Lexical Summary kómos: Revelry, carousing, orgy Original Word: κῶμος Strong's Exhaustive Concordance reveling, rioting. From keimai; a carousal (as if letting loose) -- revelling, rioting. see GREEK keimai HELPS Word-studies 2970 kṓmos (originally, village-merrymaking that took place at the gathering of the grapes, Souter) – a riotous party (drunken feast) which hosted unbridled sexual immorality; hence, revelings (debauched "partying"). [2970 (kṓmos) had the original meaning, " 'a carousal,' such as a party of revelers parading the streets, or revels held in religious ceremonies, wild, furious, and ecstatic" (K. Wuest, Word Studies, Vol 2, Pastoral Epistles, 1 Peter, 112).] NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom kómé Definition a village festival, revel NASB Translation carousing (3). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 2970: κῶμοςκῶμος, κωμου, ὁ (from κεῖμαι; accordingly equivalent to German Gelag; cf. Curtius, § 45); from (Homer h. Merc., Theognis) Herodotus down; a revel, carousal, i. e. in the Greek writings properly, a nocturnal and riotous procession of half-drunken and frolicsome fellows who after supper parade through the streets with torches and music in honor of Bacchus or some other deity, and sing and play before the houses of their male and female friends; hence, used generally, of feasts and drinking-parties that are protracted till late at night and indulge in revelry; plural (revellings): Romans 13:13; Galatians 5:21; 1 Peter 4:3. (Wis. 14:23; 2 Macc. 6:4.) (Trench, § lxi.) Topical Lexicon Word Group and Concept While κῶμος and its plural form κῶμοι belong to a family of terms that describe drunken festivity, the focus in Scripture is narrower than a lexical definition might suggest. In the New Testament it always signals riotous, self-indulgent celebration that places bodily appetite above reverence for God. The idea stands alongside “drunkenness,” “orgies,” and “licentiousness” to depict a lifestyle of unrestrained pleasure that wars against the Spirit. Occurrences in the New Testament 1. Romans 13:13—Paul contrasts the day-time walk of believers with “carousing and drunkenness” that belong to the night, exhorting the Roman church to put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Historical and Cultural Setting In the Greco-Roman world a κῶμος was a public revel often linked to Dionysian worship. Revelers roamed streets with torches, music, and masks, celebrating fertility and wine. Participants merged religious fervor with moral abandon; drunkenness, sexual excess, and mockery of authority were routine. By Paul’s day the term had already gathered moral opprobrium among moralists and philosophers, making it ideal for apostolic warning. Relationship to Pagan Worship The revel was not merely social. It was cultic, expressing allegiance to false gods. Romans, Galatians, and Peter’s readers would recognize κῶμος as part and parcel of idolatry. Hence Peter’s pairing with “abominable idolatries” shows that to reject κῶμος is to renounce fellowship with idols (compare 1 Corinthians 10:20-22). Contrast with Life in the Spirit Galatians sets κῶμοι opposite “love, joy, peace” (Galatians 5:22-23). Carousing promises joy yet ends in emptiness and judgment, whereas Spirit-produced joy is sober, durable, and God-honoring. Romans 13 presents κῶμος as night-behavior; the armor of light replaces it. Such contrasts underline a redemptive ethic: salvation brings an exchange of realms—darkness for light—which must be lived out ethically. Judgment and Inheritance Paul’s severe warning (“those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God”) carries covenantal weight. Persistent revelry unmasks an unregenerate heart. The verb “practice” (πράσσοντες) shows an ongoing pattern, not a momentary lapse. Thus κῶμος surfaces in vice lists that delineate boundaries of the saved community. Pastoral and Ministry Significance • Discipleship: New converts emerging from party cultures—ancient or modern—require deliberate catechesis on holiness and stewardship of the body. Related Biblical Themes • Drunkenness condemned (Proverbs 23:29-35; Ephesians 5:18). Early Church Witness Second-century apologists used the apostles’ teaching on κῶμος to exhibit Christian moral superiority. The Didache warns against “banquets of the ungodly,” echoing Romans 13. Clement of Alexandria contrasts pagan κῶμος with Christian agapē feasts marked by prayer and moderation. Practical Counsel for Today • Evaluate entertainment choices: Does an event foster gratitude to God or stimulate fleshly desire? Summary κῶμος typifies the world’s counterfeit joy—loud, seductive, short-lived, and ultimately destructive. Scripture reclaims celebration by rooting it in the light of Christ, where true joy is sober yet exuberant, communal yet reverent, present yet anticipatory of the marriage supper of the Lamb. Forms and Transliterations κωμοι κώμοι κῶμοι κωμοις κώμοις komoi kômoi kōmoi kō̂moi komois kōmois kṓmoisLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Romans 13:13 N-DMPGRK: περιπατήσωμεν μὴ κώμοις καὶ μέθαις NAS: as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, KJV: not in rioting and INT: we should walk not in reveling and drinking Galatians 5:21 N-NMP 1 Peter 4:3 N-DMP Strong's Greek 2970 |
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