παραμύθιον
paramýthion
G3890 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A means, act, or source of comfort or encouragement; specifically, something given or spoken with the aim of consoling or reassuring. In certain contexts, emphasizes consolation in the face of distress, grief, or hardship. Often refers to a concrete expression or act of comforting, including words or gestures.
Semantic Range
comfort, consolation, encouragement, act or means of bringing comfort, act of consoling, source or token of encouragement
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root παραμυθ- (to encourage, to console, to exhort; see παραμυθέομαι), with the neuter suffix -ιον forming a noun that often denotes an instrument or means of action. Thus, παραμύθιον is 'that which brings comfort or consolation.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
Attested from the Hellenistic period. Used rarely in surviving Greek texts outside the New Testament and later Christian literature. In Philo and rabbinic contexts, may be associated with consolation letters or speeches. In the New Testament (Philippians 2:1), used to describe the concrete reality of encouragement or comfort that comes from union with the Messiah, not merely an abstract feeling. Unlike παρακλήσις, which can mean general encouragement, exhortation, or appeal, παραμύθιον stresses the element of consolation in response to grief or trouble. English translations typically render it as 'comfort' or 'consolation,' but the sense focuses more on the tangible, practical aspect of comfort. Related terms include παραμυθία (comfort, consolation, encouragement, often in abstract sense) and παραμυθέομαι (to comfort, console, exhort). The term is not widely found in classical Greek; in Greek papyri and inscriptions, it appears only rarely, usually with the sense of personal or written consolation.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
neuter of παραμυθία; consolation (properly, concretely):--comfort.
Root Family
παραμυθ- (paramythía) — to console, to comfort, to encourage by speaking
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| G3889 | παραμυθία | consolation |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3890-01 |
παραμύθιον | paramuthion | N NOM N SG |
comfort | a consoling encouragement | a consoling encouragement | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3890-01 |
Philippians 2:1 | παραμύθιον | paramuthion | N NOM N SG |
comfort | a consoling encouragement | a consoling encouragement |