Lexical Summary rhégma: Ruin, fracture, breaking, breach Original Word: ῥῆγμα Strong's Exhaustive Concordance ruin. From rhegnumi; something torn, i.e. A fragment (by implication and abstractly, a fall) -- ruin. see GREEK rhegnumi NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom rhégnumi Definition a fracture, hence a ruin NASB Translation ruin (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4485: ῤῆγμαῤῆγμα, ῥηγματος, τό (ῤήγνυμι), what has been broken or rent asunder; a. a fracture, breach, cleft: Hippocrates ( b. plural for קְרָעִים, torn clothes: 1 Kings 11:30; 2 Kings 2:12. c. fall, ruin: Luke 6:49. Derived from a verb meaning “to burst apart,” the noun denotes a violent rupture that leaves something in pieces. In the maritime world of antiquity the term could describe a ship shattered by waves; in architecture it portrayed a building collapsing when its structural integrity failed. The picture is not of gradual decay but of a sudden, catastrophic break-up. Canonical context: Luke 6:49 Luke places the word at the climax of Jesus’ Sermon on the Plain: “But the one who hears My words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on ground without a foundation. The torrent burst against that house, and immediately it collapsed—and great was its destruction.” (Luke 6:49) Here “destruction” translates the single New Testament occurrence of ῥῆγμα. Jesus contrasts two builders: the obedient disciple whose life remains secure when tested, and the disobedient hearer whose superficial allegiance ends in ruin. The imagery moves from external architecture to inner character; the collapse of the house represents the collapse of a life that has rejected the only true foundation (compare 1 Corinthians 3:11). Old Testament echoes Luke’s wording recalls the prophetic description of judgment on Judah: “Therefore this iniquity will be to you like a breach ready to fall, a bulge in a high wall, whose collapse comes suddenly—in an instant” (Isaiah 30:13). The same suddenness of disaster meets the covenant-breaker in both Testaments, underscoring the unified biblical warning that disregard for God’s word leads inevitably to swift devastation. Synoptic parallel and amplification Matthew 7:27 records the same teaching with different vocabulary: “and great was its fall.” The change of term does not soften the outcome; rather, Luke’s choice of ῥῆγμα sharpens it by emphasizing the violent shattering that replaces the hoped-for stability. Together the passages show that the Lord issued the warning on more than one occasion, affirming its centrality in His preaching ministry. Theological significance 1. Foundation in Christ. Obedience is not an optional enhancement but the essential evidence of genuine faith (James 1:22). Pastoral and homiletical applications • Self-examination: Churches and individuals must ask whether their structures rest on the Rock or on shifting cultural sands. Historical and cultural insights First-century listeners along the Jordan valley were familiar with seasonal wadis that remained dry most of the year yet transformed into raging torrents during winter rains. Building on packed sand seemed sufficient until the flood arrived unexpectedly. Luke’s use of the vivid term would have evoked scenes of houses washed away and ships dashed to pieces along the Mediterranean coast—images that grounded Jesus’ spiritual lesson in everyday experience. Summary ῥῆγμα portrays the sudden, irreparable destruction awaiting lives that prize hearing over obeying. Though occurring only once in the New Testament, the word encapsulates a theme that resonates throughout Scripture: security is found not in profession alone but in practiced allegiance to the Lord’s word. |
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