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Has anyone ever told you: יהוה (Yahweh) God loves you and has a great plan for your life?
Has anyone ever told you: יהוה (Yahweh) God loves you and has a great plan for your life?
Strong’s G5009: A noun meaning “inner room, private chamber, storeroom,” ταμεῖον describes a secluded space for intimate prayer and storing valuables. In the New Testament, it symbolizes the private, personal nature of authentic communion with God.
ταμεῖον represents the sacred space of intimate communion with God. Originally referring to a private storage room or inner chamber in ancient homes, the term takes on profound spiritual significance in the New Testament. In the Messiah’s teaching about prayer, it becomes a powerful metaphor for genuine, unperformed devotion. The early church recognized this term as expressing both the necessity of privacy in prayer and the intimacy possible in divine communion. Today, it continues to challenge believers to cultivate authentic, private devotional life away from public display, reminding us that true spirituality flourishes in secret before it bears fruit in public.
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Etymology:
For compound words:
Not a compound word, but derived from ταμιεύω with locative suffix -εῖον
Translation Options:
Morphological Features:
As a neuter noun, it follows second declension patterns. The English equivalent typically remains “inner room” or “private chamber” with appropriate articles and possessive forms.
BDAG emphasizes ταμεῖον’s dual significance as both physical storage space and metaphorical place of spiritual intimacy. Thayer’s traces its development from practical storage area to symbolic space of divine encounter. LSJ documents its use in classical Greek for secure storage of valuables. Vine’s highlights its spiritual application in the Messiah’s teaching on prayer. Strong’s connects it to the concept of treasured storage and privacy. Moulton and Milligan provide evidence of its use in papyri for both domestic architecture and metaphorical private spaces.
First Appearance:
Matthew 6:6: “But when you pray, go into your [ταμεῖον] inner room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.”
Additional References:
Matthew 24:26
Luke 12:3
Luke 12:24
Author: Work | Text |
---|---|
Xenophon: Oeconomicus | “They stored their precious goods in the [ταμεῖον] inner chamber” |
Thucydides: History | “The treasure was kept secure in the city’s [ταμεῖον] storehouse” |
Plutarch: Lives | “He retreated to his [ταμεῖον] private room for contemplation” |
ταμεῖον powerfully illustrates the intimate nature of true communion with God. This word reveals that authentic spirituality flourishes not in public performance but in private devotion. The good news shines through as we see that the Messiah invites us into intimate, personal relationship with the Father. It reminds us that God’s kingdom operates not through outward show but through the hidden transformation that occurs in private communion with Him.
Strong’s G5009: A noun meaning “inner room, private chamber, storeroom,” ταμεῖον describes a secluded space for intimate prayer and storing valuables. In the New Testament, it symbolizes the private, personal nature of authentic communion with God.
Part of speech: Noun (Neuter)
Tags: prayer, private devotion, intimacy with God, spiritual discipline, secret place, inner room, spiritual treasure, authentic worship, personal communion, sacred space
Note: While this entry strives for accuracy, readers engaged in critical research should verify citations and keyword occurrences in their Bible translation of choice. For Biblical citations, the F.O.G Bible project recommends Logos Bible software.
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