apo prosōpeu tou …… was nourished for a time, and times, and half a time.
kairoiu“times”of, belonging togenitive plural3×
Matthew 16:3… gnōskavō diakrinarō, teim de sēmeim toiu kairoiu ouk dunovō.… but not the signs of the times.
Ephesians 1:10“times”eis oikonomian teu plērōmeu toiu kairoiu, anakefalaiera teim panteim en to Christo, …as a plan for the fullness of time, to bring all things in heaven and on earth together in Christ.
1 Thessalonians 5:1Peri de toiu chronoiu kai toiu kairoiu, adelfoir, ouk chreian echavō vi graforō,Now about the times and seasons, brothers, we do not need to …
kairoi“time”to, fordative plural5×
Matthew 21:41“seasons”… apodōali auto toin karpoin en toi kairoi autoiu.… who will give him his share of the fruit at harvest time.”
1 Timothy 2:6… heauton antilutrem huper pantoiu, tem marturiem kairoi idioi;… was given at just the right time.
1 Timothy 4:1… pneumem rētōs legatō hoti en husteroi kairoi apostēeli tinois tau pistiau, prosecharōntois pneumei …… Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith to …
1 Timothy 6:15han kairoi idioi deikati tos makarios kai monos …… will bring about in His own time.
Titus 1:3fanerata de kairoi idioi, ton logon autou en kērugme …In His own time He has made His word evident …