3372. mékos

Lexical Summary

mékos: Length

Original Word: μῆκος
Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter
Transliteration: mékos
Pronunciation: MAY-kos
Phonetic Spelling: (may'-kos)
KJV: length
NASB: length
Word Origin: [probably akin to G3173 (μέγας - great)]

1. length
{literally or figuratively}

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

length

Probably akin to megas; length (literally or figuratively) length.

see GREEK megas

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from same as makros
Definition
length
NASB Translation
length (3).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 3372: μῆκος

μῆκος, μηκεος (μήκους), τό, from Homer down; the Sept. very often for אֹרֶך; length: Revelation 21:16; τό πλάτος καί μῆκος καί βάθος καί ὕψος, language used in shadowing forth the greatness, extent, and number of the blessings received from Christ, Ephesians 3:18.

Topical Lexicon

Scope of the Word

The term conveys the idea of extension from one point to another. While modern English speaks of “length,” the New Testament uses the word in two complementary ways: figuratively in a prayer of the Apostle Paul and literally in the prophetic vision of the Apostle John. In both settings it serves to emphasize the magnitude, completeness, and perfection of the subject under discussion.

Occurrences in the New Testament

• Ephesians 3:18 – Paul prays that believers “may have power together with all the saints to comprehend the width and length and height and depth”.
• Revelation 21:16 – John records, “The city is laid out as a square, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with the rod, twelve thousand stadia; its length, width, and height are equal”. The Greek text employs the word twice in this single verse, once for the first statement and again in the concluding triad, underscoring the city’s flawless symmetry.

Theological Significance

1. Dimensions of Divine Love (Ephesians 3:18)

Paul stacks four spatial measurements to impress upon believers that Christ’s love is incalculable. “Length” in this context stresses how far that love reaches—across eras, cultures, and even rebellion—until it finds and embraces the redeemed. The word stands alongside “width,” “height,” and “depth” to present an all-encompassing, four-dimensional portrayal that defies confinement to human categories.

2. Dimensions of the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:16)

John’s apocalyptic use supplies concrete numeric value: twelve thousand stadia (roughly 1,380–1,500 miles, depending on the standard). “Length” here is measured, not guessed, emphasizing the city’s tangible reality and the precision of God’s design. The repetition signals that the heavenly dwelling is not merely large but perfectly proportioned—an architectural testimony to the order, beauty, and sufficiency of God’s eternal kingdom.

Historical and Eschatological Dimensions

Ancient cities rarely surpassed a few miles across; thus, the Revelation figure would have staggered first-century readers. The massive scale would communicate that every redeemed person from every age will find ample room within God’s final dwelling place. Conversely, Paul’s more abstract application in Ephesus addresses the present age, offering comfort that the same boundless resources of Christ’s love are already operative in the church’s mission.

Relation to Old Testament Imagery

The Old Testament repeatedly records precise lengths for sacred spaces—Noah’s ark (Genesis 6:15), the tabernacle (Exodus 26:16), Solomon’s temple (1 Kings 6:2), and Ezekiel’s visionary temple (Ezekiel 40–48). Each structure served as a stepping-stone toward Revelation’s climactic city whose “length” dwarfs them all. The progression from cubits to stadia illustrates the unfolding revelation of God’s plan: He moves from localized worship to a universal, consummated dwelling with humanity.

Spiritual Application

• Assurance – The “length” of Christ’s love guarantees that no sinner is beyond His saving reach.
• Perseverance – Knowing the measured “length” of the New Jerusalem assures believers that their present sufferings are temporary and their future home secure.
• Mission – The immeasurable and measurable uses together call the church both to proclaim the unlimited love of Christ and to anticipate the concrete fulfillment of God’s promises.

Practical Ministry Insights

1. Counseling – When addressing feelings of rejection or fear, Ephesians 3:18 can be prayed over individuals, reminding them of the vast “length” Christ’s love has traversed to claim them.
2. Preaching – Revelation 21:16 offers vivid imagery for sermons on heaven, highlighting God’s meticulous preparation and the certainty of the believer’s inheritance.
3. Worship – Hymns and liturgies celebrating both the mystery and the measure of God’s redemptive plan can draw upon the dual usage: the endless “length” of His love now and the exact “length” of His city to come.

Summary

Though occurring only three times, the word paints two complementary pictures: an infinite, currently-experienced love and a finite, yet unimaginably grand, future city. Together they affirm that what God purposes spans all space and stands forever measured, reliable, and sufficient for His people.

Forms and Transliterations

μηκος μήκος μῆκος μηκους μήκους mekos mêkos mēkos mē̂kos

Englishman's Concordance

Ephesians 3:18 N-NNS
GRK: πλάτος καὶ μῆκος καὶ ὕψος
NAS: is the breadth and length and height
KJV: and length, and
INT: breadth and length and height

Revelation 21:16 N-NNS
GRK: καὶ τὸ μῆκος αὐτῆς ὅσον
NAS: out as a square, and its length is as great
KJV: furlongs. The length and
INT: and the length of it the same as

Revelation 21:16 N-NNS
GRK: χιλιάδων τὸ μῆκος καὶ τὸ
NAS: fifteen hundred miles; its length and width
KJV: foursquare, and the length is as large
INT: thousand the length and the

Strong's Greek 3372
3 Occurrences

μῆκος — 3 Occ.