"one who plays on the lyre and accompanies it with his voice, Rev. 14:2; 18:22*"
Definition and meaning
one who plays on the lyre and accompanies it with his voice, Rev. 14:2; 18:22*
In the original Greek the word is written: κιθαρῳδός
Historical context
Domitian required people across the empire to address him as Dominus et Deus — Lord and God. Christians who refused to burn incense before the emperor's image faced economic exclusion and imprisonment. The book was written in apocalyptic imagery that believers would recognize but Roman authorities would not — a letter of resistance written to people being crushed by the most powerful empire on earth.
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 kitharoidos (G2790) across the King James Bible.
And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:
And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee;
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Common questions
Strong's G2790 (kitharoidos) is a Greek word that means: one who plays on the lyre and accompanies it with his voice, Rev. 14:2; 18:22* It appears 2 times in the King James Bible.
The word kitharoidos (G2790) appears 2 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G2790 is kitharoidos, a Greek word defined as: one who plays on the lyre and accompanies it with his voice, Rev. 14:2; 18:22*. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
kitharoidos is a Greek word found in the New Testament.