Measure
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Metron is the Greek noun for a measure, a measured amount, or a measuring standard. The word can be literal, as when Revelation describes a measuring rod for the city, but the New Testament often uses it to expose how people judge, receive, grow, and serve.
Reader summary
Full entry for μέτρον (G3358) · Open the biblical lexicon
Metron is the Greek noun for a measure, a measured amount, or a measuring standard. The word can be literal, as when Revelation describes a measuring rod for the city, but the New Testament often uses it to expose how people judge, receive, grow, and serve.
The BSB source-word alignment has 14 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include measure (7), [the] measure (1), a field (1), field of influence (1), limit (1).
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 7:2. Its strongest book concentrations include Ephesians (3), 2 Corinthians (2), Luke (2), Matthew (2).
Metron is the Greek noun for a measure, a measured amount, or a measuring standard. The word can be literal, as when Revelation describes a measuring rod for the city, but the New Testament often uses it to expose how people judge, receive, grow, and serve. Jesus warns that the measure used in judgment will return upon the judge. John says the Father gives the Spirit to the Son without measure.
Paul tells believers to think with sober judgment according to the measure God has assigned, and he speaks of grace given according to Christ's gift. Ephesians also uses the word for the full measure of Christ's stature. Metron therefore teaches limits and abundance together: human judgment must be humbled, gifts must be received, and maturity is measured by Christ.
Metron names measurement, but its theological force depends on what is being measured. It can expose reciprocal judgment, declare the limitless giving of the Spirit to the Son, describe assigned grace and sober self-estimation, and point the church toward maturity measured by Christ.
For with the same judgment you pronounce, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
Jesus turns measure language toward moral reciprocity: the standard a person uses for judging others comes back upon the judge.
For the One whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit.
The Son speaks God's words because God gives the Spirit without measure. The word serves abundance here, not limitation.
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but think of yourself with sober judgment, according to the measure of faith God has given you.
Paul uses measure language to restrain inflated self-assessment and to call each believer to sober judgment under grace.
Now to each one of us grace has been given according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
Grace is given according to the measure of Christ's gift, so differing gifts are received from Christ rather than ranked by pride.
Until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, as we mature to the full measure of the stature of Christ.
The church's maturity is measured by the stature of Christ, making Christ Himself the standard of corporate growth.
The angel who spoke with me had a golden measuring rod to measure the city and its gates and walls.
The measuring rod marks the holy city's ordered perfection, showing that metron can remain literal while still serving a vision of God's completed dwelling.
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders ItA compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
Greek word. Measure as standard or proportion assigned; used figuratively for one's portion, capacity, or degree of responsibility.
Measure as standard or proportion assigned; used figuratively for one's portion, capacity, or degree of responsibility.
Textus Receptus witness, full corpusGreek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
13 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
a measure, measuring rod
Read versea measure, measuring rod
Read versea measure, measuring rod
Read versea measure, measuring rod
Read versea measure, measuring rod
Read versea measure, measuring rod
Read versea measure, measuring rod
Read versea measure, measuring rod
Read versea measure, measuring rod
Read versea measure, measuring rod
Read versea measure, measuring rod
Read versea measure, measuring rod
Read versea measure, measuring rod
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.
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.
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Showing 3 selected witnesses from 14 lexical occurrence verses.
μέτρον is a primary word - no further derivation.
Illustrates proportional spiritual accountability.
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Metron is a small word with large pastoral reach because people constantly measure. We measure others by standards that excuse ourselves. We measure our usefulness against another believer's gift. We measure maturity by visibility, numbers, personality, or control. The New Testament redirects those instincts. Matthew 7 warns that harsh measuring returns on the judge.
John 3 declares that the sent Son receives the Spirit without measure and speaks God's words. Romans 12 calls each believer to sober judgment, neither inflated nor despising the assigned measure of faith. Ephesians 4 teaches that grace is measured out by Christ and that the church grows toward the measure of His fullness. Revelation 21 lets measurement become a picture of ordered completion.
The pastoral point is not that all measuring is wrong. It is that God must define the measure.
John.3.34
Metron can name a physical measuring instrument's result or a figurative standard. The same noun can speak of reciprocal judgment, apportioned grace, corporate maturity, or literal city dimensions.
The Bible repeatedly contrasts human scales with God's true measure. The prophets condemn false weights, Jesus warns against unjust judgment, and the apostles measure ministry and maturity by grace, faith, and Christ. In the new creation, measurement no longer serves pride or suspicion but displays God's finished dwelling with His people.