noun · masculine
tupos
Strong’sG5179
a figure, model, type
stem tup-15 times in the New Testamentin 11 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
τύπος denotes a mark or impression left by a blow or by pressure — for instance, the print left by nails 13; more generally it can mean a stamp or scar 2.
It can also mean a figure, image, or statue — a physical representation made in the likeness of something, including a carved or molten idol 1234.
It further denotes the specific form or content of something, such as the substance or actual wording of a letter, or the particular form that a body of teaching takes 1.
Most often it means an example, pattern, or model to be followed — used of a person's conduct or teaching held up as a pattern for others, and sometimes of a warning example rather than a good one 1234; in one place it is used in a doctrinal sense, of one thing standing as a type of another 1.
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
τύπος, -ου, ὁ
(< τύπτω), [in LXX: Ex 25:39 (40) (תַּבְנִית), Am 5:26 (צֶלֶם), III Mac 3:30, IV Mac 6:19 *;]
SYN.: v.s. ὑποτύπωσις
G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 1922 — public domain. References open in the reader.
Strong’s G5179 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from
Saidtoo'-pos
a die (as struck), i.e. (by implication) a stamp or scar; by analogy, a shape, i.e. a statue, (figuratively) style or resemblance; specially, a sampler ("type"), i.e. a model (for imitation) or instance (for warning)
Fromfrom G5180;
King Jamesen-(ex-)ample, fashion, figure, form, manner, pattern, print.
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
(τύπτω) blow, τ. ἀντίτυπος Oracle texts cited in Refs 5th c.BC+; beat of horses' hoofs, variant for{κτὺπος} in Refs 5th c.BC+
II the effect of a blow or of pressure:
II.1 impression of a seal, τύποι σφενδόνης χρυσηλάτου Refs 5th c.BC+; stamp on a coin, τὰ ἀκριβῆ τὸν τ. Refs 2nd c.BC+ “*Mens.” 60, Refs 5th c.AD+ see entry {Κυζικηνοι στατῆρες}; on a branding-iron, ὄ τ. τοῦ καυτῆρος ἔστω ἀλώπηξ ἢ πίθηκος Refs 2nd c.AD+: generally, print, impression, χύτρας τύπον ἀρθείσης ἐν σποδῷ μὴ ἀπολιπεῖν, ἀλλὰ συγχεῖν Refs 1st c.AD+; στίβου γ᾽ οὐδεὶς τ. no footprint, Refs 5th c.BC+; ὡς ἡδὺς ἐν πόρπακι σὸς (i.e. τοῦ βραχίονος) κεῖται τύπος thy imprint, (O arm), Refs 5th c.BC+; τ. ὀδόντων imprint of teeth, Refs; print, βάλω τὸν δάκτυλόν μου εἰς τὸν τ. τῶν ἥλων NT+2nd c.AD+
II.1.b impressions supposed by Refs 4th c.BC+ to be made on the air by things seen, and to travel through space, Refs 4th c.BC+
II.2 hollow mould or matrix, καθάπερ ἐν τύπῳ τὰ σχήματα πλασθῆναι Refs 4th c.BC+; used by κοροπλάθοι, Refs 4th c.BC+ see at {χοάνη}; by fruit-growers, to shape the fruit while growing, Refs; die used in striking coins, metaphorically, Κύπριος χαρακτήρ τ᾽ ἐν γυναικείοις τύποις εἰκὼς πέπληκται τεκτόνων πρὸς ἀρσένων Refs 4th c.BC+
II.3 engraved mark, engraving, δέλτον χαλκῆν τύπους ἔχουσαν ἀρχαίων γραμμάτων engravings of letters, i. e. engraved letters, Refs 5th c.BC+; τὸ μέτρον τοῦ ποδὸς ὑποτέτακται τούτοις τοῖς τ. the length of the foot is subjoined in this engraving, Refs
II.4 the depression between the underlip and chin, Refs 2nd c.AD+
II.5 pip on dice, Refs
III cast or replica made in a mould, τ. κατάμακτος Refs
IV figure worked in relief, whether made by moulding, modelling, or sculpture, αἱμασιὴ ἐγγεγλυμμένη τύποισι Refs 5th c.BC+; σιδηρονώτοις ἀσπίδος τύποις Refs 5th c.BC+; tablet bearing a relief, καθελέσθαι τοὺς τ. καὶ εἴ τι ἄλλο ἐστὶν ἀργυροῦν ἢ χρυσοῦν Refs; τ. Ἔρωτα ἔχων ἐπειργασμένον Refs 2nd c.AD+; πεποιημένα ἐν τύπῳ in relief, Refs; typos scalpsit, Refs 1st c.AD+; impressā argillā typum fecit, Refs; πρὸς Ναυσίαν περὶ τοῦ τ., title of speech by Lysias, Refs see entry {λιθουργικ; Γάλλοι.. ἔχοντες προστηθίδια καὶ τύπους} Refs 2nd c.BC+
V carved figure, image, ποιεῦνται ξύλινον τ. ἀνθρωποειδέα, ποιησάμενοι δὲ ἐσεργνῦσι τὸν νεκρόν Refs 5th c.BC+; χρυσέων ξοάνων τύποι, periphrastic for χρύσεα ξόανα, Refs 5th c.BC+; γραφαῖς καὶ τ. paintings and statues, Refs 2nd c.BC+; γραπτοὶ τ. probably painted pediment-figures, Refs 5th c.BC+; idol, graven image, LXX+1st c.AD+
V.2 exact replica, image, as children are called the τύποι of their parents, Refs 2nd c.AD+; τ. λογίου Ἑρμοῦ, of Demosthenes, Refs 1st c.AD+
VI form, shape, οὐλῆς Refs 4th c.BC+; ἀγγείου Crates Grammars cited in Refs 3rd c.BC+; οἱ τ. τῶν γραμμάτων Refs 1st c.BC+; Ἱππομέδοντος σχῆμα καὶ μέγας τ., periphrastic for H. himself, Refs 4th c.BC+; ὄμφακος τ., ={ὄμφαξ}, Refs 5th c.BC+features, Refs 1st c.BC+
VI.2 thing having a shape, οὐλοφυεῖς.. τ. χθονὸς ἐξανέτελλον undifferentiated forms rose from the earth, Refs 5th c.BC+; τ. τις πορφυροῦς κατὰ χρόαν, τῷ σχήματι ἐμφερὴς κιβωρίου θύλακι (i.e. the placenta) Refs 2nd c.AD+
VI.3 form of expression, style, ὁ πραγματικὸς τ. [τοῦ Ξενοφῶντος] Refs 1st c.BC+
VI.4 Grammars, mode of formation, form, τ. πατρωνυμικῶν Refs 2nd c.BC+
VII archetype, pattern, model, capable of exact repetition in numerous instances, αὑτὸν ἐκμάττειν.. εἰς τοὺς τῶν κακιόνων τ. Refs 5th c.BC+
VII.2 character recognizable in a number of instances, general character, type, πάντα ὅσα τοῦ τ. τούτου Refs
VII.3 type or form of disease (especially fever) with reference to the order and spacing of its attacks and intervals, Refs 2nd c.AD+
VIII general impression, vague indication, γίνεται ἀμυδρὸς ὁ τ. τῆς ῥάχεως (in the foetus) Refs; τ. ἀμυδροί, opposed to ἀκριβὲς εἶδος, Refs 2nd c.AD+; ἕως ἂν ὁ τ. ἐνῇ τοῦ πράγματος as long as there is an approximate indication of the thing, Refs 5th c.BC+; of the general type or schema corresponding with a name, Refs 4th c.BC+
VIII.2 outline, sketch, general idea, ὅσον τοὺς τ. ὑφηγεῖσθαι Refs 5th c.BC+; τύπῳ, ἐν τύπῳ, in outline, in general, ὡς ἐν τύπῳ, μὴ δι᾽ ἀκριβείας, εἰρῆσθαι Refs 5th c.BC+; ἵνα τύπῳ λάβωμεν αὐτάςRefs 4th c.BC+; τ. καὶ ἐπὶ κεφαλαίου λέγομενRefs; ὅσον τύπῳ in outline only, Refs 4th c.BC+
VIII.3 outline, ταῦτα ὅσα εἴρηται καθάπερ ἐν γραφαῖς ἀχρόοις γραμμῇ μόνῃ τύποι ἀνδρῶν εἰκασμένοι εἰσί Refs 4th c.AD+
IX prescribed form, model to be imitated, ἢν ἁμάρτωσι τοῦ πατρικοῦ τ. τοῦ ἐπιμελέος Refs 5th c.BC+; εἰς ἀρχήν τε καὶ τ. τινὰ τῆς δικαιοσύνηςRefs 1st c.BC+; ὥστε γενέσθαι ὑμᾶς τύπον πᾶσι τοῖς πιστεύουσιν ἐν τῇ Μακεδονίᾳ LXX+NT
IX.2 general instruction, δόντες τοὺς τ. τούτους ὑπὲρ τῆς ὅλης διοικήσεως, ἐξέπεμπον τοὺς δέκα Refs 2nd c.BC+; general principle in law, τ. ἐστὶν καθ᾽ ὃν ἔκρεινα πολλάκις Refs 2nd c.AD+
IX.2.b rule of life, religion, ἐξεταστέον ποταπῷ χρῆται τύπῳ ὁ νοσῶν (e. g. whether Jewish or Egyptian) Refs 1st c.AD+
IX.3 rough draft of a book, βιβλίον γεγραμμενον ἐν τύποις Refs 5th c.BC+; draft of an official letter, τύπον ποιεῖ he drafted a letter, Refs 2nd c.BC+; τ. χειρογραφίας Refs 1st c.AD+; τ. ἐπιστολικοί models of letters, Refs
IX.4 form of a document, ἔστιν δὲ ὁ τ. τῆς εἰθισμένης διαγραφῆς ὁ ὑποκείμενος Refs 3rd c.BC+; σωματισθῆναι.. τύπῳ τῷδε· τί ἑκάστῳ ὑπάρχει κτλ. Refs 3rd c.AD+; κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν τ. Refs 6th c.AD+
IX.5 text of a document, ὁ μὲν τῆς ἐπιστολῆς τ. οὕτως ἐγέγραπτο LXX+NT
IX.6 written decision, θεῖος τ. an imperial rescript, Refs 4th c.AD+; αἰτῆσαι θεῖον καὶ πραγματικὸν τ. Mitteis Refs 6th c.AD+; given by a bishop, Refs 5th c.AD+; by the ἔκδικος, Refs 5th c.AD+; by others, χρὴ.. δοῦναι τ. εἰς τὴν συγχώρησιν Refs 6th c.AD+: in plural, of the acta of a πάγαρχος, Refs 6th c.AD+
X as law-term, summons, writ, οἱ τ. γράμμα εἰσὶν ἀγορᾶς, ἐρήμην ἐπαγγέλλον τῷ οὐκ ἀποδιδόντι Refs 2nd c.AD+
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 | tupos2×τύπος | tupois2×τύποι |
| object accusative | tupon10×τύπον | tupoin1×τύπους |
| direct address vocative | tupor | tupoir |
| of, belonging to genitive | tupou | tupoiu |
| to, for dative | tupo | tupoi |
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
tupo 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.
15 occurrences, every one of them listed
tupos“type”subjectnominative singular2×
Romans 5:14“type”… homoiōme tau parabasiau Adam, hos atō tupos tou mellarōntou.… reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who did not sin in the way that Adam transgressed. He is a pattern of the One to come.
1 Timothy 4:12mēdenos su tau neotau katafronatōr, alla tupos genosōr toiu pistoiu en logo, en …… despise your youth, but set an example for the believers in speech, in …
tupon“example”objectaccusative singular10×
John 20:25“mark”… horameia en tai cheirai autou ton tupon toiu hēloiu kai balameia ton daktulon …… Unless I see the nail marks in His hands, and put my finger where the nails have …
John 20:25“mark”… balameia ton daktulon mu eis ton tupon toiu hēloiu kai balameia mu tan …… hands, and put my finger where the nails have been, and put my hand into …
Acts 7:44… to Mōuso poiara autan kata ton tupon hon horatelē,… had directed Moses, according to the pattern he had seen.
Acts 23:25“form”grafarantos epistolan echarōntan ton tupon houton;And he wrote the following letter:
Romans 6:17… de ek kardiau eis hon paradōiva tupon didachau,… to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were …
Philippians 3:17… skopavōr toin houtōs peripatarōntoin kathōs echavō tupon nin;Join one another in following my example, brothers, and carefully observe those who …
1 Thessalonians 1:7hōste genera vin tupon pantoi toi pisteuarōntoi en ta Makedonia …… a result, you have become an example to all the believers in Macedonia …
2 Thessalonians 3:9… ouk echanō exousian, alla hina heautoin tupon dōaneia vi eis tem mimorō nin.… wanted to offer ourselves as an example for you to imitate.
Titus 2:7peri panteim siauton parechorōntos tupon kaleiu ergeiu, en ta didaskalia afthorian, …… everything, show yourself to be an example by doing good works. In your …
Hebrews 8:5… gar, fēatō, poiasi panteim kata ton tupon ton deikiranton si en te ore;… you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”
tupois“examples”subjectnominative plural2×
1 Corinthians 10:6Houteim de tupois nu genila, eis tem mē arō …These things took place as examples to keep us from craving evil …
1 Peter 5:3mēde hōs katakurieuarōntois toiu klēroiu alla tupois genorōntois teu poimnieu;… those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.
tupoin“images”objectaccusative plural1×
Acts 7:43“images”… tem astrem tou theou Raifan, toin tupoin hoin poiava proskunarō autoi. kai metoikizami …… Molech and the star of your god Rephan, the idols you made to worship. Therefore I will send you into …