Strong's Greek: 3246 -- (Not Used)zzz

Lexical Summary

(Not Used): (Not Used)

(Not Used)
Part of Speech:
Transliteration: (Not Used)
(Not Used)

Topical Lexicon

Linguistic Window into the Term

Number 3246 designates a rarely-attested Greek form whose cognates elsewhere describe an arduous, wearisome struggle that finally breaks through to victory. Although the exact spelling never appears in the Greek New Testament, related stems occur in classical writers and in the Septuagint. They are characteristically used of hard labor that is eventually crowned with success—whether the plodding of an ox, the siege of a city, or the moral perseverance of a righteous person. The word group therefore carries connotations of strenuous effort, heaviness, and ultimate triumph.

Old Testament and Second-Temple Parallels

1. Septuagint translators reach for this family of words to render Hebrew roots that describe
• the “toil” of Israel under Egyptian oppression (Exodus 1:14)
• the “wearisome burden” placed on the remnant in exile (Isaiah 43:22–23)
• the “labor” that Solomon’s builders expended on the temple (1 Kings 5:18 LXX).

In each scene the vocabulary underscores effort that is both exhausting and purposeful. The sanctuary is raised, a people is refined, or salvation is tasted only after travail.

2. Intertestamental literature retains the same thrust. For example, 4 Maccabees speaks of martyrs who “labored (ebochthēsan) in soul” yet prevailed because “the Almighty looked upon their struggle and delivered them.” Such passages shaped Jewish expectations that God’s decisive acts often emerge on the far side of exhaustive faithfulness.

Thematic Threads That Converge in the New Testament

Although 3246 itself is absent from the New Testament text, its ideas are not. At least three themes bridge the linguistic gap:

• Persevering Work. Paul exhorts believers, “We labor, striving with all His energy” (Colossians 1:29), and later reminds them that genuine ministry can feel like birth-pangs until “Christ is formed in you” (Galatians 4:19).

• Redemptive Suffering. Peter assures scattered saints that present grief “produces” (literally, is working) glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:6–7). The resonance with Old Testament “toil-toward-triumph” is evident.

• Rest After Labor. Hebrews 4:9 promises a Sabbath rest for the people of God: they will lay down their burdens precisely because they have finished the course marked out for them (Hebrews 12:1–2).

Christological Fulfillment

Every instance of faithful toil in Scripture ultimately foreshadows Messiah’s own path. The Servant of Isaiah is “acquainted with grief” and yet “will see the fruit of His travail and be satisfied” (Isaiah 53:3, 11). Jesus embodies the pattern: He “endured the cross, scorning its shame” (Hebrews 12:2) and now reigns, proving that godly labor never ends in futility. His resurrection therefore secures the promise that all who share His sufferings will also share His glory (Romans 8:17).

Pastoral and Ministry Significance

1. Encouragement in Weariness. Leaders who “labor in preaching and teaching” (1 Timothy 5:17) may feel the weight that the 3246 word family conveys. Scripture dignifies such weariness: it is evidence of participation in God’s redemptive agenda.

2. A Theology of Hard Work. The farmer’s patient toil (2 Timothy 2:6) models the gospel dynamic—present effort invested with sure hope of a future harvest. Congregations gain resilience when taught that labor and reward are inseparable in God’s economy.

3. Sanctified Ambition. Paul urges believers to “make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to attend to your own work” (1 Thessalonians 4:11). The 3246 motif reframes ambition as persistent faithfulness rather than frantic self-promotion.

Related New Testament Vocabulary

Though the numbering differs, several commonly used NT terms overlap in sense:

• kopiaō (“to labor to the point of exhaustion,” 1 Corinthians 15:10)
• ponos (“pain, burden,” Revelation 21:4)
• agōnizomai (“to struggle, fight,” 1 Timothy 6:12).

Together they confirm that the spiritual life is neither passive nor effortless; yet divine grace ensures that no ounce of godly exertion is wasted.

Concluding Reflection

Strong’s Greek 3246 reminds modern readers that Scripture never divorces labor from hope. Whether raising a family, planting a church, or bearing silent suffering, believers emulate a long biblical line of saints whose hard tasks became holy instruments in God’s hands. The promise stands: “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58).

Links

Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts