"ashes, Mt. 11:21; Lk. 10:13; Heb. 9:13*"
Definition and meaning
ashes, Mt. 11:21; Lk. 10:13; Heb. 9:13*
In the original Greek the word is written: σποδός
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 spodos (G4700) across the King James Bible.
Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:
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Common questions
Strong's G4700 (spodos) is a Greek word that means: ashes, Mt. 11:21; Lk. 10:13; Heb. 9:13* It appears 3 times in the King James Bible.
The word spodos (G4700) appears 3 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G4700 is spodos, a Greek word defined as: ashes, Mt. 11:21; Lk. 10:13; Heb. 9:13*. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
spodos is a Greek word found in the New Testament.