"a sepulchre, grave, tomb, Mt. 23:27, 29; 27:61, 64, 66; 28:1; met. Rom. 3:13*"
Definition and meaning
a sepulchre, grave, tomb, Mt. 23:27, 29; 27:61, 64, 66; 28:1; met. Rom. 3:13*
In the original Greek the word is written: τάφος
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 taphos (G5028) across the King James Bible.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,
And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre.
Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first.
So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.
In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.
Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:
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Common questions
Strong's G5028 (taphos) is a Greek word that means: a sepulchre, grave, tomb, Mt. 23:27, 29; 27:61, 64, 66; 28:1; met. Rom. 3:13* It appears 7 times in the King James Bible.
The word taphos (G5028) appears 7 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G5028 is taphos, a Greek word defined as: a sepulchre, grave, tomb, Mt. 23:27, 29; 27:61, 64, 66; 28:1; met. Rom. 3:13*. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
taphos is a Greek word found in the New Testament.