Lexical Summary numphón: Bridal chamber, wedding hall Original Word: νυμφών Strong's Exhaustive Concordance bridechamber. From numphe; the bridal room -- bridechamber. see GREEK numphe NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom numphé Definition the bridechamber NASB Translation bridegroom (3), wedding hall (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 3567: νυμφώννυμφών, νυμφῶνος, ὁ (νύμφη), the chamber containing the bridal bed, the bride-chamber: οἱ υἱοί τοῦ νυμφῶνος (see υἱός, 2), of the friends of the bridegroom whose duty it was to provide and care for whatever pertained to the bridal chamber, i. e. whatever was needed for the due celebration of the nuptials: Matthew 9:15; Mark 2:19; Luke 5:34 ((Winer's Grammar, 33 (32)); Tobit 6:13 (14), 16 (17); ecclesiastical writings; Heliodorus 7, 8); the room in which the marriage ceremonies are held: Matthew 22:10 T WH Tr marginal reading Topical Lexicon Bridechamber in First-Century Life In Jewish practice a wedding began with a joyous procession to the groom’s house, where a room was set apart for the couple. This νυμφών was the site of the marriage consummation and the focal point of a week-long banquet shared by invited friends (called “sons of the bridechamber”). The room represented both the completion of betrothal promises and the start of covenant life together. Joy, music, and abundant food characterized the occasion; fasting and mourning were intentionally excluded. New Testament Usage The noun appears only three times, each on the lips of Jesus when His ministry is compared to a wedding feast. • Matthew 9:15 – “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them?” In every case the “bridegroom” is Jesus Himself, His disciples are the “guests,” and His presence is likened to the festive atmosphere of the νυμφών. The image answers questions about fasting by stressing that the proper response to the Messiah’s arrival is celebration, not abstention. Christological Significance By adopting the bridegroom motif, Jesus alludes to passages where God portrays Himself as the husband of Israel (Isaiah 62:5; Hosea 2:19). He implicitly claims divine status and inaugurates the long-awaited marital reunion between Yahweh and His people. The νυμφών signifies realized messianic joy during Christ’s earthly ministry and foreshadows the greater consummation still to come. Covenantal Transition The sayings about the bridechamber are immediately followed by parables of unshrunk cloth and new wine (Matthew 9:16-17; Mark 2:21-22; Luke 5:36-39). Together they teach that the old order of ritual fasting cannot contain the new life of the Kingdom. The presence of the bridegroom marks the hinge between the Mosaic economy and the dawning New Covenant, demanding fresh forms of devotion suitable to grace. Eschatological Horizon Though the νυμφών now stands for Jesus’ earthly fellowship with His disciples, its ultimate counterpart is the “marriage of the Lamb” (Revelation 19:7-9). When “the bride has made herself ready,” the bridal chamber metaphor reaches its climax in union between Christ and His Church, celebrated in eternal joy. The temporary absence of the bridegroom (the time for fasting, Matthew 9:15b) thus heightens anticipation of that final celebration. Old Testament Echoes Anticipations of the bridechamber appear in: These texts reinforce the link between nuptial imagery, divine revelation, and covenant fidelity. Early Church Reflection Patristic writers such as John Chrysostom saw in the νυμφών a figure of the incarnate Word dwelling among humanity. Medieval commentators connected it to the inner chamber of the believer’s heart where Christ communes with the soul, inspiring mystical devotion while preserving the historicity of the Gospel events. Pastoral and Liturgical Application Christian wedding liturgies frequently invoke the bridegroom passages to situate marriage within the larger account of redemption. The imagery also undergirds hymns (“The Church’s one Foundation,” “Come Thou Fount”) that celebrate corporate union with Christ. Preaching on fasting often turns to these texts to balance disciplines of austerity with the Gospel’s call to joy. Theological Summary νυμφών, though rare, encapsulates a major biblical theme: God’s redemptive purpose is marital, communal, and celebratory. It proclaims the reality of present fellowship with the living Christ and the certainty of a future, everlasting feast when faith becomes sight and the Bridegroom leads His people into the final, glorious bridal chamber. Forms and Transliterations γάμος νυμφων νυμφὼν νυμφωνος νυμφώνος νυμφῶνος gamos gámos numphonos numphōnos nymphonos nymphônos nymphōnos nymphō̂nosLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Matthew 9:15 N-GMSGRK: υἱοὶ τοῦ νυμφῶνος πενθεῖν ἐφ' NAS: to them, The attendants of the bridegroom cannot KJV: the children of the bridechamber mourn, INT: sons of the bridechamber mourn as Mark 2:19 N-GMS Luke 5:34 N-GMS |
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