noun · masculine
kosmos
Strong’sG2889
the world, universe
stem kosm-185 times in the New Testamentin 20 of 27 books4 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
Order or an ordered arrangement of things is the earliest sense of the word in Greek 13.
The word also means ornament, adornment, especially of women's dress, a sense reflected in Strong's gloss "decoration" and "adorning" 2 and used in the New Testament of women's adornment 13.
Most often, though, it denotes the world, in a range of related senses. It can mean the universe or created order taken as a whole 134, or, more concretely, the earth itself as the place people inhabit 13. By extension it can stand for the world's human inhabitants, mankind in general 123, or for worldly affairs and possessions 1. It can also carry an ethical sense, referring to the world as estranged from God, the ungodly order of things opposed to him 123.
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
κόσμος, -ου, ὁ
[in LXX: Ge 2:1, De 4:19 17:3, Is 24:21 40:26 (צבא), Ex 33:5, 6, Je 2:32 4:30, Ez 7:20 16:11 23:40 (עֲדִי), Is 61:10 (כְּלִי), al., Wi 2:24 and freq., Si 6:30, al;]
SYN.: αἰών, q.v. (cf. also Dalman, Words, 162 ff.; Tr., Syn., § lix; Westc., additional note on Jo 1:10; DB, iv, 938 ff.).
G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 1922 — public domain. References open in the reader.
Strong’s G2889 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from
Saidkos'-mos
orderly arrangement, i.e. decoration; by implication, the world (in a wide or narrow sense, including its inhabitants, literally or figuratively (morally))
Fromprobably from the base of G2865;
King Jamesadorning, world.
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
order, κατὰ κόσμον in order, duly, εὖ κατὰ κ. Refs 8th c.BC+; οὐ κατὰ κ. shamefully, Refs 8th c.BC+ to sit in order, Refs 8th c.BC+; κ. φέρειν bear becomingly, Refs 5th c.BC+; κόσμῳ οὐδενὶ κοσμηθέντες in no sort of order, Refs 5th c.BC+; φεύγειν, ἀπιέναι οὐδενὶ κ., Refs, etc.; ἀτάκτως καὶ οὐδενὶ κ. Refs 5th c.BC+; οὐκέτι τὸν αὐτὸν κ. no longer in the same order, Refs 5th c.BC+: generally, of things, natural order, γίνεται τῶν τεταρταίων ἡ κατάστασις ἐκ τούτου τοῦ κ. Refs 5th c.BC+
2 good order, good behaviour Refs 5th c.BC+; κ. χείρ, of a beggar, Refs 2nd c.AD+; κοῖλος μήν short month, Refs 4th c.BC+; ἐξηγεομένων.. τὸν κ. αὐτοῦ the fashion of it, Refs 5th c.BC+; κ. τόνδε.. ὁ καταστησάμενος who established this order or from, Refs
4 of states, order, government, μεταστῆσαι τὸν κ. Refs 5th c.BC+; especially of the Spartan constitution, Refs 5th c.BC+
II ornament, decoration, especially of women, Refs 8th c.BC+; of a horse, Refs 8th c.BC+; of men, Refs 5th c.BC+; γλαυκόχροα κόσμον ἐλαίας, of an olive-wreath, Refs 5th c.BC+; κ. ἀργυροῦς a service of plate, Refs 2nd c.BC+: plural, ornaments, Refs 5th c.BC+: metaphorically, of ornaments of speech, such as epithets, Refs 4th c.BC+; ἁδυμελῆ κ. κελαδεῖν to sing sweet songs of praise, Refs 5th c.BC+
II.4 κ. νοσήματα internal complaints, Refs 2nd c.AD+ it does one credit, Refs 5th c.BC+; of persons, σὺ ἔμοιγε μέγιστος κ. ἔσει Refs 5th c.BC+
III ruler, regulator, title of chief magistrate in Crete, Refs; collectively, body of κόσμοι, Refs; τοῦ κ. τοῖς πλίασι Refs 4th c.BC+; compare κόρμος.
IV Philos., world-order, universe, first in Refs 5th c.BC+: sometimes of the firmament, γῆς ἁπάσης τῆς ὑπὸ τῷ κόσμῳ κειμένης Refs 5th c.BC+; μετελθεῖν εἰς τὸν ἀέναον κ., of death, Refs 3rd c.BC+; but also, of earth, as opposed to heaven, ὁ ἐπιχθόνιος κ. Refs 2nd c.AD+; of any region of the universe, ὁ μετάρσιος κ. Refs 2nd c.AD+; of the sphere whose centre is the earth's centre and radius the straight line joining earth and sun, Refs 3rd c.BC+; of the sphere containing the fixed stars, Refs 5th c.BC+: in plural, worlds, coexistent or successive, Refs 6th c.BC+; also, of stars, Νὺξ μεγάλων κ. κτεάτειρα Refs 4th c.BC+; οἱ ἑπτὰ κ. the Seven planets, Refs
IV.2 metaphorically, microcosm, ἄνθρωπος μικρὸς κ. Refs 1st c.AD+; of living beings in general, τὸ ζῷον οἷον μικρόν τινα κ. εἶναί φασιν ἄνδρες παλαιοί Refs 2nd c.AD+
IV.3 in later Gr., ={οἰκουμένη}, the known or inhabited world, NT+1st c.BC+; ὁ τοῦ παντὸς κ. κύριος, of Nero, Refs; ἐὰν τὸν κ. ὅλον κερδήσῃ NT
IV.4 men in general, φανέρωσον σεαυτὸν τῷ κ. NT; especially of the world as estranged from God by sin, NT
IV.5 οὗτος ὁ κ. this present world, i.e. earth, opposed to heaven, NT
V Pythag.name for six, Refs; for ten, 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 | one singular | more than one plural |
|---|---|---|
| subject nominative | kosmos32×κόσμος | kosmois |
| object accusative | kosmon46×κόσμον | kosmoin |
| direct address vocative | kosmor | kosmoir |
| of, belonging to genitive | kosmou71×κόσμου | kosmoiu |
| to, for dative | kosmo36×κόσμῳ | kosmoi |
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
kosmo 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.
185 occurrences, 100 of them printed here — the rest are in the reader
kosmos“world”subjectnominative singular32×, 25 shown
Matthew 13:38tos de agros atō tos kosmos; tem de kalem spermem, houtois alō …The field is the world, and the good seed represents the …
John 1:10En to kosmo ate, kai tos kosmos dia autou geneta, kai tos kosmos …… in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world …
John 1:10… kosmos dia autou geneta, kai tos kosmos auton ouk gnōskata.… world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him.
John 3:17… ton kosmon, alla hina sōziteia tos kosmos dia autou.… the world, but to save the world through Him.
John 7:7ouk dunotō tos kosmos misarō vin, min de misatō, hoti …The world cannot hate you, but it hates …
John 12:19… hoti ouk ōfelavō oudenem; ide tos kosmos opisō autou aperchata.… no good. Look how the whole world has gone after Him!”
John 14:17tem pneumem tau alētheiau, hem tos kosmos ouk dunotō labara, hoti ouk theōratō …the Spirit of truth. The world cannot receive Him, because it neither …
John 14:19ēti mikrem kai tos kosmos min ouketi theōratō, vis de theōravō …In a little while the world will see Me no more, but …
John 14:27… ēman dōamō vi; ouk kathōs tos kosmos dōatō mis dōamō vi. mē tarassotōr …… not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts …
John 14:31alla hina gnōskateia tos kosmos hoti agapamō ton patron, kai kathōs …… has commanded Me, so that the world may know that I love the …
John 15:18Ei tos kosmos vin misatō, gnōskavō hoti min prōtem …If the world hates you, understand that it hated …
John 15:19ei ek tou kosmou ave, tos kosmos an tem idiem filate; hoti de …… you as its own. Instead, the world hates you, because you are not …
John 15:19“world”… kosmou, dia houtem misatō vin tos kosmos.… the world hates you, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.
John 16:20… klaiavi kai thrēnavi vis, tos de kosmos chairiti; vis lupivi, alla tas lupas …… will weep and wail while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your …
John 17:14… autoi ton logon su, kai tos kosmos misata autoin, hoti ouk alō ek …… For they are not of the world, just as I am not of …
John 17:21… autois en ni aleiō, hina tos kosmos pisteuateiō hoti sis min apostelasa.… be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.
John 17:23… teleiorēntois eis henem, hina gnōskateiō tos kosmos hoti sis min apostelasa kai agapasa …… be perfectly united, so that the world may know that You sent Me …
John 17:25Patror dikaior, kai tos kosmos sin ouk gnōskata, mis de sin …Righteous Father, although the world has not known You, I know …
Romans 3:19… frassiteia kai hupodikos geneteia pantos tos kosmos to theo;… may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.
1 Corinthians 1:21… sofia tou theou ouk gnōskata tos kosmos dia tau sofiau ton theon, eudokata …… in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know …
1 Corinthians 3:22… Paulos eite Apollos eite Kēfos eite kosmos eite zōas eite thanatos eite enstēarēnteim …… or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the …
1 Corinthians 6:2… kai ei en vi krinotō tos kosmos, anaxiois avō kritērieiu elachisteiu?… if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge …
Galatians 6:14… nu Iēsu Christou, dia hou mi kosmos staurotē kamis kosmo.… Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and …
Hebrews 11:38hoiu ouk ate axios tos kosmos epi erēmiai planorōntois kai orei kai …The world was not worthy of them. They …
James 3:6kai tas glōssas purem, tos kosmos tau adikiau tas glōssas katastēotō en …… tongue also is a fire, a world of wickedness among the parts of …
kosmon“world”objectaccusative singular46×, 25 shown
Matthew 16:26tinem gar ōfeliti anthrōpos ean ton kosmon holon kerdainateia tan de psuchan autou …… man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what …
Mark 8:36tinem gar ōfelatō anthrōpon kerdainara ton kosmon holon kai zēmiira tan psuchan autou?… a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?
Mark 14:9… kērussiteia tem euangeliem eis holon ton kosmon, kai hem poiata houtas laliti eis …… gospel is preached in all the world, what she has done will also …
Mark 16:15kai legata autoi; Poreuirantois eis ton kosmon hapanton kērussavar tem euangeliem panta ta …… to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every …
Luke 9:25tinem gar ōfelotō anthrōpos kerdainarantos ton kosmon holon heauton de apolarantos ē zēmiirantos?… a man to gain the whole world, yet lose or forfeit his very …
John 1:9… fōtizatō panton anthrōpon erchorōnton eis ton kosmon.… to everyone, was coming into the world.
John 3:16Houtōs gar agapata tos theos ton kosmon hōste ton huion ton monogenon dōata, …For God so loved the world that He gave His one and …
John 3:17… tos theos ton huion eis ton kosmon hina krinateia ton kosmon, alla hina …… not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to …
John 3:17… eis ton kosmon hina krinateia ton kosmon, alla hina sōziteia tos kosmos dia …… into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through …
John 3:19… hoti tem fōtem erchatē eis ton kosmon kai agapala tois anthrōpois mallon tem …… The Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness rather …
John 6:14… tos profētos tos erchorōntos eis ton kosmon.… who is to come into the world.”
John 8:26… para autou houteim lalamō eis ton kosmon.… heard from Him, I tell the world.”
John 9:39… Iēsus; Eis krimem mis eis ton kosmon houton erchama, hina tois mē bleparōntois …… judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind may see …
John 10:36… patros hagiazata kai apostelata eis ton kosmon vis legavō hoti Blasfēmasō, hoti legama; …… Father sanctified and sent into the world? How then can you accuse Me …
John 11:27… huios tou theou tos eis ton kosmon erchorōntos.… who was to come into the world.”
John 12:46mis fōtem eis ton kosmon erchamē, hina pantos tos pisteuarōntos eis …I have come into the world as a light, so that no …
John 12:47… ouk gar erchama hina krinameia ton kosmon alla hina sōzameia ton kosmon.… have not come to judge the world, but to save the world.
John 12:47… ton kosmon alla hina sōzameia ton kosmon.… the world, but to save the world.
John 16:8kai ercharantos ekeinos elenchati ton kosmon peri hamartau kai peri dikaiosunau kai …… He comes, He will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness …
John 16:21… charan hoti gennita anthrōpos eis ton kosmon.… child has been born into the world.
John 16:28… tou patrou kai erchamē eis ton kosmon; palin afiēkamō ton kosmon kai poreuomō …… from the Father and entered the world. In turn, I will leave the …
John 16:28… eis ton kosmon; palin afiēkamō ton kosmon kai poreuomō pros ton patron.… In turn, I will leave the world and go to the Father.”
John 16:33… echavō, alla tharsavōr, mis nikamē ton kosmon.… take courage; I have overcome the world!”
John 17:5… doxa ha echame pro teu ton kosmon arō para si.… I had with You before the world existed.
John 17:18kathōs min apostelasa eis ton kosmon, kamis apostelama autoin eis ton kosmon;As You sent Me into the world, I have also sent them into …
kosmou“world”of, belonging togenitive singular71×, 25 shown
Matthew 4:8… deikatō auto pantain tain basileiain tou kosmou kai tan doxan autaiu… Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.
Matthew 5:14Vis avō tem fōtem tou kosmou. ouk dunotō polas kruptira epanō oreu …You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot …
Matthew 24:21… megas hoias ouk genatē apo archau kosmou heōs tou nun oude ouk mē …… unseen from the beginning of the world until now, and never to be …
Matthew 25:34… tan hetoimazorēntan vi basileian apo katabolau kosmou.… you from the foundation of the world.
Luke 11:50… toiu profētoiu tem ekchorēntem apo katabolau kosmou apo tau geneau houtau,… shed since the foundation of the world,
Luke 12:30houteim gar panteim teim ethneim tou kosmou epizētalō, vu de tos patros oidatē …For the Gentiles of the world strive after all these things, and …
John 1:29… theou tos airarōntos tan hamartan tou kosmou.… takes away the sin of the world!
John 4:42… houtos atō alēthōs tos sōtēros tou kosmou.… truly is the Savior of the world.”
John 6:51… sarkas mu atō huper tau tou kosmou zōau.… give for the life of the world, is My flesh.”
John 8:12… legarōntos; Mis amō tem fōtem tou kosmou; tos akoloutharōntos mi ouk mē peripatateia …… I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk …
John 8:23… anō amō; vis ek houtou tou kosmou avō, mis ouk amō ek tou …… from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.
John 8:23… avō, mis ouk amō ek tou kosmou houtou.… world; I am not of this world.
John 9:5… to kosmo ameiō, fōtem amō tou kosmou.… I am the light of the world.”
John 11:9… ouk proskoptatō, hoti tem fōtem tou kosmou houtou blepatō;… sees by the light of this world.
John 12:31nun krisias atō tou kosmou houtou, nun tos archontos tou kosmou …Now judgment is upon this world; now the prince of this world …
John 12:31… kosmou houtou, nun tos archontos tou kosmou houtou ekbaliti exō;… world; now the prince of this world will be cast out.
John 13:1… tas hōras hina metabainateia ek tou kosmou houtou pros ton patron agaparantos toin …… hour had come to leave this world and return to the Father. Having …
John 14:30… meta vu, erchotō gar tos tou kosmou archontos; kai en mi ouk echatō …… longer, for the prince of this world is coming, and he has no …
John 15:19ei ek tou kosmou ave, tos kosmos an tem idiem …If you were of the world, it would love you as its …
John 15:19… idiem filate; hoti de ek tou kosmou ouk avō, alla mis eklegema vin …… because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out …
John 15:19… alla mis eklegema vin ek tou kosmou, dia houtem misatō vin tos kosmos.… have chosen you out of the world.
John 16:11… de krisiau, hoti tos archontos tou kosmou houtou krinotē.… judgment, because the prince of this world has been condemned.
John 17:6… anthrōpoi hoin dōasa mi ek tou kosmou. si ale kami autoin dōasa, kai …… have given Me out of the world. They were Yours; You gave them …
John 17:9… peri autoiu erōtamō; ouk peri tou kosmou erōtamō alla peri hoiu dōasē mi, …… not ask on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those You …
John 17:14… autoin, hoti ouk alō ek tou kosmou kathōs mis ouk amō ek tou …… as I am not of the world.
kosmo“world”to, fordative singular36×, 25 shown
Matthew 18:7ouai to kosmo apo teiu skandaleiu; anankas gar erchara …Woe to the world for the causes of sin. These …
Matthew 26:13… tem euangeliem houtem en holo to kosmo, laliti kai hem poiata houtas eis …… gospel is preached in all the world, what she has done will also …
John 1:10En to kosmo ate, kai tos kosmos dia autou …He was in the world, and though the world was made …
John 6:33… tou ouranou kai zōan dōarōntos to kosmo.… heaven and gives life to the world.”
John 7:4… ei houteim poiasō, fanerasar siauton to kosmo.… these things, show Yourself to the world.”
John 9:5hotan en to kosmo ameiō, fōtem amō tou kosmou.While I am in the world, I am the light of the …
John 12:25… misarōntos tan psuchan autou en to kosmo houto eis zōan aiōnian fulassati autan.… whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
John 13:1… agaparantos toin idioin toin en to kosmo eis telem agapata autoin.… His own who were in the world, He loved them to the very …
John 14:22… mellasō emfanizarō siauton kai ouchi to kosmo?… to us and not to the world?”
John 16:33… en mi eirēnan echaveiō; en to kosmo thlipsian echavō, alla tharsavōr, mis nikamē …… you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take …
John 17:11kai ouketi amō en to kosmo, kai autois en to kosmo alō, …… will no longer be in the world, but they are in the world …
John 17:11… to kosmo, kai autois en to kosmo alō, kamis pros sin erchomō. patror …… world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to You …
John 17:13… erchomō, kai houteim lalamō en to kosmo hina echaleiō tan charan tan ēman …… things while I am in the world, so that they may have My …
John 18:20… auto Iēsus; Mis parrēsia lalamē to kosmo; mis pantote didaskama en sunagōga kai …“I have spoken openly to the world,” Jesus answered. “I always taught in …
Romans 1:8… pistias vu katangelotō en holo to kosmo.… is being proclaimed all over the world.
Romans 5:13achri gar nomou hamartas ate en kosmo, hamartas de ouk ellogotō mē arōntou …For sin was in the world before the law was given; but …
1 Corinthians 4:9… hōs epithanatioin, hoti theatrem genina to kosmo kai angeloi kai anthrōpoi.… become a spectacle to the whole world, to angels as well as to …
1 Corinthians 8:4… eidōlothuteiu oidanē hoti oudenem eidōlem en kosmo, kai hoti oudenos theos ei mē …… is nothing at all in the world, and that there is no God …
1 Corinthians 11:32… kuriou paideuonō, hina mē sun to kosmo katakrinineia.… will not be condemned with the world.
1 Corinthians 14:10… ei tuchatoia geneim fōnaiu alō en kosmo, kai oudenem afōnem;… are many different languages in the world, yet none of them is without …
2 Corinthians 1:12… en charita theou, anastrefina en to kosmo, perissoterōs de pros vin;… we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in relation to you …
Galatians 6:14… dia hou mi kosmos staurotē kamis kosmo.… to me, and I to the world.
Ephesians 2:12… mē echarōntois kai atheois en to kosmo.… hope and without God in the world.
Philippians 2:15… en hoi fanovō hōs fōstērois en kosmo… you shine as lights in the world
Colossians 1:6… vin, kathōs kai en panto to kosmo atō karpofororōntem kai auxanorōntem kathōs kai …… come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and …