G2540 — καιρός (kairós)¶

Core Data¶

Strong's: G2540
Original: καιρός
Transliteration: kairós
Pronunciation: kahee-ros
Part of Speech: Masculine noun
Root: Of uncertain affinity
Occurrences: 84 tokens in 79 unique verses across 19 NT books
First Occurrence: Matt 8:29 — "art thou come hither to torment us before the time?"
Hapax Legomenon: No

Lexicon Definition¶

Of uncertain affinity; an occasion, i.e. set or proper time (KJV: time, season, opportunity, due time).

Louw-Nida Semantic Domain¶

Primary Domain: 067 — Time
Subdomain 067001: A Point of Time without Reference to Other Points of Time: Time, Occasion
Subdomain 022007: Favorable Circumstances or State
Cognates in same subdomain: εὐκαιρέω (G2119), εὐκαιρία (G2120), εὔκαιρος (G2121), ἀκαιρέομαι (G0170)

UBS Semantic Domains¶

[067] Time
[022] Trouble, Hardship, Relief, Favorable Circumstances

Translation Distribution (KJV)¶

Translation	Verses	%
time	39	49%
times	7	9%
the time	6	8%
season / seasons	7	9%
the times	3	4%
opportunity	2	3%
due season / due time	3	4%
other (a time, a while, always, etc.)	12	15%

Distribution by Book¶

Book	Count	Per 100 Verses
1 Peter	4	3.8
2 Timothy	3	3.6
1 Timothy	3	2.7
Ephesians	4	2.6
1 Thessalonians	2	2.2
Titus	1	2.2
2 Thessalonians	1	2.1
Galatians	3	2.0
Romans	6	1.4
Revelation	5	1.2
Colossians	1	1.1
Hebrews	3	1.0
Luke	11	1.0
Matthew	10	0.9
Acts	9	0.9
2 Corinthians	2	0.8
Mark	5	0.7
1 Corinthians	3	0.7
John	3	0.3

Heaviest concentration in the Pastoral Epistles and 1 Peter. Luke has the highest raw count (11). Absent from James, 2/3 John, Jude, Philemon, and 2 Peter.

Semantic Categories¶

1. Divinely Appointed Moment¶

The proper time fixed by God's plan — not just any time, but the right time. - Mark 1:15 — "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand" - Matt 26:18 — "The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the passover" - John 7:6 — "My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready" - Matt 8:29 — "art thou come hither to torment us before the time?"

2. Eschatological Times¶

End-time events, judgment, and prophetic fulfillment. - Rev 1:3 / Rev 22:10 — "the time is at hand" - Rev 11:18 — "the time of the dead, that they should be judged" - 1 Pet 1:5 — "salvation ready to be revealed in the last time" - 2 Tim 3:1 — "in the last days perilous times shall come"

3. God's Sovereign Timing¶

Times held in God's own authority; dispensational moments He reveals and controls. - Acts 1:7 — "the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power" - 1 Tim 6:15 — "Which in his times he shall shew, the blessed and only Potentate" - Tit 1:3 — "in due times manifested his word through preaching" - Rom 5:6 — "in due time Christ died for the ungodly"

4. Opportune Moment / Season to Act¶

The right occasion for human action — to work, preach, act while opportunity exists. - Eph 5:16 / Col 4:5 — "redeeming the time, because the days are evil" - Gal 6:9–10 — "in due season we shall reap" / "as we have therefore opportunity" - Acts 24:25 — Felix dismissed Paul, asking for "a convenient season" - Heb 11:15 — "they might have had opportunity" to return

5. Agricultural / Natural Season¶

The proper time of year for harvest or fruiting — the divinely ordered natural season. - Matt 13:30 — "in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers" - Matt 21:34 — "when the time of the fruit drew near" - Mark 11:13 — "for the time of figs was not yet"

Common Collocations¶

Word	Strong's	Co-occurrences	Typical Pattern
νῦν (now)	G3568	10x	"now at this time" — present kairos contrasted with another era
ἔρχομαι (come)	G2064	9x	"the time is come" — arrival of the appointed moment
θεός (God)	G2316	8x	God as sovereign controller of appointed times
κύριος (Lord)	G2962	7x	Lord's authority over times of judgment or blessing
πᾶς (all)	G3956	7x	"all times," universal scope of the appointed seasons
ἴδιος (own)	G2398	6x	"his own times" (1 Tim 6:15; Tit 1:3) — divine ownership of the moment
ἡμέρα (day)	G2250	5x	Day-and-time pairing, often eschatological

Word Family / Cognates¶

G2119 εὐκαιρέω — to have a good opportunity, be at leisure
G2120 εὐκαιρία — favorable opportunity
G2121 εὔκαιρος — timely, seasonable
G0170 ἀκαιρέομαι — to be without opportunity, be unseasonable

Synonyms¶

search_relationships.py surfaced a temporal cluster rather than exact one-for-one equivalents.

G5550 χρόνος (chronos) — time as duration or measurable span; overlaps in English translation but contrasts with καιρός as the fitting or appointed moment.
G3375 μήν (mēn) — month; a calendar unit that can mark an appointed season, though narrower than καιρός.

Antonyms¶

No direct antonyms were identified by search_relationships.py for this lemma.

Easily Confused Words¶

Word	Strong's	Shared Translation	Key Difference
χρόνος (chrónos)	G5550	both translated "time," "times," "season"	chrónos = measured duration, quantity of elapsed time; kairos = appointed quality, the right critical moment
ὥρα (hṓra)	G5610	both translated "time," "a season"	hōra = specific clock hour or fixed period; kairos = divinely appointed occasion
ἡμέρα (hēméra)	G2250	both translated "time" occasionally	hēméra = day as temporal unit; kairos = the critical appointed moment within a day or era

Hebrew Source¶

Hebrew Source	Strong's	PMI Score	Notes
עֵת (ʻêth)	H6256	30.88	Primary LXX equivalent — set or appointed time
קֵץ (qêts)	H7093	14.25	End-time, extremity — prophetic terminus
עִדָּן (ʻiddân)	A5732	14.22	Aramaic: set time, year (Daniel)
זְמָן (zᵉmân)	A2166	13.19	Aramaic: appointed season
מוֹעֵד (môwʻêd)	H4150	12.25	Appointed meeting time, festival