Lexical Summary thrénos: Lament, dirge, wailing Original Word: θρῆνος Strong's Exhaustive Concordance lamentation. From the base of throeo; wailing -- lamentation. see GREEK throeo HELPS Word-studies Cognate: 2355 thrḗnos – to cry aloud (wail). See 2354 (thrēneō). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom threomai (cry aloud, shriek) Definition a lamentation. Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 2355: θρῆνοςθρῆνος, θρήνου, ὁ (θρέομαι to cry aloud, to lament; cf. German Thräne ((?), rather drönen; Curtius, § 317)), a lamentation: Matthew 2:18 Rec. (Sept; for קִינָה, also נְהִי; O. T. Apocrypha; Homer, Pindar, Tragg., Xenophon, Ages. 10, 3; Plato, others.) Topical Lexicon Overviewθρῆνος (thrênos) denotes a formal expression of grievous sorrow, often rendered in English as “lament” or “dirge.” In Scripture it describes structured, poetic mourning—whether personal, communal, or prophetic—typically accompanied by weeping, wailing, or instrumental dirge. Although the term does not appear in the Greek New Testament, it features prominently in the Septuagint and the wider Greco-Jewish world, illuminating the biblical theology of lament. Old Testament and Septuagint Usage 1. Mourning Rituals 2. Prophetic Dirges 3. Canonical Book of Lamentations The title in the Greek tradition, Θρῆνοι (Thrênoi), foregrounds five acrostic poems of devastation after Jerusalem’s fall (Lamentations 1–5). Each chapter exemplifies structured θρῆνος: poetic artistry in the service of faith-filled grief. Second Temple and Intertestamental Literature Jewish writings such as 1 Maccabees 1:25 and the Psalms of Solomon incorporate θρῆνος to mourn military defeat or national crisis. These texts illustrate how lament shaped Israel’s liturgical and communal response to suffering between the Testaments. Greco-Roman Context In broader Hellenistic culture, θρῆνος described professional lamentation led by hired mourners or poets (e.g., Homer’s Iliad 24). The biblical adoption of the form reorients lament from fatalistic despair to God-directed supplication, anchoring grief in covenant hope. Theological Significance 1. Truth-Telling before God θρῆνος legitimizes candor in suffering. Inspired laments dare to name catastrophe yet refuse to sever trust in the LORD (Lamentations 3:19-24). 2. Call to Repentance Prophetic dirges function as a moral summons: “Call for the mourning women, that they may come,” Jeremiah 9:17. Lament prepares hearts for repentance and renewal. 3. Communal Solidarity Corporate θρῆνος binds the people together in shared loss (Joel 1:8-14). By verbalizing pain, the community shoulders burdens collectively, fulfilling the law of love. Absence in the New Testament and Its Implications While θρῆνος itself is missing, the New Testament echoes its theology: • Jesus wept over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41-44), embodying prophetic lament. Thus, the concept permeates New Testament thought even without the specific vocabulary. Practical Ministry Applications 1. Pastoral Care Encouraging believers to voice anguish through psalms of lament mirrors the biblical θρῆνος pattern, fostering authentic prayer life. 2. Worship Planning Integrating lament songs balances triumphal celebration with honest sorrow, reflecting the full biblical witness (Psalm 13; 2 Samuel 1:17-27). 3. Counseling the Bereaved Guiding mourners to scripted laments like Lamentations 3 or selected Psalms provides language for pain, preventing silent despair. Christological Fulfillment Isaiah foresaw the Man of Sorrows “acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3). At Calvary, the ultimate θρῆνος culminates in redemptive hope: “It is finished” (John 19:30). Resurrection transforms lament into praise, yet the vocabulary of θρῆνος remains vital until every tear is wiped away (Revelation 21:4). Eschatological Horizon Biblical lament looks beyond present anguish to promised restoration. As Zion’s exiles once chanted dirges along Babylon’s rivers, the Church longs for the New Jerusalem, where θρῆνος will be obsolete. Until that day, Spirit-empowered lament sustains perseverance and proclaims the gospel of a God who both listens to and ends all mourning. Forms and Transliterations θρήνον θρήνος θρήνός θρήνου θρήνωνLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance θνητὸν — 3 Occ.ἐθορύβουν — 1 Occ. θορυβάζῃ — 1 Occ. θορυβεῖσθε — 2 Occ. θορυβούμενον — 1 Occ. θόρυβον — 3 Occ. θόρυβος — 3 Occ. θορύβου — 1 Occ. τεθραυσμένους — 1 Occ. θρέμματα — 1 Occ. ἐθρήνουν — 1 Occ. θρηνήσετε — 1 Occ. θρησκείᾳ — 3 Occ. θρησκείας — 1 Occ. θρησκὸς — 1 Occ. θριαμβεύοντι — 1 Occ. θριαμβεύσας — 1 Occ. θρὶξ — 2 Occ. θριξὶν — 4 Occ. τρίχα — 1 Occ. |
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