noun · neuter

Greekμέτρον (metron)

Biblang

metrem

Strong’sG3358

a measure, measuring rod

stem metr-14 times in the New Testamentin 8 of 27 books2 of 6 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

μέτρον refers to a measure: an instrument or standard used for measuring something, such as a measuring vessel or a measuring rod or rule ¹²⁴³. It is used of a literal container, for example when something is measured out in a vessel, and figuratively of the standard by which one person measures out judgment, generosity, or treatment toward another ¹.

It also refers to that which is measured: the quantity, portion, or degree assigned to someone, as when a particular amount of faith, grace, or ability is spoken of as a person's allotted share 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

μέτρον, -ου, τό,

[in LXX chiefly for מִדָּה, also for אֵיפָה, etc.;]

1. that which is used for measuring, a measure;

(a) a vessel: fig., Mt 23:32, Lk 6:38; ἐκ μ., by measure, Jo 3:34;

(b) a rod or rule: Re 21:15, 17; fig., Mt 7:2, Mk 4:24.

2. That which is measured, measure: c. gen. rei, Ro 12:3, II Co 10:13, Eph 4:7, 13, 16.†

G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 1922 — public domain. References open in the reader.

Strong’s G3358 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from

Saidmet'-ron

a measure ("metre"), literally or figuratively; by implication, a limited portion (degree)

Froman apparently primary word;

King Jamesmeasure.

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

μέτρον, τό,
that by which anything is measured:
1 measure, rule, μέτρ᾽ ἐν χερσὶν ἔχοντες Refs 8th c.BC+; πάντ᾽ ἄνδρα πάντων χρημάτων μ. εἶναι is a measure of all things, Refs 5th c.BC+
1.b in Mathematics texts, measure, divisor, Refs 3rd c.BC+
2 measure of content, whether solid or liquid, δῶκεν μέθυ, χίλια μ. Refs 8th c.BC+; at Samos, of the μέδιμνος, Refs 2nd c.BC+; in Egypt, of the ἀρτάβη, μ. δοχικόν Refs 2nd c.BC+; μέτροις καὶ σταθμοῖς by measure and weight, Decrees cited in Refs 5th c.BC+; in the widest sense, either weight or measure, Φείδωνος τοῦ τὰ μ. ποιήσαντος Πελοποννησίοισι Refs 5th c.BC+; μ. οἰνηρά, σιτηρά, Refs 4th c.BC+
3 any space measured or measurable, length, size, in plural, dimensions, μέτρα κελεύθου the length of the way, Refs 8th c.BC+; μορφῆς μέτρα bodily dimensions, Refs 5th c.BC+; τὰ μ. τοῦ λίθου its distances from a given point in given directions, its position, Refs 5th c.BC+; τῷ Ἴστρῳ ἐκ τῶν ἴσων μ. ὁρμᾶται [ὁ Νεῖλος] starts from the same distances as (i.e. the position corresponding to the source of) the Refs 5th c.BC+; later of Time, duration, μέτρα βίοιο ἄρκια Refs 1st c.AD+; ἐτέων μέτρα, ὡράων μέτρον, Refs; μέτρα ἐνιαυτῶν, νυκτός, Refs 4th c.BC+
3.b limit, goal, ὅρμου μ. the goal which is the mooring-place, Refs 8th c.BC+; ἥβης μ. ἱκέσθαι the term which is puberty, Refs 8th c.BC+; but, ἥβης μ. ἔχειν full measure of youthful vigour,Refs 6th c.BC+
4 due measure or limit, proportion, μέτρα φυλάσσεσθαι Refs 8th c.BC+; τί μ. κακότατος ἔφ; Refs 5th c.BC+; μ. ἔχει have a moderating power, Refs 5th c.BC+; μέτρῳ, ={μετρίως},{καταβαίνειν} Refs 5th c.BC+
5 τίς ἱππείοις ἐν ἔντεσσιν μέτρα.. ἐπέθηκ᾽ checks, i.e. bits, Refs 5th c.BC+
II metre, Refs 5th c.BC+; opposed to μέλος (music) and ῥυθμός (time), Refs 5th c.BC+; λόγους ψιλοὺς εἰς μέτρα τιθέντες putting into verse, Refs 5th c.BC+
II.2 plural, verses, Refs 5th c.BC+ *métro-m from *métro-m 'measuring instrument', cf. Gothic mitan 'measure'.)

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.

measure11×measurement1×measuring1×proper1×

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 or object direct	metrem	metreim
of, belonging to genitive	metreu2×μέτρου	metreiu
to, for dative	metre4×μέτρῳ	metrei

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

metrstem+egender+mu—its job in the sentence case+—ione · more than one number

metre 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.

metramō — μετρέω, I measure, estimate

Where it appears

Every verse the word appears in, filed under the form it takes there.

14 occurrences, every one of them listed

metreu“measure”of, belonging togenitive singular2×

John 3:34“measure”… tou theou lalatō, ouk gar ek metreu dōatō tem pneumem.… has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit.

2 Corinthians 10:13“measure”… kanonou hou merizata ni tos theos metreu, efiknera achri kai vu… of influence that God has assigned to us — a field that reaches even to you.

metre“measure”to, fordative singular4×

Matthew 7:2… krime krinavō krinivi, kai en he metre metravō metriti vi.… will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured …

Mark 4:24… autoi; Blepavōr tinem akouavō. en he metre metravō metriti vi kai prostithiti vi.… to what you hear. With the measure you use, it will be measured …

Luke 6:38… eis ton kolpon vu; he gar metre metravō antimetriti vi.… into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured …

Ephesians 4:16“proper”… hafau tau epichorēgiau kata energeian en metre heneu hekasteu mereu tan auxēsian teu …… by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love through the work of each individual part.

metrem8×

Matthew 23:32kai vis plēravar tem metrem toiu patroiu vu.Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your fathers.

Luke 6:38dōavōr, kai dōiti vi; metrem kalem piezorēntem saleuorēntem huperekchunnorōntem dōali eis …… be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running …

Romans 12:3… sōfronarō, hekasto hōs tos theos merizata metrem pistiau.… with sober judgment, according to the measure of faith God has given you.

2 Corinthians 10:13“measure”… teim ametreim kaucheni, alla kata tem metrem tou kanonou hou merizata ni tos …… will not boast beyond our limits, but only within the field of influence that God has assigned to us — a field …

Ephesians 4:7… nu dōita tas charitas kata tem metrem tau dōreau tou Christou.… has been given according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

Ephesians 4:13… tou theou, eis andron teleion, eis metrem hēlikiau teu plērōmeu tou Christou,… as we mature to the full measure of the stature of Christ.

Revelation 21:15Kai tos lalarōntos meta mu echate metrem kalamon chrusouem, hina metrateia tan polan …… spoke with me had a golden measuring rod to measure the city and …

Revelation 21:17“measurement”… teichem autau hekaton tesserakonta tessares pēchoiu, metrem anthrōpou, hem atō angelou.… he measured its wall to be 144 cubits, by the human measure the angel was using.