Judgement seat
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Bema names a raised seat, platform, or tribunal place where a ruler or judge sits to render decisions. In the Gospels, Pilate sits on the judgment seat while Jesus, the innocent one, is judged by human authority.
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Full entry for βῆμα (G968) · Open the biblical lexicon
Bema names a raised seat, platform, or tribunal place where a ruler or judge sits to render decisions. In the Gospels, Pilate sits on the judgment seat while Jesus, the innocent one, is judged by human authority.
The BSB source-word alignment has 12 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include judgment seat (9), [the] judgment seat (1), a foot of ground (1), throne (1).
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 27:19. Its strongest book concentrations include Acts (8), 2 Corinthians (1), John (1), Matthew (1).
Bema names a raised seat, platform, or tribunal place where a ruler or judge sits to render decisions. In the Gospels, Pilate sits on the judgment seat while Jesus, the innocent one, is judged by human authority. In Acts, local and imperial tribunals become the setting for accusations against Paul. Romans and 2 Corinthians use the word for the judgment seat before which all must stand before God or Christ.
The word does not mean that God's judgment is identical to Roman procedure, nor does it make every civil tribunal evil. It gives readers a concrete courtroom image that Scripture uses both historically and theologically. The innocent Christ stands before a human bema; all people will stand before the righteous judgment of God and Christ.
Bema begins as tribunal language in narrative scenes, especially Pilate, Gallio, and Caesar's court. The New Testament then uses the same word for final accountability before God and Christ. The movement from human judgment seats to divine judgment exposes both the limits of earthly verdicts and the certainty of God's righteous assessment. The word is therefore historical, legal, and theological, but each passage must determine the weight.
While Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him this message: “Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered terribly in a dream today because of Him.”
Pilate is sitting on the judgment seat when his wife warns him about Jesus' innocence. The tribunal setting highlights human judgment under pressure.
When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat on the judgment seat at a place called the Stone Pavement, which in Hebrew is Gabbatha.
Pilate brings Jesus out and sits on the judgment seat at Gabbatha. John places the rejected King before an earthly tribunal.
While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews coordinated an attack on Paul and brought him before the judgment seat.
Paul is brought before Gallio's judgment seat. The word marks public legal process in the mission narrative.
Paul replied, “I am standing before the judgment seat of Caesar, where I ought to be tried. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well.
Paul says he stands before Caesar's judgment seat, where he ought to be tried. The word can describe appeal to lawful civil authority.
Why, then, do you judge your brother? Or why do you belittle your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.
Paul says all will stand before God's judgment seat. The word turns church judgmentalism toward final accountability before God.
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive his due for the things done in the body, whether good or bad.
Paul says all must appear before the judgment seat of Christ. The word grounds sober Christian life in future accountability to the Lord.
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. A raised official platform where authoritative judgments are pronounced, especially God's final judgment seat.
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
12 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
the space covered by a step of the foot, a tribunal
Read versethe space covered by a step of the foot, a tribunal
Read versethe space covered by a step of the foot, a tribunal
Read versethe space covered by a step of the foot, a tribunal
Read versethe space covered by a step of the foot, a tribunal
Read versethe space covered by a step of the foot, a tribunal
Read versethe space covered by a step of the foot, a tribunal
Read versethe space covered by a step of the foot, a tribunal
Read versethe space covered by a step of the foot, a tribunal
Read versethe space covered by a step of the foot, a tribunal
Read versethe space covered by a step of the foot, a tribunal
Read versethe space covered by a step of the foot, a tribunal
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 2 selected witnesses from 12 lexical occurrence verses.
βῆμα is built from this root:
Symbolizes formal legal examination. Acts 18:12-17
Marks the official setting of legal authority. Acts 25:1-12
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Bema gives Scripture a vivid courtroom word for authority, verdict, and accountability. In the passion narratives, the judgment seat becomes deeply ironic: human authority sits to judge Jesus, yet Jesus is the innocent Son and true King. Acts shows that earthly tribunals can restrain mob injustice, expose political pressure, or become the place where gospel witnesses stand.
Paul then takes the word into final accountability. Romans 14 uses God's judgment seat to humble believers who judge one another. 2 Corinthians 5 uses Christ's judgment seat to sober Christian conduct and hope. The word teaches that earthly verdicts matter but are limited, while God's verdict is final, righteous, and inescapable.
2 Corinthians 5:10
Bema refers to a raised platform, seat, or tribunal. Its New Testament uses range from ordinary civil hearings to theologically loaded references to God's and Christ's final judgment.
Biblical judgment-seat imagery fits the larger canonical theme that God judges rightly even when human courts fail. The condemned Christ and the coming Judge are not rivals in the story; the crucified and risen Lord is the one before whom all will appear.
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