What does κόλπος (kólpos) mean in the Bible?
Kolpos names the bosom, lap, close place at one's side, or by extension a bay. The New Testament uses it in varied ways.
Greek · G2859
κόλπος
The bosom; by analogy, a bay
Reading a lexicon entry
What this page is: Each lexicon entry shows the original Hebrew or Greek word behind the English translation: its meaning, its range of use, and where it appears in Scripture.
Strong's number: The Strong's code (H- or G-) is the standard reference number for this word. It connects this entry to chapter and passage language tabs.
Where it appears: The witness passages show where this word is used in context. Click any to open the study page for that passage.
This lexicon entry is part of our ongoing editorial review. If you notice missing content, unclear wording, or a possible correction, please send us a note through the Connect page. Screenshots are helpful.
κόλπος G2859
Pronunciation kólpos
What does κόλπος (kólpos) mean in the Bible?
Kolpos names the bosom, lap, close place at one's side, or by extension a bay. The New Testament uses it in varied ways.
Reader summary
Full entry for κόλπος (G2859) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G2859?
The BSB source-word alignment has 6 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include side (4), bay (1), lap (1).
Where does κόλπος (kólpos) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Luke 6:38. Its strongest book concentrations include Luke (3), John (2), Acts (1).
Are there verse guides for κόλπος (kólpos)?
This entry includes 1 verse guide that explain exact original-language forms in context.
What This Word Actually Means
Kolpos names the bosom, lap, close place at one's side, or by extension a bay. The New Testament uses it in varied ways. Luke 6 pictures a full measure poured into a person's lap. Luke 16 describes Lazarus at Abraham's side in Jesus' story. John 1:18 uses the word for the Son's place at the Father's side as He makes God known. John 13 uses it for the beloved disciple reclining at Jesus' side.
Acts 27 uses the same term for a bay with a beach. The word therefore requires careful contextual reading. It can indicate nearness, receiving, comfort, table proximity, or a coastal inlet, but the passage supplies the meaning.
How the Bible Uses It
Kolpos can name a lap, a close place at one's side, or a bay. Its New Testament uses range from receiving and comfort to the Son's nearness to the Father.
- Luke.6.38
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”
Jesus uses lap imagery for abundant measure being given back.
- Luke.16.22
One day the beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. And the rich man also died and was buried.
Lazarus is carried to Abraham's side in the story Jesus tells.
- Luke.16.23
In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham from afar, with Lazarus by his side.
The rich man sees Lazarus with Abraham from far away.
- John.1.18
No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is at the Father’s side, has made Him known.
John speaks of the Son at the Father's side making God known.
- John.13.23
One of His disciples, the one whom Jesus loved, was reclining at His side.
The beloved disciple reclines at Jesus' side during the meal.
- Acts.27.39
When daylight came, they did not recognize the land, but they sighted a bay with a sandy beach, where they decided to run the ship aground if they could.
Acts uses the word geographically for a bay with a sandy beach.
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It side 4× Luke 16:22, Luke 16:23, John 1:18, John 13:23
bay 1× Acts 27:39
lap 1× Luke 6:38
Show sample aligned rows
Luke 6:38 κόλπον to lap Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular Luke 16:22 κόλπον to side Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular Luke 16:23 κόλποις to side Noun - Dative Masculine Plural John 1:18 κόλπον to side Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular John 13:23 κόλπῳ to side Noun - Dative Masculine Singular Acts 27:39 κόλπον to bay Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Luke 6:38
Aligned rows 6
Books represented 3
Luke 3 John 2 Acts 1
Source forms
κόλπον 4x kolpon Luke 6:38, Luke 16:22, John 1:18, Acts 27:39
κόλποις 1x kolpois Luke 16:23
κόλπῳ 1x kolpō John 13:23
Parsing patterns
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular 4x Luke 6:38, Luke 16:22, John 1:18, Acts 27:39
Noun - Dative Masculine Plural 1x Luke 16:23
Noun - Dative Masculine Singular 1x John 13:23
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Let John 1:18 carry the strongest theological claim: the Son at the Father's side makes God known.
- Read ordinary lap, side, and bay uses according to their own passage setting.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim that kolpos always means intimate fellowship.
- Do not claim that every side or bosom occurrence teaches the same doctrine.
Key Verse and Form Guides
Verse-level guides showing how this original-language form works in its specific context, including grammar, verse function, and guarded interpretation.
Evidence Summary
Greek word. the bosom; by analogy, a bay
Source Gloss
the bosom; by analogy, a bay
Extended definition Source: STEPBible TBESG + Abbott-Smith
1prop., the bosom: Jhn.13:23; fig., of close association, ἐν (εἰς τὸν) τοῖς κ. Ἀβραάμ, Luk.16:22-23 (cf. 4Ma.13:16); ὁ ὢν εἰς τὸν κ. τ. πατρός, Jhn.1:18
2The bosom or fold of a loose garment falling over a girdle, used as a pocket, hence figuratively, εἰς τὸν κ. Isa.65:6, Jer.32:18 : Luk.6:38
3A bosom-like hollow, as a bay or gulf: Act.27:39.
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
6 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Luke 6:38 Noun Accusative Singular Masculine
κόλπον kolpon
bosom, bosom of a garment, a bay, gulf
Read verse Luke 16:22 Noun Accusative Singular Masculine
κόλπον kolpon
bosom, bosom of a garment, a bay, gulf
Read verse Luke 16:23 Noun Dative Plural Masculine
κόλποις kolpoiv
bosom, bosom of a garment, a bay, gulf
Read verse kolpon
bosom, bosom of a garment, a bay, gulf
Read verse John 13:23 Noun Dative Singular Masculine
κόλπῳ kolpw
bosom, bosom of a garment, a bay, gulf
Read verse Acts 27:39 Noun Accusative Singular Masculine
κόλπον kolpon
bosom, bosom of a garment, a bay, gulf
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
This word appears as a noun across 3 case and number patterns. The form changes show how the word functions in a sentence; they do not change the basic lexical meaning by themselves.
Form patterns 3 Aligned forms 6 Case pattern Accusative (4) Number pattern Singular (5)
Dative · Plural · Masculine Luke 16:23 1×
Dative · Singular · Masculine John 13:23 1×
Word Origins
κόλπος is a primary word - no further derivation.
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
For the Preacher and Teacher
Kolpos teaches careful readers to honor both lexical range and theological context. In Luke 6 it is ordinary receiving imagery: a generous measure poured into the lap. In Luke 16 it pictures Lazarus at Abraham's side in a story of reversal and comfort. In John 1:18, the word becomes weighty because it describes the Son who is at the Father's side and makes Him known.
John 13 uses table-nearness language for the beloved disciple. Acts 27 proves that the word can also mean a bay, with no relational theology intended. The word is useful when it slows teachers down. Nearness, comfort, revelation, and geography are not interchangeable. The passage tells us which sense is active and what claim may be made.
Anchor passage
John.1.18
Doctrinal connections
- G3962 Pater: John 1:18 connects the Son's nearness with the Father to revelation.
- G5207 Huios: The one at the Father's side is the Son who makes God known.
- G1834 Exegeomai: John 1:18 joins nearness to making the Father known.
- G3854 Paraginomai: Table nearness in John 13 belongs to narrative proximity, not abstract mysticism.
- G1653 Eleeo: Luke 16 sets Lazarus at Abraham's side within a story that exposes comfort and reversal.
- G3040 limen: Acts 27 reminds readers that kolpos can be geographic, like a bay or inlet.
Kolpos has a concrete spatial range: lap, bosom, side, fold, or bay. Context, not devotional instinct, decides whether the word is relational, receptive, narrative, or geographic.
From Old to New Testament
Scripture often uses nearness language for fellowship, comfort, and revelation, but kolpos itself does not create that theology in every setting. John 1:18 carries unique Christological weight because of who is at the Father's side.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain