False Glory: τιμιότης (Strong’s G5094: timiotes) Exposes Worldly Riches

Strong’s G5094: A noun meaning “preciousness, costliness, or sumptuous wealth,” derived from τίμιος (precious). Used uniquely in Revelation to describe Babylon’s luxurious wealth, highlighting the temporary nature of worldly riches compared to eternal value.

U- Unveiling the Word

τιμιότης embodies the concept of material preciousness and costly luxury in its New Testament usage. Appearing solely in Revelation’s description of Babylon’s fall, it represents the culmination of worldly wealth and splendor. The term carries both the sense of genuine value and the warning of misplaced trust in material riches. The early church recognized in this word a powerful reminder of the transient nature of earthly wealth compared to spiritual treasures. Today, it continues to challenge believers to evaluate what they consider precious and where they place their trust.

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N – Necessary Information

• Greek Word: τιμιότης, timiotes, /ti-mi-O-tace/
• Detailed pronunciation: tee-mee-O-tays (emphasis on O)
• Part of Speech: Noun

Etymology:

• From τίμιος (timios) – “precious” or “valuable”
• -της (-tes) – nominal suffix indicating state or quality
• Combined to express the quality of costliness

D – Defining Meanings

• Preciousness
• Costliness
• Expensive luxury
• Material splendor
• Sumptuous wealth

For compound words:
Not a compound word, but derived from τίμιος with abstract noun suffix

Translation Options:

• “Costliness” – Emphasizing material value
• “Luxury” – Focusing on opulent display
• “Precious wealth” – Combining worth and possession

E – Exploring Similar Words

• πλοῦτος (ploutos) /PLOO-tos/ – wealth, riches in general. See G4149
• δόξα (doxa) /DOK-sa/ – glory, splendor. See G1391
• χλιδή (chlide) /khli-DAY/ – luxury, delicacy. See G5506

R – Reviewing the Word’s Morphology

Morphological features as a Noun:

• Case: Nominative/Genitive/Dative/Accusative
• Number: Singular
• Gender: Feminine
• Declension: Third

Case forms:

• Nominative: τιμιότης
• Genitive: τιμιότητος
• Dative: τιμιότητι
• Accusative: τιμιότητα

S – Studying Lexicon Insights

BDAG emphasizes τιμιότης’s unique usage in describing Babylon’s material splendor. Thayer’s notes its connection to both genuine value and excessive luxury. LSJ documents its use in classical Greek for material worth and social prestige. Vine’s highlights its appearance in apocalyptic judgment context. Strong’s connects it to fundamental concepts of worth and price. Moulton and Milligan provide evidence of its use in commercial documents describing valuable merchandise. The synthesis reveals a term chosen to represent the pinnacle of worldly wealth and its ultimate insufficiency.

T – Tracing the Scriptures

First appearance:
“And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city! And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her [costliness] [τιμιότης]! for in one hour is she made desolate.” Revelation 18:19

Additional References:
This is the only occurrence in the New Testament.

A – Analyzing Classical Usage

N – Noteworthy Summary

τιμιότης appears in Scripture’s judgment of Babylon’s worldly wealth, proclaiming the good news that King Jesus offers true riches beyond material value. This word warns against trusting in temporal wealth while pointing to Christ’s eternal kingdom. It reminds believers that while the world’s systems of wealth and power may seem impressive, they are temporary and ultimately worthless compared to the lasting treasure found in Christ.

D – Did You Know?

1. Used in ancient commercial inventories listing valuable goods.
2. Early church writers contrasted it with spiritual wealth.
3. Appears in descriptions of temple treasuries and royal wealth.

Strong’s G5094: A noun meaning “preciousness, costliness, or sumptuous wealth,” derived from τίμιος (precious). Used uniquely in Revelation to describe Babylon’s luxurious wealth, highlighting the temporary nature of worldly riches compared to eternal value.

Part of speech: Noun

Tags: wealth, luxury, costliness, materialism, Babylon, judgment, riches, value, worldliness, commerce, treasure, prosperity​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​