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κράββατος

krábbatos

G2895 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A simple mattress or pallet used for lying, resting, or sleeping, typically a light and portable bedding made of cloth or rushes, placed directly on the ground or floor. The term can also denote a mat carried by invalids or the poor, as opposed to a more substantial or structured bedframe (κλίνη). In various contexts, κράββατος refers specifically to the bedding of individuals with limited means or those who are incapacitated, and is frequently associated with mobility (e.g., being carried).

Semantic Range

mattress, mat, pallet, bed (simple or portable), bedding for the sick or poor, something to lie or rest upon

Root / Etymology

Etymology uncertain; possibly of Semitic (Aramaic or Hebrew) origin. No clear cognate in classical Greek. The form, structure, and referent suggest borrowing from the Near Eastern languages.

Historical & Contextual Notes

The word κράββατος is not attested in classical Greek; its earliest occurrences are in the Koine period, notably in the Septuagint and New Testament. Its use is often distinguished from κλίνη, which refers to a more formal bed or couch; κράββατος generally connotes simplicity, poverty, or mobility. In the New Testament, κράββατος describes the bedding of paralyzed or sick persons, often as an object carried during healing narratives. The English translation 'bed' does not capture the distinction between κράββατος (mat, pallet) and κλίνη (bed, couch). In Jewish and Greco-Roman everyday life, such mats were common among poorer people and the sick, and parallels exist in rabbinic and Aramaic sources. Later Christian literature sometimes preserves the same usage in discussions of care for the needy or sick.

Translation Consistency

primary "pallet" 11 occurrences

κράββατος denotes a simple, portable bedding used by the sick or poor — a pallet captures that sense (a light mat or makeshift bed) more precisely than the broader term “bed” and more naturally than the technical “mattress.” “Pallet” is consistent with standard English biblical usage and fits the typical NT contexts where the item is carried or improvised.

✓ All renderings match approved senses

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

probably of foreign origin; a mattress:--bed.

Root Family

κράββατος (krábbatos) — mattress, pallet, bed-mat

Root κράββατος mattress, pallet, bed-mat

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G2895-02 κράβαττον krabatton N ACC M SG bed a simple pallet a simple pallet 9
G2895-03 κραβάττου krabattou N GEN M SG a bed of a pallet a pallet 1
G2895-01 κραβάττοις krabattois N DAT M PL beds to simple pallets simple pallets 1

Occurrences in Scripture

11 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G2895-02 Mark 2:4 κράβαττον krabatton N ACC M SG mat a simple pallet a simple pallet
G2895-02 Mark 2:9 κράβαττόν krabatton N ACC M SG bed a simple pallet a simple pallet
G2895-02 Mark 2:11 κράβαττόν krabatton N ACC M SG bed a simple pallet a simple pallet
G2895-02 Mark 2:12 κράβαττον krabatton N ACC M SG bed a simple pallet a simple pallet
G2895-01 Mark 6:55 κραβάττοις krabattois N DAT M PL beds to simple pallets simple pallets
G2895-02 John 5:8 κράβαττόν krabatton N ACC M SG mat a simple pallet a simple pallet
G2895-02 John 5:9 κράβαττον krabatton N ACC M SG bed a simple pallet a simple pallet
G2895-02 John 5:10 κράβαττον krabatton N ACC M SG bed a simple pallet a simple pallet
G2895-02 John 5:11 κράβαττόν krabatton N ACC M SG bed a simple pallet a simple pallet
G2895-02 Acts 5:15 κραβάττων krabatton N GEN M PL pallets a simple pallet a simple pallet
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