1456. egkainia

Lexicon

egkainia: Dedication, Feast of Dedication

Original Word: ἐγκαίνια
Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter
Transliteration: egkainia
Pronunciation: en-KAI-nee-ah
Phonetic Spelling: (eng-kah'-ee-nee-ah)
Definition: Dedication, Feast of Dedication
Meaning: a renewal, dedication; the feast of rededication.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

dedication.

Neuter plural of a presumed compound from en and kainos; innovatives, i.e. (specially) renewal (of religious services after the Antiochian interruption) -- dedication.

see GREEK en

see GREEK kainos

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
neut. pl. comp. from en and kainos
Definition
dedication, renewal (of religious services)
NASB Translation
feast of the Dedication (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 1456: ἐγκαίνια

ἐγκαίνια (T WH ἐανκαινια, see ἐν, III. 3), ἐγκαινιων, τά (from ἐν and καινός); only in Biblical and ecclesiastical writings (on the plural cf. Winers Grammar, § 27, 3; Buttmann, 23 (21)); dedication, consecration; thus, in 2 Esdr. 6:16, 17; Nehemiah 12:27 for חֲנֻכָּה; in particular (Vulg.encaeaium, i. e. renovation], an 'annual feast celebrated eight days beginning on the 25th of Chislev (the middle of our December), instituted by Judas Maccabaeus () in memory of the cleansing of the temple from the pollutions of Antiochus Epiphanes (αἱ ἡμέραι ἐγκαινισμοῦ τοῦ θυσιασθηριου, 1 Macc. 4:59): John 10:22. Cf. Winers RWB (also Riehm, HWB) under the word Kirchweihfest; Oehler in Herzog iv., p. 389; Grimm on 1 Macc. 1:54 1 Macc. 4:52; Dillmann in Schenkel iii., 534f; (BB. DD. (especially Kitto) under the word the).

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: Derived from the Greek words ἐν (en, "in") and καινός (kainos, "new"), meaning "renewal" or "dedication."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: The corresponding Hebrew concept is חֲנֻכָּה (Chanukah), which is not directly listed in Strong's Hebrew Dictionary but is related to the root חָנַךְ (chanak, Strong's Hebrew 2596), meaning "to dedicate" or "to initiate." This root is used in the context of dedicating buildings or objects for sacred purposes, aligning with the theme of ἐγκαίνια as a dedication or renewal.

Usage: The word ἐγκαίνια is used in the New Testament to refer to the Feast of Dedication, also known as Hanukkah, which commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem.

Context: The term ἐγκαίνια appears in the New Testament in John 10:22, where it is used to describe the Feast of Dedication. This feast, known today as Hanukkah, celebrates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem following its desecration by Antiochus IV Epiphanes. The historical event behind this celebration is the Maccabean Revolt, during which the Jewish people, led by Judas Maccabeus, successfully reclaimed and purified the temple. The festival is observed for eight days, beginning on the 25th of Kislev according to the Jewish calendar.

In John 10:22, the Berean Standard Bible states: "At that time the Feast of Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter." This passage situates Jesus in Jerusalem during this significant Jewish festival, providing a backdrop for His teachings and interactions with the people and religious leaders of the time. The Feast of Dedication is not one of the original Mosaic feasts but holds great importance in Jewish history and tradition as a symbol of divine deliverance and the perseverance of faith.

Forms and Transliterations

εγκαίνια ἐγκαίνια εγκαινίοις ενκαινια ἐνκαίνια enkainia en'kaínia

Englishman's Concordance

John 10:22 N-NNP
GRK: τότε τὰ ἐνκαίνια ἐν τοῖς
NAS: At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place
KJV: Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and
INT: at the time the feast of dedication at

Strong's Greek 1456
1 Occurrence

ἐνκαίνια — 1 Occ.