κύμινον
kýminon
G2951 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
An aromatic seed-producing plant, specifically referring to 'cumin' (Cuminum cyminum L.), used as a condiment or spice. In Greek and Hellenistic contexts, denotes the plant itself or its seeds, valued for culinary and medicinal purposes; typically refers to a common spice rather than to varieties such as dill or fennel. In later sources, sometimes refers to other umbelliferous plants, but predominantly means cumin.
Semantic Range
cumin (plant or seed), spice, condiment
Root / Etymology
Borrowed from a Semitic language, most likely Hebrew כַּמֹּן (kammōn) or Aramaic; non-Greek origin; see also Latin 'cuminum' and English 'cumin.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
κύμινον appears very rarely in ancient Greek literature, with attestations mainly in medical and culinary texts for the spice cumin. In the Septuagint (LXX Isaiah 28:25, 27; Matthew 23:23), it translates Hebrew כַּמֹּן, always referring to cumin, never dill or fennel. In classical sources, other terms (e.g., ἄνηθον for dill) distinguish related but different plants. In the New Testament (Matthew 23:23), κύμινον is part of a list of spices stereotypically associated with meticulous religious practice by Judeans; the English term 'cummin' (archaic spelling) or 'cumin' reflects this. Standard English translations accurately reflect 'cumin,' but care must be taken not to conflate it with dill (ἄνηθον) or fennel, which the Greek text treats as distinct. Use reflects broader Hellenistic and Near Eastern culinary customs.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
of foreign origin (compare כַּמֹּן); dill or fennel ("cummin"):--cummin.
Root Family
κύμιν- (kýminon) — cumin plant, cumin seed
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2951-01 |
κύμινον | kuminon | N ACC N SG |
cumin | cumin | cumin | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2951-01 |
Matthew 23:23 | κύμινον | kuminon | N ACC N SG |
cumin | cumin | cumin |