4983. sóma
Strong's Lexicon
sóma: Body

Original Word: σῶμα
Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter
Transliteration: sóma
Pronunciation: SO-mah
Phonetic Spelling: (so'-mah)
Definition: Body
Meaning: body, flesh; the body of the Church.

Word Origin: Derived from the primary root σώζω (sózó), meaning "to save" or "to preserve."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: - H1320 בָּשָׂר (basar): Often translated as "flesh," it can refer to the physical body or human nature.

- H1472 גּוּף (guph): Refers to the body or corpse.

Usage: In the New Testament, "sóma" primarily refers to the physical body of a human or animal. It is used both literally and metaphorically. Literally, it denotes the physical structure of a living being. Metaphorically, it can refer to the body of Christ, which is the Church, or to the resurrected body believers will receive. The term is also used to describe the unity and diversity of the Church as the body of Christ, emphasizing the interconnectedness and interdependence of its members.

Cultural and Historical Background: In the Greco-Roman world, the concept of the body was often seen in dualistic terms, with a distinction between the physical and the spiritual. However, the biblical perspective integrates the body as an essential part of human identity, created by God and inherently good. The resurrection of Jesus Christ affirms the value of the physical body, as it is not only the vessel of earthly life but also destined for transformation and eternal life.

HELPS Word-studies

4983 sṓma – the physical body. 4983 (sṓma) is also used figuratively of the mystical Body of Christ (= the Church, the one people of God).

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
of uncertain origin
Definition
a body
NASB Translation
bodies (11), body (128), personal (1), slaves (1), substance (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 4983: σῶμα

σῶμα, σώματος, τό (apparently from σῶς 'entire' (but cf. Curtius, § 570; others from the root, ska, sko, 'to cover', cf. Vanicek, p. 1055; Curtius, p. 696)), the Sept. for בָּשָׂר, גְּוִיָּה, etc.; נְבֵלָה (a corpse), also for Chaldean גֶּשֶׁם; a body; and:

1. the body both of men and of animals (on the distinction between it and σάρξ see σάρξ, especially 2 at the beginning; (cf. Dickson, St. Paul's use of 'Flesh' and 'Spirit', p. 247ff));

a. as everywhere in Homer (who calls the living body δέμας and not infreqently in subsequently Greek writings, a dead body or corpse: universally, Luke 17:37; of a man, Matthew 14:12 R G; (Mark 15:45 R G); Acts 9:40; plural John 19:31; τό σῶμα τίνος, Matthew 27:58; Mark 15:43; Luke 23:52, 55; John 19:38, 40; John 20:12; Jude 1:9; of the body of an animal offered in sacrifice, plural Hebrews 13:11 (Exodus 29:14; Numbers 19:3).

b. as in Greek writings from Hesiod down, the living body: — of animals, James 3:3; — of man: τό σῶμα, absolutely, Luke 11:34; Luke 12:23; 1 Corinthians 6:13, etc.; ἐν σώματι εἶναι, of earthly life with its troubles, Hebrews 13:3; distinguished from τό αἷμα, 1 Corinthians 11:27; τό σῶμα and τά μέλη of it, 1 Corinthians 12:12, 14-20; James 3:6; τό σῶμα the temple of τό ἅγιον πνεῦμα, 1 Corinthians 6:19; the instrument of the soul, τά διά τοῦ σωματου namely, πραχθεντα, 2 Corinthians 5:10; it is distinguished — from τό πνεῦμα, in Romans 8:10; 1 Corinthians 5:3; 1 Corinthians 6:20 Rec.; ; James 2:26 (4 Macc. 11:11); — from ψυχή, in Matthew 6:25; Matthew 10:28; Luke 12:22 (Wis. 1:4 Wis. 8:19f; 2 Macc. 7:37 2Macc. 14:38; 4 Macc. 1:28, etc.); — from ψυχή and τό πνεῦμα together, in 1 Thessalonians 5:23 (cf. Song of the Three, 63); σῶμα ψυχικόν and σῶμα πνευματικόν are distinguished, 1 Corinthians 15:44 (see πνευματικός, 1 and ψυχικός, a.); τό σῶμα τίνος, Matthew 5:29; Luke 11:34; Romans 4:19; Romans 8:23 (cf. Winer's Grammar, 187 (176)), etc.; ναός τοῦ σωματου αὐτοῦ, the temple which was his body, John 2:21; plural, Romans 1:24; 1 Corinthians 6:15; Ephesians 5:28; the genitive of the possessor is omitted where it is easily learned from the context, as 1 Corinthians 5:3; 2 Corinthians 4:10; 2 Corinthians 5:8; Hebrews 10:22(23), etc.; τό σῶμα τῆς ταπεινώσεως ἡμῶν, the body of our humiliation (subjective genitive), i. e. which we wear in this servile and lowly human life, opposed to τό σῶμα τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ (i. e. τοῦ Χριστοῦ), the body which Christ has in his glorified state with God in heaven, Philippians 3:21; διά τοῦ σωματου τοῦ Χριστοῦ, through the death of Christ's body, Romans 7:4; διά τῆς προσφοράς τοῦ σωματου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, through the sacrificial offering of the body of Jesus Christ, Hebrews 10:10; τό σῶμα τῆς σαρκός, the body consisting of flesh, i. e. the physical body (tacitly opposed to Christ's spiritual body, the church, see 3 below), Colossians 1:22 (differently in Colossians 2:11 (see just below)); σῶμα τοῦ θανάτου, the body subject to death, given over to it (cf. Winer's Grammar, § 30, 2 β.), Romans 7:24; the fact that the body includes σάρξ:, and in the flesh also the incentives to sin (see σάρξ, 4), gives origin to the following phrases: μή βασιλευέτω ἁμαρτία ἐν τῷ θνητῷ ὑμῶν σώματι, Romans 6:12 (cf. Winer's Grammar, 524 (488)); αἱ πράξεις τοῦ σώματος, Romans 8:13. Since the body is the instrument of the soul (2 Corinthians 5:10), and its members the instruments either of righteousness or of iniquity (Romans 6:13, 19), the following expressions are easily intelligible: σῶμα τῆς ἁμαρτίας, the body subject to, the thrall of, sin (cf. Winer's Grammar, § 30, 2 β.), Romans 6:6; τό σῶμα τῆς σαρκός, subject to the incitements of the flesh, Colossians 2:11 (where Rec. has τό σῶμα τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν τῆς σαρκός). δοξάζετε τόν Θεόν ἐν τῷ σώματι ὑμῶν, 1 Corinthians 6:20; μεγαλύνειν τόν Χριστόν ἐν τῷ σώματι, εἴτε διά ζωῆς, εἴτε διά θανάτου, Philippians 1:20; παραστῆσαι τά σώματα θυσίαν ... τῷ Θεῷ (i. e. by bodily purity (cf. Meyer at the passage)), Romans 12:1.

c. Since according to ancient law in the ease of slaves the body was the chief thing taken into account, it is a usage of later Greek to call slaves simply σώματα; once so in the N. T.: Revelation 18:13, where the Vulg. correctly translates bymancipia (A. V. slaves) (σώματα τοῦ οἴκου, Genesis 36:6; σώματα καί κτήνη, Tobit 10:10; Ἰουδαικα σώματα, 2 Macc. 8:11; examples from Greek writings are given by Lob. ad Phryn., p. 378f (add (from Sophocles Lexicon, under the word), Polybius 1, 29, 7; 4, 38, 4, also 3, 17, 10 bis); the earlier and more elegant Greek writings said σώματα δοῦλα, ὀικετικα, etc.).

2. The name is transferred to the bodies of plants, 1 Corinthians 15:37f, and of stars (cf. our 'heavenly bodies'), hence, Paul distinguishes between σώματα ἐπουράνια, bodies celestial, i. e. the bodies of the heavenly luminaries and of angels (see ἐπουράνιος, 1), and σώματα ἐπίγεια, bodies terrestrial (i. e. bodies of men, animals, and plants), 1 Corinthians 15:40 (ἅπαν σῶμα τῆς τῶν ὅλων φύσεως ... τό σῶμα τοῦ κόσμου, diod. 1, 11).

3. tropically σῶμα is used of a (large or small) "number of men closely united into one society, or family as it were; a social, ethical, mystical body"; so in the N. T. of the church: Romans 12:5; 1 Corinthians 10:17; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 2:16; Ephesians 4:16; Ephesians 5:23; Colossians 1:18; Colossians 2:19 3:15; with τοῦ Χριστοῦ added, 1 Corinthians 10:16; 1 Corinthians 12:27; Ephesians 1:23; Ephesians 4:12; Ephesians 5:30; Colossians 1:24; of which spiritual body Christ; is the head, Ephesians 4:15; Ephesians 5:23; Colossians 1:18; Colossians 2:19, who by the influence of his Spirit works in the church as the soul does in the body. ἕν σῶμα καί ἕν πνεῦμα, Ephesians 4:4.

4. σκιά and τό σῶμα are distinguished as the shadow and the thing itself which casts the shadow: Colossians 2:17; σκιάν αἰτησόμενος βασιλείας, ἧς ἥρπασεν ἑαυτῷ τό σῶμα, Josephus, b. j. 2, 2, 5; ((Philo de confus. ling. § 37; Lucian, Hermot. 79)).

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
body

From sozo; the body (as a sound whole), used in a very wide application, literally or figuratively -- bodily, body, slave.

see GREEK sozo

Forms and Transliterations
σωμα σώμα σώμά σῶμα σῶμά σώμασιν σωματα σώματα σωματι σώματι σώματί σωματος σώματος σώματός σωματων σωμάτων soma sôma sômá sōma sō̂ma sō̂má somata sōmata sṓmata somati sōmati sṓmati sṓmatí somaton somáton sōmatōn sōmátōn somatos sōmatos sṓmatos sṓmatós
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Matthew 5:29 N-NNS
GRK: ὅλον τὸ σῶμά σου βληθῇ
NAS: for your whole body to be thrown
KJV: whole body should be cast
INT: all the body of you be cast

Matthew 5:30 N-NNS
GRK: ὅλον τὸ σῶμά σου εἰς
NAS: for your whole body to go
KJV: whole body should be cast
INT: all the body of you into

Matthew 6:22 N-GNS
GRK: λύχνος τοῦ σώματός ἐστιν ὁ
NAS: is the lamp of the body; so then
KJV: The light of the body is the eye:
INT: lamp of the body is the

Matthew 6:22 N-NNS
GRK: ὅλον τὸ σῶμά σου φωτεινὸν
NAS: your whole body will be full of light.
KJV: thy whole body shall be full of light.
INT: [the] whole body of you light

Matthew 6:23 N-NNS
GRK: ὅλον τὸ σῶμά σου σκοτεινὸν
NAS: your whole body will be full of darkness.
KJV: whole body shall be
INT: all the body of you dark

Matthew 6:25 N-DNS
GRK: μηδὲ τῷ σώματι ὑμῶν τί
NAS: nor for your body, [as to] what
KJV: your body, what
INT: nor the body of you what

Matthew 6:25 N-NNS
GRK: καὶ τὸ σῶμα τοῦ ἐνδύματος
NAS: than food, and the body more
KJV: meat, and the body than raiment?
INT: and the body than clothing

Matthew 10:28 N-ANS
GRK: ἀποκτεννόντων τὸ σῶμα τὴν δὲ
NAS: who kill the body but are unable
KJV: them which kill the body, but are
INT: kill the body those however

Matthew 10:28 N-ANS
GRK: ψυχὴν καὶ σῶμα ἀπολέσαι ἐν
NAS: both soul and body in hell.
KJV: soul and body in hell.
INT: soul and body to destroy in

Matthew 26:12 N-GNS
GRK: ἐπὶ τοῦ σώματός μου πρὸς
NAS: perfume on My body, she did
KJV: on my body, she did [it] for
INT: on the body of me for

Matthew 26:26 N-NNS
GRK: ἐστιν τὸ σῶμά μου
NAS: eat; this is My body.
KJV: is my body.
INT: is the body of me

Matthew 27:52 N-NNP
GRK: καὶ πολλὰ σώματα τῶν κεκοιμημένων
NAS: and many bodies of the saints
KJV: and many bodies of the saints which
INT: and many bodies of the fallen asleep

Matthew 27:58 N-ANS
GRK: ᾐτήσατο τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Ἰησοῦ
NAS: and asked for the body of Jesus.
KJV: and begged the body of Jesus.
INT: asked for the body of Jesus

Matthew 27:59 N-ANS
GRK: λαβὼν τὸ σῶμα ὁ Ἰωσὴφ
NAS: took the body and wrapped
KJV: had taken the body, he wrapped
INT: having taken the body Joseph

Mark 5:29 N-DNS
GRK: ἔγνω τῷ σώματι ὅτι ἴαται
NAS: up; and she felt in her body that she was healed
KJV: she felt in [her] body that
INT: she knew in [her] body that she was healed

Mark 14:8 N-ANS
GRK: μυρίσαι τὸ σῶμά μου εἰς
NAS: she has anointed My body beforehand
KJV: to anoint my body to the burying.
INT: to anoint the body of me for

Mark 14:22 N-NNS
GRK: ἐστιν τὸ σῶμά μου
NAS: Take [it]; this is My body.
KJV: is my body.
INT: is the body of me

Mark 15:43 N-ANS
GRK: ᾐτήσατο τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Ἰησοῦ
NAS: and asked for the body of Jesus.
KJV: and craved the body of Jesus.
INT: asked for the body of Jesus

Luke 11:34 N-GNS
GRK: λύχνος τοῦ σώματός ἐστιν ὁ
NAS: is the lamp of your body; when
KJV: The light of the body is the eye:
INT: lamp of your body is the

Luke 11:34 N-NNS
GRK: ὅλον τὸ σῶμά σου φωτεινόν
NAS: your whole body also
KJV: thy whole body also is
INT: all the body of you light

Luke 11:34 N-NNS
GRK: καὶ τὸ σῶμά σου σκοτεινόν
NAS: it is bad, your body also
KJV: thy body also
INT: also the body of you [is] dark

Luke 11:36 N-NNS
GRK: οὖν τὸ σῶμά σου ὅλον
NAS: your whole body is full
KJV: whole body therefore
INT: therefore the body of you full [is]

Luke 12:4 N-ANS
GRK: ἀποκτεινόντων τὸ σῶμα καὶ μετὰ
NAS: who kill the body and after
KJV: of them that kill the body, and after
INT: kill the body and after

Luke 12:22 N-DNS
GRK: μηδὲ τῷ σώματι ὑμῶν τί
NAS: nor for your body, [as to] what
KJV: neither for the body, what
INT: nor the body of you what

Luke 12:23 N-NNS
GRK: καὶ τὸ σῶμα τοῦ ἐνδύματος
NAS: than food, and the body more
KJV: and the body [is more] than raiment.
INT: and the body than the clothing

Strong's Greek 4983
142 Occurrences


σῶμά — 70 Occ.
σώματα — 10 Occ.
σώματι — 25 Occ.
σωμάτων — 1 Occ.
σώματός — 36 Occ.















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