Original Word: στάδιον
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine; Noun, Neuter
Transliteration: stadion
Pronunciation: STAH-dee-on
Phonetic Spelling: (stad'-ee-on)
KJV: furlong, race
NASB: miles, distance, race
Word Origin: [from the base of G2476 (ἵστημι - standing) (as fixed)]

1. a stade or certain measure of distance
2. (by implication) a stadium or race-course

stadium, arena, furlong

Or masculine (in plural) stadios (stad'-ee-os) from the base of histemi (as fixed); a stade or certain measure of distance; by implication, a stadium or race-course -- furlong, race.

see GREEK histemi

4712 stádion – properly, the distance of a race-course; a stadium ("furlong"), the measure (length) of an ancient foot-race; a furlong ("stadion"); (figuratively) the total length (distance) God requires each of us to run in our race of faith. That is, doing all He measures out to receive full eternal-inheritance.

1 Cor 9:24: "Do you not know that those who run in a race ('stadium-length,' 4712 /stádion) all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win" (NASU).

Word Origin
from the same as histémi
Definition
a stadium (a Gr. measure of length), by impl. a racecourse
NASB Translation
distance (1), miles (5), race (1).

STRONGS NT 4712: στάδιον

στάδιον, σταδιου, plural τά σταδια (John 6:19 Tdf.), and οἱ σταδιοι (so (Matthew 14:24 Tr text WH text); Luke 24:13; John 6:19 (not Tdf.); Revelation 21:16 (Relz G L WH marginal reading); 2 Macc. 11:5 2Macc. 12:10, 29; in the other passages, the gender is not apparent (see Tdf. Proleg., p. 117; WHs Appendix, p. 157); Krüger, § 19, 2, 1) (ΣΤΑΩ, ἵστημι; hence, properly, 'established,' that which stands fast, a 'stated' distance, a 'fixed standard' of length), a stadium, i. e.

1. a measure of length comprising 600 Greek feet, or 625 Roman feet, or 125 Roman paces (Pliny, h. n. 2, 23 (21), 85), hence, one-eighth of a Roman mile (i. e. 606 3/4 English feet (about 15 miles less than one-fifth of a kilometer)); the space or distance of that length (A. V. a furlong): (Matthew 14:24 Tr text WH text); Luke 24:13; John 6:19; John 11:18; Revelation 14:20; Revelation 21:16.

2. a race-course, i. e. place in which contests in running were held; the one who outstripped the rest, and reached the goal first, receiving the prize: 1 Corinthians 9:24 (here A. V. race). Courses of this description were to be found in most of the larger Greek cities, and were, like that at Olympia, 600 Greek feet in length. Cf. Winers RWB, under the word Sigdium; Grundt in Schenkel, under the word, vol. v., 375f; (BB. DD. under the word ).

Concept Overview

The Greek στάδιον denotes both an athletic racecourse and a standardized measure of linear distance. In classical usage it described the track on which sprint contests were run, and by extension came to signify the length of that course. By New Testament times a “stadion” equaled roughly one-eighth Roman mile (about 185 m / 607 ft), making multiples of the unit convenient for reporting short to medium distances.

Historical Background

The stadium was the centerpiece of Hellenistic sport. Greek city-states constructed elongated, U-shaped arenas—each one stadion in length—where free male citizens competed in the premier footrace of the games. Victors received wreaths and lifelong honor, fueling civic pride and reinforcing ideals of discipline, perseverance, and public virtue. Because the Panhellenic festivals were famous throughout the Mediterranean, the image of runners straining for the finish line became a ready metaphor for moral and spiritual exertion. First-century Jews of the Diaspora, as well as Gentile converts, would have recognized the language immediately.

New Testament Usage

1. Athletic Exhortation (1 Corinthians 9:24)

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way as to take the prize.”

Paul draws on the stadium to urge wholehearted dedication. His point is not competition against fellow believers but single-minded pursuit of the imperishable crown (1 Corinthians 9:25). The fixed length of the stadion hints that the Christian course has a defined goal determined by God, encouraging believers to pace themselves with endurance and purpose.

2. Geographical Precision in the Gospels
• Matthew 14:24 and John 6:19 describe the disciples’ boat as “many stadia” from shore—rendered for modern readers as “far from land” or “about three or four miles.”
• Luke 24:13 locates Emmaus “about sixty stadia from Jerusalem” (~7 miles), a concrete detail anchoring the resurrection narrative in verifiable space.
• John 11:18 notes that Bethany lay “about fifteen stadia” (~2 miles) from Jerusalem, explaining the quick arrival of mourners at Lazarus’s tomb.

Such measurements display the Evangelists’ familiarity with local geography. They also reveal a pattern: miracles and post-resurrection appearances occur at carefully noted distances, underscoring that the incarnate Son operates within real time and space rather than mythic abstraction.

3. Apocalyptic Magnitude in Revelation
• Revelation 14:20 pictures judgment: blood from the winepress flows “for a distance of 1,600 stadia” (about 184 miles). The number—forty squared—conveys comprehensive devastation, while the stadion gives the vision tangible scale.
• Revelation 21:16 depicts the New Jerusalem as a perfect cube “12,000 stadia” (roughly 1,380 miles) in every dimension. Here the unit frames a city large enough to house the redeemed from every tribe yet symmetrical to reflect divine perfection. The measurement reassures believers that God’s future dwelling is both vast and exact.

Theological Significance

Perseverance and Reward

The stadion in 1 Corinthians 9 sets the tone: the Christian life is not aimless wandering but a race with clearly marked lanes and a finish line determined by God. The image protects against lethargy (Hebrews 12:1-2 parallels the theme) and against self-made paths. Believers run according to the rules (2 Timothy 2:5), conscious that the prize—eternal life in Christ—outweighs any earthly garland.

Historical Verifiability and Inspiration

Precise distance markers scattered through the Gospels and Acts serve apologetic value. They help modern archaeology situate sites like Bethany, Emmaus, and Galilee’s shoreline, confirming that the writers relayed observable facts. Such fidelity to measurement strengthens confidence in all that Scripture affirms, not merely geographical data.

Judgment and Hope

Revelation balances the terror of divine wrath (1,600 stadia of carnage) with the comfort of divine dwelling (12,000 stadia of glory). The same unit that quantifies judgment also quantifies salvation, testifying to God’s consistent character: perfectly just, perfectly gracious. For ministry, the contrast motivates urgent evangelism and patient hope.

Practical Ministry Applications

• Preaching and Teaching: Use the stadion metaphor to challenge congregations toward disciplined habits—prayer, Scripture intake, service—always tying effort to grace (Philippians 2:12-13).
• Discipleship Counseling: When believers feel “far from shore,” remind them that Jesus met the disciples after “twenty-five or thirty stadia” of rowing (John 6:19); physical separation posed no barrier to His rescuing presence.
• Evangelism: Revelation’s sweeping measurements supply a vivid picture of coming judgment and eternal security, prompting hearers to “flee from the wrath to come” (Matthew 3:7) and seek refuge in Christ.
• Apologetics: Cite the Evangelists’ careful distances when addressing claims that the Gospels are legendary. Concrete stadia argue for eyewitness testimony, supporting the reliability of more controversial supernatural claims.

Observed Patterns

1. Numerical Symbolism: Multiples or squares of ten and four (1,600; 12,000) occur only in Revelation, integrating stadion counts into the book’s broader numeric theology.
2. Narrative Climax: Stadia references cluster at moments of crisis or revelation—storm on the sea, resurrection appearance, climactic judgment—linking spatial movement with theological turning points.
3. Cultural Bridge: Paul alone uses the athletic sense, appropriating Greco-Roman imagery without compromising biblical morality, illustrating how the gospel engages yet transforms surrounding culture.

Relation to the Old Testament

While the Hebrew Scriptures never employ the stadion, they often quantify sacred space (for example, Ezekiel 40–48). Revelation’s New Jerusalem fulfills those temple measurements on a cosmic scale, showing continuity between covenants: God provides an exact, holy dwelling for His people, now expanded beyond ethnic Israel to the multinational church.

Summary

Strong’s Greek 4712 weaves together discipline, geography, judgment, and hope. Whether marking the dusty road from Jerusalem to Emmaus or the golden avenue of the New Jerusalem, the stadion reminds readers that God orders both the short sprint of daily obedience and the vast horizon of eternal destiny.

εσταθμωμένον εστάλαξέ έσταξαν έσταξε έσταξεν σταδιους σταδίους σταδιω σταδίω σταδίῳ σταδιων σταδίων στάζοι στάζοντα στάζουσαι στάθμια σταθμίοις στάθμιον σταθμίων σταθμοί σταθμοίς σταθμόν σταθμός σταθμού σταθμούς σταθμώ σταθμών σταις σταίς στακτή στακτήν στάκτην στακτής στάξει στάξη stadio stadiō stadíoi stadíōi stadion stadiōn stadíon stadíōn stadious stadíousInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts