Lexical Summary rhoizédon: With a rushing sound, with a roar Original Word: ῥοιζηδόν Strong's Exhaustive Concordance with a great noise. Adverb from a derivative of rhoizos (a whir); whizzingly, i.e. With a crash -- with a great noise. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originadverb from rhoizos (the whistling of an arrow) Definition with a rushing sound NASB Translation roar (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4500: ῤοιζηδόνῤοιζηδόν (ῤοιζέω to make a confused noise), adverb, 'with a loud noise': 2 Peter 3:10. (Nicander, ther. 556; Geoponica, others.) Topical Lexicon Overview Strong’s Greek 4500, ῥοιζηδόν, occurs only once in the New Testament. Translators render it “with a roar” or “with a rushing noise,” capturing the vivid auditory image of something sudden, violent, and unmistakable. The rarity of the term intensifies its force in 2 Peter 3:10 and makes it a memorable literary moment in Petrine eschatology. Biblical Setting: 2 Peter 3:10 “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and its works will be laid bare” (Berean Standard Bible). Here ῥοιζηδόν conveys the cataclysmic swiftness of the day of the Lord. Peter weaves three ideas together: (1) the unexpected arrival (“like a thief”), (2) the cosmic upheaval (“heavens will disappear”), and (3) the terrifying sound accompanying the dissolution (“with a roar”). The adverb captures not merely volume but a sense of unstoppable momentum, as though creation itself is cracking open. Old Testament Echoes Though ῥοιζηδόν is not used in the Septuagint, the Day-of-the-LORD prophets frequently pair fire, cosmic disintegration, and sound: Peter stands in this prophetic stream, updating it for a New-Covenant audience who needed reminding that divine patience does not cancel divine judgment (2 Peter 3:9). Greco-Roman Background Classical writers employed cognate forms to describe the whizzing of arrows or the roaring of wind and sea. Readers in the first-century Greco-Roman world would have associated ῥοιζηδόν with the frightening clamor of battle or storm, enhancing the existential weight of Peter’s warning. The apostle deliberately borrows a vivid cultural image to anchor eschatological truth. Theological Significance 1. Certainty of Divine Intervention: The unique verb emphasizes that the material universe is neither eternal nor autonomous but subject to the Creator’s definitive act. Historical Reception • Early Church: Origen and Athanasius pointed to 2 Peter 3 as proof of a literal cosmic renovation, countering Gnostic tendencies to spiritualize judgment. Pastoral and Homiletical Uses • Awakening Slumbering Saints: The roar is a homiletic alarm clock, calling congregations to repentance and readiness. Apologetic Value Modern skepticism dismisses final judgment; yet the pinpoint fulfillment of earlier prophecies (such as Christ’s first advent) lends credibility to the promised roar of His second coming. The singularity of ῥοιζηδόν becomes a textual fingerprint authenticating the Bible’s cohesive eschatology. Devotional Reflection The word invites believers to listen now for a sound that will one day overwhelm every other. If today’s world buzzes with competing noises, Peter’s lone use of ῥοιζηδόν reminds the faithful that one thunderous moment will redefine reality, ushering in eternal righteousness. Forms and Transliterations ροιζηδον ροιζηδόν ῥοιζηδὸν ροίζος ροϊσκον ροϊσκους ροϊσκων rhoizedon rhoizedòn rhoizēdon rhoizēdòn roizedon roizēdonLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |
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