Lexical Summary kómé: Village Original Word: κώμη Strong's Exhaustive Concordance town, village. From keimai; a hamlet (as if laid down) -- town, village. see GREEK keimai HELPS Word-studies 2968 kṓmē – "a village or country town, properly as opposed to a walled city" (Abbott-Smith); a hamlet. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. word Definition a village NASB Translation village (18), villages (9). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 2968: κώμηκώμη, κόμης, ἡ (akin to κεῖμαι, κοιμάω, properly, the common sleeping-place to which laborers in the fields return; Curtius, § 45 (related is English home)) (from Hesiod, Herodotus down), a village: Matthew 9:35; Matthew 10:11; Mark 11:2; Luke 5:17; Luke 9:52 (here Tdf. πόλιν), and often in the Synoptative Gospels; John 11:1, 30; with the name of the city near which the villages lie and to whose municipality they belong: Καισαρείας, Mark 8:27 (often so in the Sept. for בְּנות with the name of a city; cf. Gesenius, Thesaurus, i., p. 220{a} (B. D., under the word Topical Lexicon Foundational Meaning Strong’s Greek 2968, kōmē, denotes a small rural settlement—larger than an isolated homestead yet smaller and less fortified than a polis (“city”). In the New Testament it carries no pejorative sense; rather, it identifies the ordinary places where ordinary people lived, worked, and worshiped. First-Century Village Life Villages dotted the agricultural regions of Judea, Samaria, Galilee, and the Decapolis. Typically situated near fields, springs, or trade routes, they provided basic commerce, communal ovens, synagogues, and modest lodging for travelers. While cities wielded political power, villages supplied food and manpower, forming the backbone of provincial society. Understanding this socio-geographic fabric clarifies why so much of Jesus’ public ministry unfolded there. Occurrences in the Four Gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all record Jesus’ interaction with villages (twenty-six of the twenty-eight New Testament uses). This concentration underscores the evangelists’ shared conviction that the good news reached even the smallest settlements. Key clusters appear: A Center of Compassionate Ministry Matthew 9:35 summarizes: “Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness.” Villages were not peripheral stops; they served as arenas where the Shepherd saw the “sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). Mark 6:56 records that in every village “they laid the sick in the marketplaces,” highlighting both need and faith among rural dwellers. Training Ground for the Twelve and the Seventy When Jesus sent out the Twelve (Mark 6:6-13) and later the Seventy-two (Luke 10:1-11), He targeted villages: “So they set out and went from village to village, preaching the gospel and healing people everywhere” (Luke 9:6). Their reception—or rejection—of messengers became a litmus test of readiness for the kingdom (Luke 9:5; 10:10-12). Miracles and Messianic Signs in Villages • Bethsaida (Mark 8:22-26): the staged healing of the blind man emphasized progressive revelation. Instruction Concerning Provision Jesus’ directive, “Do not acquire gold or silver… Whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy” (Matthew 10:9-11), established an ethos of dependence on God and hospitality of the faithful. Apostolic precedent (Acts 8:25) shows Peter and John joyfully preaching in Samaritan villages, validating cross-cultural gospel advance. Villages in Eschatological and Prophetic Context The prophecy concerning the Messiah’s birthplace frames Bethlehem as a kōmē. When critics asked, “Does not Scripture say that the Christ will come from David’s seed and from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?” (John 7:42), they acknowledged Micah 5:2. Thus the village motif underscores God’s pattern of elevating the humble. Early Church Expansion Acts 8:25 confirms that evangelization did not stall in urban centers: the gospel radiated through Samaritan villages after the Spirit’s outpouring. This anticipates later missions to the Gentile countryside, fulfilling Acts 1:8 to the “ends of the earth.” Pastoral and Missional Reflections 1. No locale is too small for divine visitation. Conclusion Kōmē threads through the Gospels and Acts as a testament to God’s heart for the overlooked. Whether announcing birth in Bethlehem, healing in Bethsaida, or unveiling resurrection truth on the Emmaus road, Scripture presents villages as vital stages in redemptive history, inviting believers to embrace the same breadth of gospel concern. Forms and Transliterations κώμαι κώμαις κωμας κώμας κωμη κώμη κώμῃ κωμην κώμην κωμης κώμης komas kōmas kṓmas kome kōmē kṓmei kṓmēi komen kōmēn kṓmen kṓmēn komes kōmēs kṓmes kṓmēsLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Matthew 9:35 N-AFPGRK: καὶ τὰς κώμας διδάσκων ἐν NAS: the cities and villages, teaching KJV: the cities and villages, teaching in INT: and the villages teaching in Matthew 10:11 N-AFS Matthew 14:15 N-AFP Matthew 21:2 N-AFS Mark 6:6 N-AFP Mark 6:36 N-AFP Mark 6:56 N-AFP Mark 8:23 N-GFS Mark 8:26 N-AFS Mark 8:26 Noun-DFS Mark 8:27 N-AFP Mark 11:2 N-AFS Luke 5:17 N-GFS Luke 8:1 N-AFS Luke 9:6 N-AFP Luke 9:12 N-AFP Luke 9:52 N-AFS Luke 9:56 N-AFS Luke 10:38 N-AFS Luke 13:22 N-AFP Luke 17:12 N-AFS Luke 19:30 N-AFS Luke 24:13 N-AFS Luke 24:28 N-AFS John 7:42 N-GFS Strong's Greek 2968 |
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