"to gild, overlay with gold, adorn or deck with gold, Rev. 17:4; 18:16*"
Definition and meaning
to gild, overlay with gold, adorn or deck with gold, Rev. 17:4; 18:16*
In the original Greek the word is written: χρυσόω
Historical context
Rome had controlled Judea since 63 BC. Herod the Great rebuilt the Temple into one of the most magnificent structures in the ancient world — and simultaneously murdered members of his own family. The common people paid multiple layers of taxation and were politically powerless. Into that world a carpenter from Galilee began teaching that the kingdom of God had arrived.
The people who first heard this word were not reading a book — they were living through empires, oppression, exile, and covenant. Every word carried the weight of that reality. Understanding it changes how you read Scripture.
Scripture references
These are the most notable occurrences of chrysoo (G5557) across the King James Bible.
And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses,
Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!
Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?
Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.
Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;
Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.
And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.
And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
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Common questions
Strong's G5557 (chrysoo) is a Greek word that means: to gild, overlay with gold, adorn or deck with gold, Rev. 17:4; 18:16* It appears 12 times in the King James Bible.
The word chrysoo (G5557) appears 12 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G5557 is chrysoo, a Greek word defined as: to gild, overlay with gold, adorn or deck with gold, Rev. 17:4; 18:16*. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
chrysoo is a Greek word found in the New Testament.