3041. limné

Lexical Summary

limné: Lake

Original Word: λίμνη
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: limné
Pronunciation: LEEM-nay
Phonetic Spelling: (lim'-nay)
KJV: lake
NASB: lake
Word Origin: [probably from G3040 (λιμήν - harbor) (through the idea of nearness of shore)]

1. a pond (large or small)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

lake.

Probably from limen (through the idea of nearness of shore); a pond (large or small) -- lake.

see GREEK limen

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
of uncertain origin
Definition
a lake
NASB Translation
lake (11).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 3041: λίμνη

λίμνη, λίμνης, ἡ (from λείβω to pour, pour out (cf. Curtius, § 541)) (from Homer down), a lake: λίμνη Γεννησαρέτ (which see), Luke 5:1; absolutely, of the same, Luke 5:2; Luke 8:22f, 33; τοῦ πυρός, Revelation 19:20; Revelation 20:10, 14f; καιομένη πυρί, Revelation 21:8.

Topical Lexicon

Summary of Biblical Usage

Strong’s Greek number 3041 (λίμνη, limnē) appears eleven times in the Greek New Testament. Six references are in Luke’s Gospel, describing the Lake of Gennesaret (Sea of Galilee). Five are in Revelation, designating the eschatological “lake of fire,” the place of final judgment for the devil, the beast, the false prophet, Death, Hades, and all whose names are absent from the Book of Life.

The Lake of Gennesaret in Luke

1. Luke 5:1-2, Luke 5:1: “On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on Him to hear the word of God, He was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret.” The scene introduces the miraculous catch of fish and the calling of Simon Peter, James, and John. The lake functions as the setting where ordinary labor is transformed into kingdom vocation; fishermen become evangelistic “fishers of men.”
2. Luke 8:22-23 records Jesus calming the storm: “One day Jesus said to His disciples, ‘Let us cross to the other side of the lake.’… A squall swept over the lake.” The narrative highlights the lake as both peril and proving ground, revealing Jesus’ divine authority over creation and urging believers to rest in His sovereignty amid life’s upheavals.
3. Luke 8:33: “The demons came out of the man and went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.” Here the lake becomes the boundary beyond which evil spirits are banished, showcasing Christ’s supremacy over demonic powers and prefiguring their ultimate doom.

Historically, the Lake of Gennesaret was the economic heart of Galilee, teeming with fish and surrounded by thriving towns such as Capernaum, Bethsaida, and Magdala. Its northern shoreline served as the primary stage for Jesus’ Galilean ministry. The combination of calm waters, sudden storms, and bustling commercial activity made it an ideal backdrop for lessons on faith, provision, authority, and discipleship.

The Lake of Fire in Revelation

Revelation recasts λίμνη in stark, apocalyptic imagery:
• Revelation 19:20: “The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.”
• Revelation 20:10: the devil joins them “in the lake of fire and sulfur.”
• Revelation 20:14-15: “Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire… Anyone whose name was not found written in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.”
• Revelation 21:8: the unrepentant “will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death.”

The lake of fire represents final, irreversible judgment, the consummation of divine justice. It is explicitly labeled “the second death,” contrasting with the first, physical death common to all humanity. The imagery draws on Old Testament motifs of sulfuric judgment (for example, Genesis 19:24; Isaiah 30:33) and underscores three themes:

1. Ultimate defeat of evil powers—spiritual and institutional.
2. Final removal of death itself, signaling the triumph of resurrection life for the redeemed.
3. Moral seriousness: persistent unbelief and rebellion incur eternal consequence.

Theological Connections

• Typology: The Galilean lake that witnesses salvation, deliverance, and revelation foreshadows the eschatological lake that seals judgment. Both affirm Christ’s lordship—now over wind and waves, then over cosmic destiny.
• Sovereignty and Security: Luke’s episodes encourage trust in Jesus’ power, while Revelation warns that the same authority will execute judgment; salvation today averts condemnation tomorrow.
• Witness and Mission: Fishermen turned apostles illustrate that those rescued from danger on the lake become heralds who rescue others from the second death. The church’s mission echoes this trajectory—calling all to safety in Christ before the final judgment.

Pastoral and Ministry Implications

1. Evangelism: Awareness of the lake of fire intensifies the urgency of gospel proclamation; the omnipresent Sea of Galilee accounts model relational, everyday settings for such outreach.
2. Discipleship Under Trial: Storms on the lake mirror believers’ trials; faith grows as disciples experience Christ’s peace amidst turbulence.
3. Spiritual Warfare: The Gerasene episode demonstrates that Jesus expels demonic forces; present ministry continues that liberating work, anticipating their ultimate confinement in the lake of fire.
4. Hope and Warning: The two “lakes” together balance comfort with sobriety. Christ who stills storms also judges sin. Assurance for believers and admonition for unbelievers coexist, shaping preaching, counseling, and ethical instruction.

Conclusion

Strong’s 3041 spans the breadth of redemptive history—from the gentle waves that lapped at fishermen’s nets to the fiery abyss that will close the drama of judgment. In every occurrence, λίμνη magnifies the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ: Redeemer beside the waters of Galilee and Righteous Judge over the lake of fire.

Forms and Transliterations

λίμναι λίμνας λιμνη λίμνη λίμνῃ λιμνην λίμνην λιμνης λίμνης λιμοκτονήσει limne limnē límne límnē límnei límnēi limnen limnēn límnen límnēn limnes limnēs límnes límnēs

Englishman's Concordance

Luke 5:1 N-AFS
GRK: παρὰ τὴν λίμνην Γεννησαρέτ
NAS: He was standing by the lake of Gennesaret;
KJV: stood by the lake of Gennesaret,
INT: by the lake of Gennesaret

Luke 5:2 N-AFS
GRK: παρὰ τὴν λίμνην οἱ δὲ
NAS: lying at the edge of the lake; but the fishermen
KJV: by the lake: but
INT: by the lake but

Luke 8:22 N-GFS
GRK: πέραν τῆς λίμνης καὶ ἀνήχθησαν
NAS: to the other side of the lake. So
KJV: the other side of the lake. And
INT: other side of the lake and they put off

Luke 8:23 N-AFS
GRK: εἰς τὴν λίμνην καὶ συνεπληροῦντο
NAS: descended on the lake, and they [began] to be swamped
KJV: on the lake; and
INT: on the lake and they were being swamped

Luke 8:33 N-AFS
GRK: εἰς τὴν λίμνην καὶ ἀπεπνίγη
NAS: the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.
KJV: place into the lake, and
INT: into the lake and were drowned

Revelation 19:20 N-AFS
GRK: εἰς τὴν λίμνην τοῦ πυρὸς
NAS: alive into the lake of fire
KJV: alive into a lake of fire burning
INT: into the lake of fire

Revelation 20:10 N-AFS
GRK: εἰς τὴν λίμνην τοῦ πυρὸς
NAS: them was thrown into the lake of fire
KJV: was cast into the lake of fire and
INT: into the lake of fire

Revelation 20:14 N-AFS
GRK: εἰς τὴν λίμνην τοῦ πυρός
NAS: were thrown into the lake of fire.
KJV: were cast into the lake of fire. This
INT: into the lake of fire

Revelation 20:14 N-NFS
GRK: ἐστιν ἡ λίμνη τοῦ πυρός
NAS: is the second death, the lake of fire.
INT: is the lake of fire

Revelation 20:15 N-AFS
GRK: εἰς τὴν λίμνην τοῦ πυρός
NAS: he was thrown into the lake of fire.
KJV: was cast into the lake of fire.
INT: into the lake of fire

Revelation 21:8 N-DFS
GRK: ἐν τῇ λίμνῃ τῇ καιομένῃ
NAS: their part [will be] in the lake that burns
KJV: part in the lake which burneth
INT: [is] in the lake which burns

Strong's Greek 3041
11 Occurrences

λίμνη — 2 Occ.
λίμνην — 8 Occ.
λίμνης — 1 Occ.