Greek noun (masculine) · G2540
καιρός
kairoskahee-ros'
due measure, fitness, proportion (Eur., Xen., al.).; Of Time (cl. also) in the sense of a fixed and definite period
84 uses in the Greek text, one for each word STEP Bible has tagged with this key
Concordance spelling: kairós
Word page · Part of the concordance, one page for every word of the Hebrew and Greek text. Strong's G2540is this word's number in James Strong's 1890 index of the King James Bible.
- 19 of 27New Testament books
- 11spellings
- 2meanings
The definition in full
Strong's key (1890) · G2540
an occasion, i.e. set or proper time
The King James renders it: X always, opportunity, (convenient, due) season, (due, short, while) time, a while.
James Strong, The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890), public domain. Strong indexed the King James text, and this site quotes his entry as that index.
Summary
kairos is rendered "due measure, fitness, proportion (Eur., Xen., al.).; Of Time (cl. also) in the sense of a fixed and definite period". It stands 84 times in the Greek text, across nineteen books.
- Thirteen of the uses stand in Luke, more than in any other book.
- The lexicon lists two meanings for it, beginning with "due measure, fitness, proportion (Eur., Xen., al.).".
- Its first use in canonical order opens the ledger below.Matthew 8:29“What do You want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have You come here to torture us before the appointed time?”
- The Greek text spells it eleven different ways.
The first use
“What do You want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have You come here to torture us before the appointed time?”
Matthew 8:29καιροῦ
The first use, in the order of the New Testament's books.
Where the word stands
The word stands in nineteen of the 27 New Testament books.
What the word means
The word carries two meanings: due measure, fitness, proportion (Eur., Xen., al.)., and Of Time (cl. also) in the sense of a fixed and definite period.
Each meaning, and the words it is translated by
| Meaning | Tagged as | Where |
|---|---|---|
| due measure, fitness, proportion (Eur., Xen., al.). | Tagged as
and 6 more, 30 uses in all | WhereMatthew 8:29“What do You want with us, Son of God?” they shouted… |
| Of Time (cl. also) in the sense of a fixed and definite period | Tagged as
| WhereMatthew 11:25At that time Jesus declared, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth… |
The words built on the same word-part
Each word below begins with the same letters this one begins with. A shared word-part shows a family. It does not settle what any one of them means, so each word carries its own uses on its own page. Scholars call that shared part the stem.
All 84, in canonical order
Every use, in order
Every use, grouped by book, with its verse.
11 spellings and their grammar
STEP Bible tags every word of the Hebrew and Greek text with its spelling and its grammar. Both lists below count the rows printed underneath, written out in English, with the code beside each one as it was tagged.
How it is spelled
- καιρῷ24
- καιρὸν18
- καιρὸς15
- καιροῦ6
- καιροῖς5
- καιροὺς5
- καιρόν3
- καιρῶν3
- καιροὶ2
- καιρός2
- καιροῦ.¶1
The grammar of each form
- noun · dative (“to / for”) · masculine singular24N-DSM
- noun · accusative (object) · masculine singular21N-ASM
- noun · nominative (subject) · masculine singular17N-NSM
- noun · genitive (“of”) · masculine singular7N-GSM
- noun · accusative (object) · masculine plural5N-APM
- noun · dative (“to / for”) · masculine plural5N-DPM
- noun · genitive (“of”) · masculine plural3N-GPM
- noun · nominative (subject) · masculine plural2N-NPM
Matthew
ten uses
“What do You want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have You come here to torture us before the appointed time?”
- καιροῦkairounoun · genitive (“of”) · masculine singulartagged: time
At that time Jesus declared, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.
- καιρῷkaironoun · dative (“to / for”) · masculine singulartagged: time
At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat them.
- καιρῷkaironoun · dative (“to / for”) · masculine singulartagged: time
Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat into my barn.’”
- καιρῷkaironoun · dative (“to / for”) · masculine singulartagged: time
At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus
- καιρῷkaironoun · dative (“to / for”) · masculine singulartagged: time
and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but not the signs of the times.
- καιρῶνkaironnoun · genitive (“of”) · masculine pluraltagged: times
When the harvest time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his share of the fruit.
- καιρὸςkairosnoun · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: season
“He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and will rent out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him his share of the fruit at harvest time.”
- καιροῖςkairoisnoun · dative (“to / for”) · masculine pluraltagged: seasons
Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of his household, to give the others their food at the proper time?
- καιρῷkaironoun · dative (“to / for”) · masculine singulartagged: season
He answered, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him that the Teacher says, ‘My time is near. I will keep the Passover with My disciples at your house.’”
- καιρόςkairosnoun · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: time
Mark
five uses
“The time is fulfilled,” He said, “and the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe in the gospel!”
- καιρὸςkairosnoun · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: time
will fail to receive a hundredfold in the present age—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and fields, along with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life.
- καιρῷkaironoun · dative (“to / for”) · masculine singulartagged: time
Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if there was any fruit on it. But when He reached it, He found nothing on it except leaves, since it was not the season for figs.
- καιρὸςkairosnoun · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: season
At harvest time, he sent a servant to the tenants to collect his share of the fruit of the vineyard.
- καιρῷkaironoun · dative (“to / for”) · masculine singulartagged: due time
Be on your guard and stay alert! For you do not know when the appointed time will come.
- καιρόςkairosnoun · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: time
Luke
thirteen uses
And now you will be silent and unable to speak until the day this comes to pass, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled at their proper time.”
- καιρὸνkaironnoun · accusative (object) · masculine singulartagged: season
When the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time.
- καιροῦ.¶kairounoun · genitive (“of”) · masculine singulartagged: an opportune time
The seeds on rocky ground are those who hear the word and receive it with joy, but they have no root. They believe for a season, but in the time of testing, they fall away.
- καιρὸνkaironnoun · accusative (object) · masculine singulartagged: a time
- καιρῷkaironoun · dative (“to / for”) · masculine singulartagged: time
And the Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their portion at the proper time?
- καιρῷkaironoun · dative (“to / for”) · masculine singulartagged: season
You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and sky. Why don’t you know how to interpret the present time?
- καιρὸνkaironnoun · accusative (object) · masculine singulartagged: time
At that time some of those present told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.
- καιρῷkaironoun · dative (“to / for”) · masculine singulartagged: time
will fail to receive many times more in this age—and in the age to come, eternal life.”
- καιρῷkaironoun · dative (“to / for”) · masculine singulartagged: time
They will level you to the ground—you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God.”
- καιρὸνkaironnoun · accusative (object) · masculine singulartagged: season
At harvest time, he sent a servant to the tenants to collect his share of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat the servant and sent him away empty-handed.
- καιρῷkaironoun · dative (“to / for”) · masculine singulartagged: season
Jesus answered, “See to it that you are not deceived. For many will come in My name, claiming, ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them.
- καιρὸςkairosnoun · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: time
They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive into all the nations. And Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
- καιροὶkairoinoun · nominative (subject) · masculine pluraltagged: times
So keep watch at all times, and pray that you may have the strength to escape all that is about to happen and to stand before the Son of Man.”
- καιρῷkaironoun · dative (“to / for”) · masculine singulartagged: season
John
three uses
Therefore Jesus told them, “Although your time is always at hand, My time has not yet come.
- καιρὸςkairosnoun · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: time
- καιρὸςkairosnoun · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: the time
Go up to the feast on your own. I am not going up to this feast, because My time has not yet come.”
- καιρὸςkairosnoun · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: time
Acts
eight uses
Jesus replied, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by His own authority.
- καιροὺςkairousnoun · accusative (object) · masculine pluraltagged: seasons
At that time Moses was born, and he was beautiful in the sight of God. For three months he was nurtured in his father’s house.
- καιρῷkaironoun · dative (“to / for”) · masculine singulartagged: time
About that time, King Herod reached out to harm some who belonged to the church.
- καιρὸνkaironnoun · accusative (object) · masculine singulartagged: time
Now look, the hand of the Lord is against you, and for a time you will be blind and unable to see the light of the sun.” Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand.
- καιροῦkairounoun · genitive (“of”) · masculine singulartagged: a season
Yet He has not left Himself without testimony to His goodness: He gives you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness.”
- καιροὺςkairousnoun · accusative (object) · masculine pluraltagged: seasons
From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their lands.
- καιροὺςkairousnoun · accusative (object) · masculine pluraltagged: times
About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way.
- καιρὸνkaironnoun · accusative (object) · masculine singulartagged: time
As Paul expounded on righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment, Felix became frightened and said, “You may go for now. When I find the time, I will call for you.”
- καιρὸνkaironnoun · accusative (object) · masculine singulartagged: opportunity
Romans
six uses
He did this to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and to justify the one who has faith in Jesus.
- καιρῷkaironoun · dative (“to / for”) · masculine singulartagged: time
For at just the right time, while we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.
- καιρὸνkaironnoun · accusative (object) · masculine singulartagged: right time
I consider that our present sufferings are not comparable to the glory that will be revealed in us.
- καιροῦkairounoun · genitive (“of”) · masculine singulartagged: time
For this is what the promise stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.”
- καιρὸνkaironnoun · accusative (object) · masculine singulartagged: time
In the same way, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace.
- καιρῷkaironoun · dative (“to / for”) · masculine singulartagged: time
And do this, understanding the occasion. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.
- καιρόνkaironnoun · accusative (object) · masculine singulartagged: time
1 Corinthians
three uses
Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.
- καιροῦkairounoun · genitive (“of”) · masculine singulartagged: time
Do not deprive each other, except by mutual consent and for a time, so you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again, so that Satan will not tempt you through your lack of self-control.
- καιρόνkaironnoun · accusative (object) · masculine singulartagged: a time
What I am saying, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none;
- καιρὸςkairosnoun · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: season
2 Corinthians
three uses
For He says: “In the time of favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is the time of favor; now is the day of salvation!
- καιρῷkaironoun · dative (“to / for”) · masculine singulartagged: In a time
- καιρὸςkairosnoun · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: time
At the present time, your surplus will meet their need, so that in turn their surplus will meet your need. Then there will be equality.
- καιρῷkaironoun · dative (“to / for”) · masculine singulartagged: time
Galatians
three uses
You are observing special days and months and seasons and years!
- καιροὺςkairousnoun · accusative (object) · masculine pluraltagged: seasons
Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
- καιρῷkaironoun · dative (“to / for”) · masculine singulartagged: in time
Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to the family of faith.
- καιρὸνkaironnoun · accusative (object) · masculine singulartagged: occasion
Ephesians
four uses
as a plan for the fullness of time, to bring all things in heaven and on earth together in Christ.
- καιρῶνkaironnoun · genitive (“of”) · masculine pluraltagged: times
remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.
- καιρῷkaironoun · dative (“to / for”) · masculine singulartagged: time
redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
- καιρόνkaironnoun · accusative (object) · masculine singulartagged: time
Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints.
- καιρῷkaironoun · dative (“to / for”) · masculine singulartagged: season
Colossians
one use
Act wisely toward outsiders, redeeming the time.
- καιρὸνkaironnoun · accusative (object) · masculine singulartagged: time
1 Thessalonians
two uses
Brothers, although we were torn away from you for a short time (in person, not in heart), our desire to see you face to face was even more intense.
- καιρὸνkaironnoun · accusative (object) · masculine singulartagged: time
Now about the times and seasons, brothers, we do not need to write to you.
- καιρῶνkaironnoun · genitive (“of”) · masculine pluraltagged: seasons
2 Thessalonians
one use
And you know what is now restraining him, so that he may be revealed at the proper time.
- καιρῷkaironoun · dative (“to / for”) · masculine singulartagged: time
1 Timothy
three uses
who gave Himself as a ransom for all—the testimony that was given at just the right time.
- καιροῖςkairoisnoun · dative (“to / for”) · masculine pluraltagged: proper times
Now the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons,
- καιροῖςkairoisnoun · dative (“to / for”) · masculine pluraltagged: times
which the blessed and only Sovereign One—the King of kings and Lord of lords—will bring about in His own time.
- καιροῖςkairoisnoun · dative (“to / for”) · masculine pluraltagged: in seasons
2 Timothy
three uses
But understand this: In the last days terrible times will come.
- καιροὶkairoinoun · nominative (subject) · masculine pluraltagged: times
For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires.
- καιρὸςkairosnoun · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: a time
For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.
- καιρὸςkairosnoun · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: time
Titus
one use
In His own time He has made His word evident in the proclamation entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior.
- καιροῖςkairoisnoun · dative (“to / for”) · masculine pluraltagged: seasons
Hebrews
four uses
It is an illustration for the present time, because the gifts and sacrifices being offered were unable to cleanse the conscience of the worshiper.
- καιρὸνkaironnoun · accusative (object) · masculine singulartagged: time
They consist only in food and drink and special washings—external regulations imposed until the time of reform.
- καιροῦkairounoun · genitive (“of”) · masculine singulartagged: time
By faith Sarah, even though she was barren and beyond the proper age, was enabled to conceive a child, because she considered Him faithful who had promised.
- καιρὸνkaironnoun · accusative (object) · masculine singulartagged: opportune
If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return.
- καιρὸνkaironnoun · accusative (object) · masculine singulartagged: opportunity
1 Peter
four uses
who through faith are shielded by God’s power for the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
- καιρῷkaironoun · dative (“to / for”) · masculine singulartagged: time
trying to determine the time and setting to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.
- καιρὸνkaironnoun · accusative (object) · masculine singulartagged: time
For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who disobey the gospel of God?
- καιρὸςkairosnoun · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: time
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, so that in due time He may exalt you.
- καιρῷkaironoun · dative (“to / for”) · masculine singulartagged: time
Revelation
seven uses
Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and obey what is written in it, because the time is near.
- καιρὸςkairosnoun · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: the time
The nations were enraged, and Your wrath has come. The time has come to judge the dead and to reward Your servants the prophets, as well as the saints and those who fear Your name, both small and great—and to destroy those who destroy the earth.”
- καιρὸςkairosnoun · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: time
Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea; with great fury the devil has come down to you, knowing he has only a short time.”
- καιρὸνkaironnoun · accusative (object) · masculine singulartagged: time
But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle to fly from the presence of the serpent to her place in the wilderness, where she was nourished for a time, and times, and half a time.
- καιρὸνkaironnoun · accusative (object) · masculine singulartagged: a time
- καιροὺςkairousnoun · accusative (object) · masculine pluraltagged: times
- καιροῦkairounoun · genitive (“of”) · masculine singulartagged: a time
Then he told me, “Do not seal up the words of prophecy in this book, because the time is near.
- καιρὸςkairosnoun · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: time
Where it leads
How the numbers are counted
Every count on this page comes from STEP Bible's tagged Hebrew and Greek text, the same text the ledger prints. A use is counted once each time the tagging marks a word with this key.
Spellings are counted as the Greek text spells them, with the sentence's own punctuation taken off the word first, so a form that ends a clause is not counted as a second spelling.