"sleep, Mt. 1:24; Lk. 9:32; Jn. 11:13; Acts 20:9; met. spiritual sleep, religious slumber, Rom. 13:11*"
Definition and meaning
sleep, Mt. 1:24; Lk. 9:32; Jn. 11:13; Acts 20:9; met. spiritual sleep, religious slumber, Rom. 13:11*
In the original Greek the word is written: ὕπνος
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 hypnos (G5258) across the King James Bible.
Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:
But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him.
Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.
And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead.
And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
Refiner gives you the full lexicon entry, AI-powered verse insight, historical commentary, cross-references, and voice study — all in one place.
Free to start · Disciple $4.99/mo · Shepherd $9.99/mo
Common questions
Strong's G5258 (hypnos) is a Greek word that means: sleep, Mt. 1:24; Lk. 9:32; Jn. 11:13; Acts 20:9; met. spiritual sleep, religious slumber, Rom. 13:11* It appears 5 times in the King James Bible.
The word hypnos (G5258) appears 5 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G5258 is hypnos, a Greek word defined as: sleep, Mt. 1:24; Lk. 9:32; Jn. 11:13; Acts 20:9; met. spiritual sleep, religious slumber, Rom. 13:11*. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
hypnos is a Greek word found in the New Testament.