Strong's Greek: 3264 -- (Not Used)zzz

Lexical Summary

(Not Used): (Not Used)

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

Topical Lexicon

Strong’s Numbering Context

Strong’s Greek 3264 is one of a handful of vacant numbers in James Strong’s Concordance. When Strong prepared his index in 1890, he allotted placeholders for readings that appeared in certain critical editions or older lexicons but were later determined to be marginal, duplicative, or unsupported by the best manuscript evidence. The number therefore remains in the catalogue, serving as a silent marker that the inspired New Testament text has no corresponding vocabulary item at this point in the sequence.

Historical Background

1. Nineteenth-century editors such as Tischendorf, Tregelles, and Westcott-Hort compared thousands of manuscripts and occasionally proposed Greek readings that earlier compilers (or later ones) did not accept. Strong, wishing to keep his numbers parallel with earlier scholarly lists, reserved 3264 for one of these disputed forms.
2. Subsequent discoveries and better collation techniques showed that the proposed word did not belong to the autograph text of any New Testament book. Rather than renumber the entire lexicon, the slot was left empty. This practice mirrors the habit of later catalogues (for example, UBS and NA) that retire rejected readings but keep their reference numbers to preserve cross-reference integrity.

Witness of the Septuagint and Other Greek Literature

Because 3264 never gained canonical standing, no equivalent lemma was catalogued from the Septuagint, the Apostolic Fathers, or the era’s secular writers under this number. Lexical excavations occasionally uncover rare or dialectal terms that could conceivably have filled the gap, yet no consensus candidate has emerged. The absence underscores how carefully the New Testament vocabulary was preserved and transmitted.

Doctrinal and Canonical Significance

The gap created by 3264 highlights several truths:
• Providence in Preservation. “The word of the Lord endures forever” (1 Peter 1:25). Not even the loss or addition of a single proposed word escapes scholarly scrutiny or the Spirit’s safeguarding hand.
• Trustworthiness of Scripture. Believers can study with confidence, knowing that every extant New Testament word is accounted for and that doubtful readings are flagged rather than quietly absorbed.
• Humility in Scholarship. The empty number reminds researchers that textual criticism is a servant of the text, not its master. Where God has not spoken, scholarship may annotate but must not invent.

Implications for Exegesis

1. Concordance Studies. When tracing themes or word-families, students should note unused numbers to avoid assuming undiscovered evidence exists.
2. Sermon Preparation. Preachers sometimes lean on lexicons for nuance; Strong’s 3264 cautions against stretching interpretations beyond the inspired vocabulary.
3. Translation Work. Modern translators follow the maxim that fidelity to the extant text outranks stylistic novelty. The empty entry reinforces the principle of guarding against conjectural emendations.

Pastoral and Devotional Application

• Integrity in Communication. Just as the biblical corpus admits no spurious entry at 3264, believers are called to transparent speech: “Let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’” (Matthew 5:37).
• Contentment with Revelation. Deuteronomy 29:29 teaches that “the secret things belong to the LORD our God,” and the vacant number stands as a tangible emblem of that boundary.
• Encouragement in Study. Far from discouraging inquiry, 3264 invites deeper appreciation for how comprehensively God has provided everything “for life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3) within the words that are present.

Conclusion

Strong’s Greek 3264 is a numeric placeholder without a lexical counterpart in the New Testament. Its very silence speaks—testifying to the meticulous preservation of Scripture, the prudence of sound textual criticism, and the sufficiency of the canon for faith and practice.

Links

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