2792. kinamómon

Lexical Summary

kinamómon: Cinnamon

Original Word: κινάμωμον
Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter
Transliteration: kinamómon
Pronunciation: kee-NAH-mo-mon
Phonetic Spelling: (kin-am'-o-mon)
KJV: cinnamon
Word Origin: [of foreign origin]

1. cinnamon

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

cinnamon.

Of foreign origin (compare qinnamown); cinnamon -- cinnamon.

see HEBREW qinnamown

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
variant reading for kinnamómon, q.v.

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 2792: κινάμωμον

κινάμωμον, more correctly (so L T Tr WH) κιννάμωμον, κιναμωμου, τό, Hebrew קִנָּמון ((see Liddell and Scott, under the word)), cinnamon: Revelation 18:13. (Herodotus, Theophrastus, Strabo, Diodorus, Josephus, others; the Sept.) Cf. Winers RWB, under the word Zimmt; (B. D., under the word ; Alex.'s Kitto under the word Kinnamon).

Topical Lexicon

Etymological and Botanical Background

Cinnamon is the dried inner bark of evergreen trees native to South and Southeast Asia. In the Ancient Near East it was imported at great expense along caravan routes that linked India and Sri Lanka with Arabia, Egypt, and the Mediterranean world. Because it had to travel so far, its price rivaled that of precious metals, making it a ready symbol for luxury and wealth.

Biblical Mentions

• Revelation 18:13 lists cinnamon among the costly commodities that enriched “Babylon the great” before her sudden downfall: “cargo of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk, and scarlet; all kinds of fragrant wood; every article of ivory and of very costly wood, bronze, iron, and marble; and cinnamon and spice, incense, myrrh and frankincense…”.
• Although the Greek noun appears only here in the New Testament, the Hebrew cognate קִנָּמוֹן (qinamon) occurs in Exodus 30:23; Proverbs 7:17; Song of Songs 4:14. Taken together, these passages trace cinnamon’s use from sacred worship to sensual temptation, and finally to eschatological judgment.

Sacred Use

Exodus 30:22-25 records that cinnamon, together with myrrh, cane, and cassia, formed part of the holy anointing oil. The costly fragrance was reserved exclusively for the tabernacle and its priests, prefiguring the unique, sweet-smelling ministry of the Messiah (Psalm 45:7-8; John 12:3). By prohibiting common reproduction of the compound (Exodus 30:32-33), the LORD underscored the distinction between what is holy and what is profane.

Sensual Misuse

Proverbs 7:17 pictures the adulteress who says, “I have sprinkled my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.” Here the spice that once served sacred purposes is recruited to lure the naïve into sin, illustrating how good gifts can be twisted when separated from God’s design.

Fragrant Love

Song of Songs 4:14 includes cinnamon among the garden spices that characterize the bride’s aroma. Within the canonical context, the fragrance celebrates covenant love. Early Christian writers saw in it a depiction of the church’s devotion, “the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved” (2 Corinthians 2:15).

Luxury and Judgment

Revelation 18 culminates the Bible’s treatment of cinnamon. What began as holy fragrance and later adorned marital love is now piled in the cargo holds of a corrupt commercial empire. When Babylon falls, the merchants “will weep and mourn over her because there is no one left to buy their cargo” (Revelation 18:11). Cinnamon thus becomes a witness against a system that prizes indulgence above righteousness.

Historical Trade and Cultural Context

By the first century, Roman demand for cinnamon was so great that Pliny lamented its costliness. Ships crossed the Indian Ocean each spring, rode the monsoon winds to Arabian ports, and from there caravans carried the spice northward. The mention of cinnamon in Revelation indicates John’s awareness of a globalized market. The Spirit’s message is that even the farthest-flung luxuries are not beyond God’s oversight.

Theological and Ministry Applications

1. Christ’s Exclusive Worth. Just as the anointing oil could not be duplicated, so the anointing of the Holy Spirit cannot be counterfeited.
2. Discernment in Desire. Cinnamon’s misuse in Proverbs warns believers to resist the allure of sensuality divorced from covenant fidelity.
3. Holiness in Commerce. Revelation challenges the church to engage the marketplace without bowing to greed or participating in systems that exploit others.
4. Aroma of Witness. Followers of Christ are called to carry a fragrance that testifies to His grace (Ephesians 5:2), contrasting sharply with the fleeting scent of worldly luxury.

Lessons for the Church Today

• Evaluate possessions in light of eternity; the spices of Babylon will perish, but treasures laid up in heaven endure.
• Guard sacred things—worship, marriage, the gospel—from commercialization.
• Remember that God, who created every pleasant aroma, intends them to point beyond themselves to the beauty of Christ.

Forms and Transliterations

κινάμωμον κινναμωμον κιννάμωμον κινναμώμου κινναμώμω kinnamomon kinnamōmon kinnámomon kinnámōmon

Englishman's Concordance

Revelation 18:13 N-ANS
GRK: καὶ κιννάμωμον καὶ ἄμωμον
KJV: And cinnamon, and odours,
INT: and cinnamon and spice

Strong's Greek 2792
1 Occurrence

κιννάμωμον — 1 Occ.