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Χριστός

Christós

G5547 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

Anointed one; a title indicating a person chosen and consecrated through an anointing ritual. Primarily designates one appointed to a special role or office by divine authorization, especially a royal, priestly, or prophetic figure. In Hellenistic Jewish and early Christian contexts, used as an epithet for a figure expected to inaugurate God's reign, typically translated 'Messiah' (from Hebrew מָשִׁיחַ, mashiach). Most frequently, Χριστός is applied as a title to Jesus in the New Testament, signifying identification with the expected anointed deliverer.

Semantic Range

anointed one, one consecrated to special office (king, priest, or prophet), title for expected or promised deliverer (Messiah), epithet/title for Jesus (in Christian texts), (rarely) the anointed object

Root / Etymology

From the Greek verb χρίω (chríō, 'to anoint') plus the adjectival ending -τός, indicating one who has been anointed. Cognate with similar participial forms in Greek.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In Classical Greek, χριστός generally meant 'anointed' in the sense of ritual application of oil, especially regarding priests, kings, or objects. In the Septuagint, Χριστός was employed as the standard Greek rendering for Hebrew מָשִׁיחַ (mashiach, 'anointed one'), applying to a range of figures (high priests, kings such as Saul or David) rather than exclusively to a future deliverer. In late Second Temple Jewish literature, expectation of a singular 'anointed one' (Messiah) became more prominent. In the New Testament, Χριστός is used almost always as a title for Jesus, sometimes treated as a proper name. English Bible tradition often translates Χριστός as 'Christ,' which can obscure the term’s status as a title ('the Anointed One'; cf. 'Messiah'), not a personal name. 'Christ' therefore carries both royal and eschatological connotations but is not inherently a name until its adoption as such in later Christian tradition. The use of Χριστός differs from that of Ἰησοῦς (Jesus), which is a personal name; 'Jesus Christ' thus combines a personal name and a titular designation. Early Christian writings sometimes distinguish between the anticipated 'anointed' figure and the person of Jesus, but soon Χριστός functions as the primary identifier of Jesus within Christian communities. Contrast Ἰουδαῖος (Ioudaios, Judean) and Ἑλληνιστής (Hellēnistēs, Hellenist) for socioreligious identities in the same period.

Translation Consistency

primary "Christ" 0 occurrences

Χριστός is primarily a title identifying the anointed one, most frequently applied to Jesus in the New Testament. 'Christ' is the standard, concise English title that preserves the NT usage and reads naturally as a consistent single-word rendering across all forms; it also keeps the connection to the underlying meaning (the anointed one) while avoiding awkward periphrases.

Alternatives (534 occurrences):
"christou" (253x) "christos" (112x) "christo" (104x) "christon" (64x) "o christe" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from χρίω; anointed, i.e. the Messiah, an epithet of Jesus:--Christ.

Root Family

Χριστός (Christos) — to anoint, consecrate by anointing, appoint; anointed one

Root χρισ- to anoint, consecrate by anointing, appoint

Word Forms

5 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G5547-05 Χριστοῦ christou N GEN M SG Christ of the Anointed One of Christou 253
G5547-04 Χριστός christos N NOM M SG Christ the Anointed One the Christos 112
G5547-02 Χριστῷ christo N DAT M SG Christ to the Anointed One the Christo 104
G5547-03 Χριστόν christon N ACC M SG Christ Anointed One Christon 65
G5547-01 Χριστέ christe N VOC M SG Christ O Anointed One O Christe 1

Occurrences in Scripture

535 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G5547-05 Matthew 1:1 Χριστοῦ christou N GEN M SG Christ of the Anointed One of Christou
G5547-04 Matthew 1:16 Χριστός christos N NOM M SG Christ the Anointed One the Christos
G5547-05 Matthew 1:17 Χριστοῦ christou N GEN M SG Christ of the Anointed One of Christou
G5547-05 Matthew 1:18 Χριστοῦ christou N GEN M SG Christ of the Anointed One of Christou
G5547-04 Matthew 2:4 Χριστὸς christos N NOM M SG Christ the Anointed One the Christos
G5547-05 Matthew 11:2 Χριστοῦ christou N GEN M SG Christ of the Anointed One of Christou
G5547-04 Matthew 16:16 Χριστὸς christos N NOM M SG Christ the Anointed One the Christos
G5547-04 Matthew 16:20 Χριστός christos N NOM M SG Christ the Anointed One the Christos
G5547-04 Matthew 16:21 Χριστός christos N NOM M SG Christ the Anointed One the Christos
G5547-05 Matthew 22:42 Χριστοῦ christou N GEN M SG Christ of the Anointed One of Christou
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