What does κοσμέω (kosméō) mean in the Bible?
G2885 means arrange, put in order, prepare, decorate, or adorn. The object and purpose determine whether the action is wise, superficial, deceptive, or beautiful.
Greek · G2885
κοσμέω
To arrange
Reading a lexicon entry
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κοσμέωG2885
Pronunciationkosméō
What does κοσμέω (kosméō) mean in the Bible?
G2885 means arrange, put in order, prepare, decorate, or adorn. The object and purpose determine whether the action is wise, superficial, deceptive, or beautiful.
Reader summary
Full entry for κοσμέω (G2885) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G2885?
The BSB source-word alignment has 10 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include adorned (2), put in order (2), decorate (1), they will adorn (1), to adorn (1).
Where does κοσμέω (kosméō) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 12:44. Its strongest book concentrations include Matthew (3), Luke (2), Revelation (2), 1 Peter (1).
What This Word Actually Means
G2885 means arrange, put in order, prepare, decorate, or adorn. The object and purpose determine whether the action is wise, superficial, deceptive, or beautiful. In Matt. 25. 7, all ten virgins wake and trim or prepare their lamps, though the parable later distinguishes lasting readiness from outward action. In Titus. 2. 10, enslaved believers are told to show good faith so that their conduct adorns the teaching about God the Savior.
In Rev. 21. 2, the holy city descends from God prepared like a bride adorned for her husband. G2885 opens teaching on ordered readiness, credible conduct, and beauty received from God. It does not reduce holiness to appearance, justify controlling women's bodies, or imply that ethical behavior makes false teaching true.
How the Bible Uses It
G2885 describes arranging lamps, ordering a house, decorating buildings and tombs, personal adornment, conduct that commends teaching, and the beauty of the new Jerusalem. External order can express truth or conceal emptiness.
- Matt.25.7
Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps.
All ten virgins awaken and prepare their lamps, while the rest of the parable reveals that similar outward activity does not equal durable readiness.
- Titus.2.10
Not stealing from them, but showing all good faith, so that in every respect they will adorn the teaching about God our Savior.
Believers in an enslaved social position are told not to steal but to show full good faith so their conduct commends teaching about God the Savior.
- Rev.21.2
I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
The holy city comes down from God prepared like a bride adorned for her husband, making its beauty a received eschatological gift.
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders Itadorned2×1 Peter 3:5, Revelation 21:2
put in order2×Matthew 12:44, Luke 11:25
decorate1×Matthew 23:29
they will adorn1×Titus 2:10
to adorn1×1 Timothy 2:9
trimmed1×Matthew 25:7
was adorned1×Luke 21:5
were adorned1×Revelation 21:19
Show sample aligned rows
Matthew 12:44κεκοσμημένονtoput in orderVerb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Accusative Masculine SingularMatthew 23:29κοσμεῖτεtodecorateVerb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person PluralMatthew 25:7ἐκόσμησανtotrimmedVerb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluralLuke 11:25κεκοσμημένονtoput in orderVerb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Accusative Masculine SingularLuke 21:5κεκόσμηταιtowas adornedVerb - Perfect Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular1 Timothy 2:9κοσμεῖνtoto adornVerb - Present Infinitive ActiveTitus 2:10κοσμῶσινtothey will adornVerb - Present Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Plural1 Peter 3:5ἐκόσμουνtoadornedVerb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluralRevelation 21:2κεκοσμημένηνtoadornedVerb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Accusative Feminine SingularRevelation 21:19κεκοσμημένοιtowere adornedVerb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowMatthew 12:44
Aligned rows10
Books represented6
Matthew3Luke21 Timothy1Titus11 Peter1Revelation2
Source forms
κεκοσμημένον2xkekosmēmenonMatthew 12:44, Luke 11:25
ἐκόσμησαν1xekosmēsanMatthew 25:7
ἐκόσμουν1xekosmoun1 Peter 3:5
κεκοσμημένην1xkekosmēmenēnRevelation 21:2
κεκοσμημένοι1xkekosmēmenoiRevelation 21:19
κεκόσμηται1xkekosmētaiLuke 21:5
κοσμεῖν1xkosmein1 Timothy 2:9
κοσμεῖτε1xkosmeiteMatthew 23:29
Parsing patterns
Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Accusative Masculine Singular2xMatthew 12:44, Luke 11:25
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural1xMatthew 25:7
Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural1x1 Peter 3:5
Verb - Perfect Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular1xLuke 21:5
Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Accusative Feminine Singular1xRevelation 21:2
Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Plural1xRevelation 21:19
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural1xMatthew 23:29
Verb - Present Infinitive Active1x1 Timothy 2:9
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Do not use adornment passages to monitor women's bodies, excuse harassment, impose one culture's clothing code, or shift responsibility from those who objectify.
- Do not tell exploited workers that good conduct requires tolerating abuse, theft, trafficking, or unsafe conditions without seeking protection and justice.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim that G2885 always approves decoration; Jesus condemns adorned tombs that accompany prophetic hypocrisy.
- Do not claim that respectable appearance, polished worship, or beautiful architecture proves readiness, faithfulness, or sound doctrine.
Evidence Summary
Greek word. Arrange and beautify together: ordering for visual elegance and splendor, not mere functional arrangement
Strong'sG2885
Lexical occurrences10 versesGreek text appearances10 timesWord forms4 forms10 referencesVerse guides0 guides
Study linkTitus 2:1-10Source Gloss
to arrange
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpusGreek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
10 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Matthew 12:44Verb Perfect Passive Participle Accusative Singular Masculine
κεκοσμημένον.kekosmhmenon
I put into order, adorn
Read verseMatthew 23:29Verb Second Person Plural Present Active Indicative
κοσμεῖτεkosmeite
I put into order, adorn
Read verseMatthew 25:7Verb Third Person Plural Aorist Active Indicative
ἐκόσμησανekosmhsan
I put into order, adorn
Read verseLuke 11:25Verb Perfect Passive Participle Accusative Singular Masculine
κεκοσμημένον.kekosmhmenon
I put into order, adorn
Read verseLuke 21:5Verb Third Person Singular Perfect Passive Indicative
κεκόσμηται,kekosmhtai
I put into order, adorn
Read verse1 Timothy 2:9Verb Present Active Infinitive
κοσμεῖνkosmein
I put into order, adorn
Read verseTitus 2:10Verb Third Person Plural Present Active Subjunctive
κοσμῶσινkosmwsin
I put into order, adorn
Read verse1 Peter 3:5Verb Third Person Plural Imperfect Active Indicative
ἐκόσμουνekosmoun
I put into order, adorn
Read verseRevelation 21:2Verb Perfect Passive Participle Accusative Singular Feminine
κεκοσμημένηνkekosmhmenhn
I put into order, adorn
Read verseRevelation 21:19Verb Perfect Passive Participle Nominative Plural Masculine
κεκοσμημένοι.kekosmhmenoi
I put into order, adorn
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 mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups4Aligned forms10TensesPerfect, Present, Aorist, ImperfectVoicesPassive, Active
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Tenses
Voices
Participleverbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality4×
Perfect PassiveMatt 12:44 · Luke 11:25 · Rev 21:2 · Rev 21:194×
Indicativestates a fact or reality4×
Present ActiveMatt 23:291×
Aorist ActiveMatt 25:71×
Perfect PassiveLuke 21:51×
Imperfect Active1 Pet 3:51×
Infinitiveverbal noun — the action in abstract1×
Present Active1 Tim 2:91×
Subjunctivepossibility, probability, or purpose1×
Present ActiveTitus 2:101×
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 10 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect
Tense
perfect5present3imperfect1aorist1
Voice
active5passive5
Mood
indicative4participle4infinitive1subjunctive1
NT Occurrences
Matthew 12:44κεκοσμημένονperfect passive participleparticipleMatthew 23:29κοσμεῖτεpresent active indicativeongoingMatthew 25:7ἐκόσμησανaorist active indicativecompletedLuke 11:25κεκοσμημένονperfect passive participleparticipleLuke 21:5κεκόσμηταιperfect passive indicativeresultant1 Timothy 2:9κοσμεῖνpresent active infinitiveinfinitiveTitus 2:10κοσμῶσινpresent active subjunctivesubjunctive1 Peter 3:5ἐκόσμουνimperfect active indicativebackgroundRevelation 21:19κεκοσμημένοιperfect passive participleparticipleRevelation 21:2κεκοσμημένηνperfect passive participleparticiple
Aspect reflects grammatical form — not authorial emphasis. Participles and infinitives are verbal adjectives and nouns respectively.
Clause data: MACULA Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0) · SBLGNT (Logos/SBL, CC BY 4.0)
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Additional Occurrences
Luke 11:24–28κεκοσμημένονkosméō
Having been put in order
New Testament Witnesses
To enhance the visible beauty of something.
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 10 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
κοσμέω is built from this root:
Why This Word Matters
Believers do not improve the gospel itself but display its beauty through consistent obedience, making its transforming power evident.
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
G2885 refuses to let beauty or order interpret itself. Lamps can be trimmed while deeper preparation is lacking. A house can be swept and arranged yet remain dangerously empty. Tombs can be decorated by leaders who reproduce the violence of those who killed the prophets. In other settings, trustworthy conduct adorns sound teaching, and the new Jerusalem is beautifully prepared by God.
The issue is not a conflict between appearance and spirituality but the relationship between visible order and truth. Christian conduct should make the gospel's goodness believable rather than compensate for falsehood. Modesty instructions should cultivate dignity, self-control, generosity, and hope in God, not create a tool for surveillance or gendered shame.
Final beauty descends as gift; it is not the achievement of religious branding. Faithful adornment aligns outward practice with God's saving truth, while hypocrisy arranges surfaces to hide an unchanged allegiance.
Anchor passage
Titus.2.10
Doctrinal connections
- G2885: visible conduct can commend teaching about God the Savior when it embodies honesty and good faith.
- G2885: external order without transformed allegiance can leave a life or institution dangerously empty.
- G2885: religious decoration becomes hypocrisy when it honors dead prophets while resisting their truthful witness.
- G2885: Christian modesty is rooted in worship, dignity, good works, self-control, and hope in God.
- G2885: readiness for Christ cannot be reduced to a last-minute outward adjustment shared by the unprepared.
- G2885: the holy city's beauty comes down from God and expresses His completed dwelling with His people.
G2885 is a Greek verb related to ordering and adornment. It may refer to practical preparation, visual decoration, personal presentation, or metaphorical commendation; the direct object and ethical evaluation in context determine the nuance.
From Old to New Testament
Scripture values skilled beauty in creation and worship while repeatedly condemning impressive surfaces that conceal injustice or idolatry. Revelation's adorned city resolves the theme in a community purified and prepared by God's saving presence.