Lexical Summary rhumé: Street, lane, alley Original Word: ῥύμη Strong's Exhaustive Concordance lane, street. Prolongation from rhoumai in its original sense; an alley or avenue (as crowded) -- lane, street. see GREEK rhoumai NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originprobably akin to rheuma (that which flows, current); from rheó Definition the rush (of a moving body), hence a (crowded) street NASB Translation lanes (1), street (2), streets (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4505: ῤύμηῤύμη, ῥυμης, ἡ (from Ρ᾽ΥΩ equivalent to ἐρύω 'to draw' (but Curtius, § 517; Vanicek, p. 1210, others, connect it with ῤέω 'to flow')); 1. in earlier Greek the swing, rush, force, trail, of a body in motion. 2. in later Greek a tract of way in a town shut in by buildings on both sides; a street, lane: Matthew 6:2; Luke 14:21; Acts 9:11; Acts 12:10; cf. Isaiah 15:3; Sir. 9:7; Tobit 13:18. Cf. Lob. ad Phryn., p. 401; (Rutherford, New Phryn., p. 488; Wetstein on Matt. as above; Winer's Grammar, 22, 23). STRONGS NT 4505a: ῤυπαίνωῤυπαίνω: (ῤύπος, which see); to make filthy, befoul; to defile, dishonor (Xenophon, Aristotle, Dionysius Halicarnassus, Plato, others); 1 aorist passive imperative 3 person singular ῤυπανθήτω, let him be made filthy, i. e. tropically, let him continue to defile himself with sins, Revelation 22:11 L T Tr WH text STRONGS NT 4505a: ῥυπαρεύομαιῥυπαρεύομαι: 1 aorist (passive) imperative 3 person singular ῤυπαρευθήτω; (ῤυπαρός, which see); to be dirty, grow filthy; metaphorically, to be defiled with iniquity: Revelation 22:11 G L stereotyped edition. WH marginal reading Found nowhere else; see ῤυπαίνω and ῤυπόω. Strong’s Greek 4505 designates the common street or narrow lane that threaded its way through first-century towns and cities. Though an ordinary feature of daily life, the street becomes in Scripture a stage on which the Lord exposes hypocrisy, summons the outcast, directs life-changing encounters, and showcases miraculous deliverance. Urban Backdrop of the New Testament World Hellenistic and Roman city-planning produced two kinds of public ways. The πλατεῖα was the broad, open square; the ῥύμη was the tighter lane that connected homes, shops, and courtyards. Together they formed a network in which commerce, conversation, and religion intertwined. The New Testament writers assume this setting, turning the familiar thoroughfare into a theological object lesson. Public Piety and the Danger of Hypocrisy (Matthew 6:2) “So when you give to the needy, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their reward.” (Matthew 6:2) Here the street is a place of visibility. The Lord condemns ostentatious charity that seeks human applause rather than divine approval. The narrow lane magnifies hidden motives: what is meant to be a private act of mercy is paraded in a public corridor. The instruction safeguards pure worship, reminding believers that omniscient eyes, not passing crowds, measure righteousness (cf. Proverbs 15:3). Grace Reaching the Margins (Luke 14:21) “Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the city, and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.” (Luke 14:21) In the Parable of the Great Banquet, the master’s invitation moves from elite circles to the poorest lanes. The very paths where society’s neglected linger become highways of grace. The verse anticipates the Great Commission by illustrating God’s heart for those outside customary religious or social privilege (see Isaiah 55:1). Ministry that ignores such places contradicts the Master’s directive. Avenue of Conversion: Straight Street in Damascus (Acts 9:11) “Get up! … Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying.” (Acts 9:11) The risen Christ pinpoints a specific ῥύμη in Damascus, underscoring His sovereign knowledge of geography and hearts alike. Archaeological remains of the east–west colonnaded decumanus in modern Damascus echo Luke’s record, rooting Saul’s conversion in verifiable space and time. The lane is immortalized as the setting where persecutor becomes apostle, illustrating how God enters ordinary streets to effect extraordinary transformation. Path of Deliverance and Witness (Acts 12:10) “They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading into the city, which opened to them by itself. As they went outside and walked down one street, suddenly the angel left him.” (Acts 12:10) The angelic rescue of Peter culminates not inside the prison but on a city street. Once again the thoroughfare is more than infrastructure; it is a testimony corridor. Peter’s subsequent knock at Mary’s house turns private intercession into public vindication (Acts 12:12-17). The scene reassures believers that no earthly chain or guardpost can hinder divine purpose. Ministry Implications 1. Authenticity over Applause: Service performed “on the streets” must seek God’s approval rather than cultural recognition. Contemporary Application Modern disciples encounter digital and physical “streets” where motives are tested, the marginalized await compassion, and God still orchestrates decisive encounters. By heeding the lessons bound up in Strong’s 4505, believers learn to walk those avenues with humility, bold invitation, and unwavering trust in the Lord who rules both alley and avenue. Englishman's Concordance Matthew 6:2 N-DFPGRK: ἐν ταῖς ῥύμαις ὅπως δοξασθῶσιν NAS: in the synagogues and in the streets, so KJV: in the streets, that INT: in the streets that they might have glory Luke 14:21 N-AFP Acts 9:11 N-AFS Acts 12:10 N-AFS Strong's Greek 4505 |
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