Original Word: καύσων
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: kausón
Pronunciation: kow-SONE
Phonetic Spelling: (kow'-sone)
KJV: (burning) heat
NASB: hot, scorching heat, scorching wind
Word Origin: [from G2741 (καυσόω - To burn)]

1. a glare

burning heat.

From kausoo; a glare -- (burning) heat.

see GREEK kausoo

Word Origin
from kaió
Definition
burning heat
NASB Translation
hot (1), scorching heat (1), scorching wind (1).

STRONGS NT 2742: καύσων

καύσων, καύσωνος, ὁ;

1. burning heat of the sun: Matthew 20:12; Luke 12:55; James 1:11 (others refer all these passages to the next entry); (Isaiah 49:10; (Genesis 31:40 Alex.; cf. Judith 8:3); Sir. 18:16; Athen. 3, p. 73 b.).

2. Eurus, a very dry, hot, east wind, scorching and drying up everything; for קָדִים, Job 27:21; Hosea 12:1; ἄνεμος καύσων, Jeremiah 18:17; Ezekiel 17:10; Hosea 13:15: πνευαμ καύσων, Jonah 4:8 (cf. Hosea 12:1); (on this wind cf. Schleusner, Thesaurus ad Sept. iii., p. 297; Winers RWB (also BB. DD.) under the word ). Many suppose it to be referred to in James 1:11; yet the evils there mentioned are ascribed not to the καύσων, but to the ἥλιος.

Definition and Nuances

Strong’s Greek 2742 denotes the oppressive, burning heat produced either by the blazing sun or by the hot, desert-like winds that sweep across the eastern Mediterranean. In Scripture this figure of “scorching heat” functions both literally and figuratively—literally describing the brutal climate of the Near East and figuratively portraying testing, judgment, and the fleeting quality of earthly pursuits.

Occurrences in the New Testament

1. Matthew 20:12 – In the Parable of the Vineyard Workers, the complaint “we have borne the burden and the scorching heat of the day” highlights the harsh conditions endured by those who labored longest. The image intensifies the contrast between human merit and the master’s sovereign generosity.
2. Luke 12:55 – Jesus notes, “When a south wind blows, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat,’ and it happens.” The audience’s ability to read the weather is contrasted with its failure to interpret the more urgent “signs of the times.”
3. James 1:11 – “The sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant.” The rapid fading of beauty under the kausōn graphically illustrates the transitory nature of wealth and status.

Connections with Old Testament Writings

The Septuagint employs the same word family in passages such as Psalms 121:6 (“the sun will not strike you by day”) and Jonah 4:8, where God appoints a “scorching east wind” that exposes Jonah’s heart. These earlier texts prepare the theological soil, linking oppressive heat with divine testing, discipline, and dependence on the Lord for shade and preservation.

Historical and Cultural Background

First-century Palestine regularly experienced the sirocco—a dry, dust-laden wind that could raise temperatures dramatically and parch vegetation in hours. Laborers, travelers, and soldiers all feared it. By invoking kausōn, biblical authors tapped a vivid, shared experience: the searing blast that saps strength, bleaches grass, and leaves no shelter except what God provides.

Symbolic and Theological Bearings

• Trial and Refinement – Just as metal is proven in a furnace, believers are refined amid the “scorching heat” of adversity (compare 1 Peter 1:6-7).
• Judgment – The same heat that withers grass foreshadows the consuming judgment awaiting unrepentant humanity (Isaiah 40:7-8; Revelation 16:9).
• Transience – James employs kausōn to show how quickly worldly glory evaporates, urging believers to anchor hope in what endures.
• Grace and Equality – Matthew 20 portrays laborers receiving equal pay regardless of hours worked. The heat underscores their exertion, yet the wage remains a gift, illustrating that salvation is by grace rather than effort.

Ministry Implications and Application

1. Pastoral Care – Congregants enduring “hot winds” of trial may be reminded that God remains sovereign over the climate of their lives, using pressure to shape Christ-like character.
2. Stewardship – James’s imagery presses believers to hold possessions loosely, investing in eternal treasure rather than wilting riches.
3. Evangelism – Luke 12 encourages discernment of spiritual “weather patterns.” Just as farmers read the sky, hearers must heed signs of impending judgment and the necessity of repentance.
4. Servant-Leadership – Matthew 20 calls church leaders to celebrate God’s grace toward latecomers, resisting resentment when others receive equal mercy.

Christological and Eschatological Dimensions

Jesus, the true “shade at your right hand,” endured the full blaze of divine wrath so that believers might stand unscorched in the day of judgment (see Psalms 121:5-6; Galatians 3:13). Final eschatological scenes depict a renewed creation where “they will never again be scorched by the sun” (Revelation 7:16), completing the biblical arc from oppressive heat to everlasting shelter.

Related Biblical Imagery

Shade (Psalms 91:1), dew (Hosea 14:5), and living water (John 4:14) form deliberate contrasts to kausōn, emphasizing God’s provision amid hostile spiritual climates.

Conclusion

Strong’s 2742 gathers the full force of the Middle Eastern sun and wind to dramatize testing, judgment, and the fragility of earthly pursuits, while simultaneously magnifying the refreshing grace and protective shelter found in the Lord.

Καυσων Καύσων καυσωνα καύσωνα καυσωνι καύσωνι Kauson Kausōn Kaúson Kaúsōn kausona kausōna kaúsona kaúsōna kausoni kausōni kaúsoni kaúsōniInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts