κόσμος, κόσμου, ὁ;

1. in Greek writings from Homer down, an apt and harmonious arrangement or constitution, or der.

2. as in Greek writings from Homer down, ornament, decoration, adornment: ἐνδύσεως ἱματίων, 1Pe 3:3 (Sir 6:30 Sir 21:21; 2Ma 2:2; the Sept. for öÈáÈà of the arrangement of the stars, ’the heavenly hosts,’ as the ornament of the heavens, Gen 2:1; Deu 4:19; Deu 17:8; Isa 24:21; Isa 40:26; besides occasionally for òÂãÄé; twice for úÄÌôÀàÆøÆú, Pro 20:29; Isa 3:19).

3. the world, i. e. the universe (quem κόσμονGraeci nomine ornamenti appellarunt, eum nos a perfecta absolutaque elegantia mundum, Pliny, h. n. 2, 3; in which sense Pythagoras is said to have been the first to use the word, Plutarch, de plac. philos. 2, 1, 1, p. 886 c.; but according to other accounts he used it of the heavens, (Diogenes Laërtius 8, 48, of which it is used several times also by other Greek writers (see Menag. on (Diogenes Laërtius, the passage cited; Bentley, Epistles of Phalaris, vol. i., 391 (Lond. 1886); M. Anton. 4, 27 and Gataker’s notes; cf. Liddell and Scott, under the word, IV.)): Act 17:24; Rom 4:13 (where cf. Meyer, Tholuck, Philippi); 1Co 3:22; 1Co 8:4; Php 2:15; with a predominant notion of space, in hyperbole, Joh 21:25 (Wis 7:17 Wis 9:3; 2Ma 8:18; κτίζειν τόν κόσμον, Wis 11:18; ὁ τοῦ κόσμου κτίστης, 2Ma 7:23; 4Ma 5:25 (24); — a sense in which it does not occur in the other O. T. books, although there is something akin to it in Pro 17:6, on which see 8 below); in the phrases πρό τοῦ τόν κόσμον εἶναι, Joh 17:5; ἀπό καταβολῆς κόσμου (Mat 13:35 R G; ; Luk 11:50; Heb 4:3; Heb 9:26; Rev 13:8; Rev 17:8) and πρό καταβολῆς κόσμου (Joh 17:21; Eph 1:4; 1Pe 1:20) (on which see καταβολή, 2); ἀπό κτίσεως κόσμου, Rom 1:20; ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς κόσμου, Mat 24:21; (on the omission of the article, cf. Winers Grammar, p. 123 (117); Buttmann, § 124, 8 b.; (cf. Ellicott on Galatians, 6:14)).

4. the circle of the earth, the earth (very rarely so in Greek writings until after the age of the Ptolemies; so in Boeckh, Corpus inscriptions i., pp. 413 and 643, nos. 334 and 1306): Mar 16:15; (Joh 12:25); 1Ti 6:7; βασιλεία τοῦ κόσμου, Rev 11:15; βασιλεῖαι (plural) τοῦ κόσμου, Mat 4:8 (for which Luk 4:5 τῆς οἰκουμένης); τό φῶς τοῦ κόσμου τούτου, of the sun, Joh 11:9; ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ κόσμῳ, properly, Mat 26:13; hyperbolically, equivalent to far and wide, in widely separated places, Rom 1:8; (so ἐν παντί τῷ κόσμῳ, Col 1:6); ὁ τότε κόσμος, 2Pe 3:6; the earth with its inhabitants: ζῆν ἐν κόσμῳ, opposed to the dead, Col 2:20 (λῃστής ἦν καί κλέπτης ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ, i. e. among those living on earth, Ev. Nicod. 26). By a usage foreign to secular authors,

5. the inhabitants of the world: θέατρον ἐγενήθημεν τῷ κόσμῳ καί ἀγγέλοις καί ἀνθρώποις, 1Co 4:9 (Winers Grammar, 127 (121)); particularly the inhabitants of the earth, men, the human race (first so in Sap. (e. g. )): Mat 13:38; Mat 18:7; Mar 14:9; Joh 1:10; Joh 1:29 ( L in brackets); ; Rom 3:6; Rom 3:19; 1Co 1:27 f (cf. Winer’s Grammar, 189 (178)); ; 2Co 5:19; Jas 2:5 (cf. Winer’s Grammar, as above); 1Jn 2:2 (cf. Winer’s Grammar, 577 (536)); ἀρχαῖος κόσμος, of the antediluvians, 2Pe 2:5; γέννασθαι εἰς τόν κόσμον, Joh 16:21; ἔρχεσθαι εἰς τόν κόσμον (Joh 9:39) and εἰς τόν κόσμον τοῦτον, to make its appearance or come into existence among men, spoken of the light which in Christ shone upon men, Joh 1:9; Joh 3:19; cf. Joh 12:46; of the Messiah, Joh 6:14; Joh 11:27; of Jesus as the Messiah, Joh 9:39; Joh 16:28; Joh 18:37; 1Ti 1:15; also ἐισέρχεσθαι εἰς τόν κόσμον, Heb 10:5; of false teachers, 2Jn 1:7 (yet here L T Tr WH ἐξέρχεσθαι εἰς τόν κόσμον; (so all texts in 1Jn 4:1)); to invade, of evils coming into existence among men and beginning to exert their power: of sin and death, Rom 5:12 (of death, Wis 2:24; Clement of Rome, 1Co 3:1-23; 1Co 4:1-21 [ET]; of idolatry, Wis 14:14). ἀποστέλλειν τινα εἰς τόν κόσμον, Joh 3:17; Joh 10:36; Joh 17:18; 1Jn 4:9; φῶς τοῦ κόσμου, Mat 5:14; Joh 8:12; Joh 9:5; σωτήρ τοῦ κόσμου, Joh 4:42; 1Jn 4:14 (σωτηρία τοῦ κόσμου Wis. 6:26 (25); ἐλπίς τοῦ κόσμου, Wis 14:6; πρωτόπλαστος πατήρ τοῦ κόσμου, of Adam, Wis 10:1); στοιχεῖα τοῦ κόσμου (see στοιχεῖον, 3 and 4); ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ, among men, Joh 16:33; Joh 17:13; Eph 2:12; ἐν κόσμῳ (see Winer’s Grammar, 123 (117)), 1Ti 3:16; εἶναι ἐν τῷ κόσμου, to dwell among men, Joh 1:10; Joh 9:5; Joh 17:11-12 R G; 1Jn 4:3; εἶναι ἐν κόσμῳ, to be present, Rom 5:13; ἐξελθεῖν, ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου, to withdraw from human society and seek an abode outside of it, 1Co 5:10; ἀναστρέφεσθαι ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ, to behave oneself, 2Co 1:12; likewise εἶναι ἐν τῷ κόσμου τούτῳ, 1Jn 4:17. used specifically of the Gentiles collectively, Rom 11:12 (where it alternates with τά ἔθνη), 15; (the two in combination: τά ἔθνη τοῦ κόσμου, Luk 12:30). hyperbolically or loosely equivalent to the majority of men in a place, the multitude or mass (as we say the public): Joh 7:4; Joh 12:19 (here Tr marginal reading adds ὅλος, in brackets); . equivalent to the entire number, ἀσεβῶν, 2Pe 2:5.

6. "the ungodly multitude; the whole mass of men alienated from God, and therefore hostile to the cause of Christ" (cf. Winer’s Grammar, 26): Joh 7:7; Joh 14:27 (); ; 1Co 1:21; 1Co 6:2; 1Co 11:32; 2Co 7:10; Jas 1:27; 1Pe 5:9; 2Pe 1:4; 2Pe 2:20; 1Jn 3:1; 1Jn 3:13; 1Jn 4:5; 1Jn 5:19; of the aggregate of ungodly and wicked men in O. T. times, Heb 11:38; in Noah’s time, ibid. 7; with οὗτος added, Eph 2:2 (on which see αἰών, 3); εἶναι ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου and ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου (see εἰμί, V. 3rd.), Joh 8:23; Joh 15:19; Joh 17:14; Joh 17:16; 1Jn 4:5; λαλεῖν ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου, to speak in accordance with the world’s character and mode of thinking, 1Jn 4:5; ὁ ἄρχων τοῦ κόσμου τούτου, i. e. the devil, Joh 12:31; Joh 14:30; Joh 16:11; ὁ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ he that is operative in the world (also of the devil), 1Jn 4:4; τό πνεῦμα τοῦ κόσμου 1Co 2:12; ἡ σοφία τοῦ κόσμου τούτου, 1Co 1:20 (here G L T Tr WH omit τούτου); 1Co 3:19. (τά στοιχεῖα τοῦ κόσμου, Gal 4:3; Col 2:8; Col 2:20 (see 5 above, and στοιχεῖον, 3 and 4).)

7. "worldly affairs; the aggregate of things earthly; the whole circle of earthly goods, endowments, riches, advantages, pleasures, etc., which, although hollow and frail and fleeting, stir desire, seduce from God and are obstacles to the cause of Christ": Gal 6:14; 1Jn 2:16; 1Jn 3:17; εἶναι ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου, to be of earthly origin and nature, Joh 18:36; somewhat differently in 1Jn 2:16 (on which see εἰμί, V. 3 d.); κερδαίνειν τόν κόσμον ὅλον, Mat 16:26; Mar 8:36; Luk 9:25; οἱ χρώμενοι τῷ κόσμῳ τούτῳ (critical text τόν κόσμον; see χράομαι, 2), 1Co 7:31 a; μέριμναν τά τοῦ κόσμου, 33f; φίλος and φιλία τοῦ κόσμου, Jas 4:4; ἀγαπᾶν τόν κόσμον, 1Jn 2:15; νικαν τόν κόσμον, the incentives to sin proceeding from the world, 1Jn 5:4 f; the obstacles to God’s cause, Joh 16:33; (cf. ἐλθέτω χάρις καί παρελθέτω ὁ κόσμος οὗτος, Teaching of the Twelve Apostles,

c. 10 [ET]).

8. any aggregate or general collection of particulars of any sort (cf. English a world of curses (Shakspere), etc.): ὁ κόσμος τῆς ἀδικίας, the sum of all iniquities, Jas 3:6; τοῦ πιστοῦ ὅλος ὁ κόσμος τῶν χρημάτων, τοῦ δέ ἀπίστου οὐδέ ὀβολός (a statement due to the Alex. translators), Pro 17:6. Among the N. T. writers no one uses κόσμος oftener than John; it occurs in Mark three times, in Luke’s writings four times, and in the Apocalypse three tinms. Cf. Kreiss, Sur le sens du mot κόσμος dans le N. T. (Strasb. 1837); Düsterdieck on 1Jn 2:15, pp. 247-259; Zezschwitz, Profangräcität u. Biblical Sprachgeist, p. 21ff; Diestel in Herzog xvii., p. 676ff; (Trench, Synonyms, § lix.); on John’s use of the word cf. Reuss, Histoire de la theologie chretienne au siecle apostolique, ii., p. 463ff (i. e. livre 7 chapter viii.); cf. his Johanneische Theologie, in the Beiträge zu den theol. Wissenschaften, Fasc. i., p. 29ff; (Westcott on Joh 1:10, ’Additional Note’).