Lexical Summary keraia: Tittle, small stroke Original Word: κεραία Strong's Exhaustive Concordance tittle, strokeFeminine of a presumed derivative of the base of keras; something horn-like, i.e. (specially) the apex of a Hebrew letter (figuratively, the least particle) -- tittle. see GREEK keras HELPS Word-studies 2762 keraía – properly, a little "horn," i.e. " 'a little hook, an apostrophe' on letters of the alphabet, distinguishing them from other like-letters, or a 'separation stroke' between letters" (Souter); a tittle (KJV). ["Tittle" comes from the Latin, titulus – the stroke above an abbreviated word – and later, any small mark. "In Vay. R. 19 the guilt of altering one of them is pronounced so great that if it were done the world would be destroyed" (so McNeile).] NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom keras Definition a little horn NASB Translation stroke (1), stroke of a letter (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 2762: κεραίακεραία (WH κέρεα (see their Appendix, p. 151)), κεραιας, ἡ (κέρας), a little horn; extremity, apex, point; used by the Greek grammarians of the accents and diacritical points. In Matthew 5:18 ((where see Wetstein; cf. also Edersheim, Jesus the Messiah, 1:537f)); Luke 16:17 of the little lines, or projections, by which the Hebrew letters in other respects similar differ from each other, as cheth ח and he ה, daleth ד and resh ר, beth ב and kaph כ (A. V. tittle); the meaning is, 'not even the minutest part of the law shall perish.' ((Aeschylus, Thucydides, others.)) STRONGS NT 2762: κέρεα [κέρεα, see κεραία.] Topical Lexicon Nuanced Meaning in the World of Letters In the scribal culture of Second-Temple Judaism every character counted. Keʀaía (2762) pictured the tiniest projection on a consonant—less than a full letter, yet essential for distinguishing one glyph from another. Its force in the New Testament is therefore illustrative, not quantitative: Jesus chooses the smallest visible mark to declare that even the apparently negligible elements of God’s written revelation are permanent and purposeful. New Testament Occurrences • Matthew 5:18 – “For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single jot, not a stroke of a pen, will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.” Affirmation of the Scriptures’ Enduring Authority By invoking the stroke, Jesus affirms plenary preservation: every constituent of the Mosaic Torah remains in force until fulfilled in Him. The thought parallels Psalm 119:89 and Isaiah 40:8, reinforcing that divine revelation is settled both in heaven and on parchment. Keʀaía thus becomes a symbol for verbal inspiration—the conviction that inspiration extends to the very letters and their minute appendages. Hermeneutical Implications 1. Precision in exegesis: If the smallest mark matters to Christ, interpreters must handle each word with reverence, avoiding casual paraphrase that dilutes inspired detail. Historical and Scribal Context Jewish copyists safeguarded consonantal tradition through meticulous counting of letters and strokes, a practice evident in the later Masoretic notes. The New Testament allusion shows that such vigilance was already assumed in the first century. Christian scribes inherited this reverence, fueling textual criticism’s quest to recover the autographs’ exact wording. Ministry Significance Today • Preaching: Emphasize Jesus’ high view of Scripture by illustrating the keʀaía; encourage congregations to trust every promise. Theological Reflection Keʀaía reminds believers that God is intimately involved with His revelation down to its smallest detail. The same Lord who numbers hairs (Matthew 10:30) and stars (Psalm 147:4) also guards each pen-stroke that conveys His redemptive plan. Forms and Transliterations κεραία κεραίαν κερεα κερέα κερεαν κερέαν keraia keraía keraian keraíanLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Matthew 5:18 N-NFSGRK: ἢ μία κεραία οὐ μὴ NAS: or stroke shall pass KJV: or one tittle shall in no wise pass INT: or one tittle no not Luke 16:17 N-AFS Strong's Greek 2762 |
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