G3466 — μυστήριον (mystērion)¶

Core Data¶

Strong's: G3466
Original: μυστήριον
Transliteration: mystērion
Pronunciation: moos-tay'-ree-on
Part of Speech: Neuter noun
Root: from μύω (myō) — to shut the mouth; hence "that into which one is initiated"
Occurrences: 27 unique verses across 10 books
First Occurrence: Mat 13:11 — "it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven"
Hapax Legomenon: No

Lexicon Definition¶

From a derivative of μύω (myō — to shut the mouth); a secret or "mystery" (kept silent), i.e. a divine secret that is not discernible by human reason alone but requires divine revelation for its disclosure.

Louw-Nida Semantic Domain¶

Domain: 28 — Know
Subdomain: 28.005 — Not Able To Be Known, Secret
Other words in subdomain: ἀποκρύπτω (G613), ἀπόκρυφος (G614), κρυπτός (G2927), κρύπτω (G2928)

Translation Distribution (KJV)¶

Translation	Count	%
mystery	18	66.7%
mysteries	4	14.8%
a mystery	2	7.4%
MYSTERY	1	3.7%
of the mystery	1	3.7%
of the mysteries	1	3.7%

Essentially uniform — "mystery" in all but title uses.

Distribution by Book¶

Book	Count	Per 100 Verses
Colossians	4	4.2
Ephesians	6	3.9
2 Thessalonians	1	2.1
1 Timothy	2	1.8
1 Corinthians	5	1.1
Revelation	4	1.0
Romans	2	0.5
Matthew	1	0.1
Mark	1	0.1
Luke	1	0.1

Heavily concentrated in Paul's prison epistles (Col + Eph = 10 of 27). The three Synoptic occurrences cluster in a single pericope (parables discourse). Revelation accounts for all remaining apocalyptic uses.

Semantic Categories¶

1. Mysteries of the Kingdom (Synoptic Parables)¶

Jesus uses the plural to explain why he speaks in parables — insiders receive the secret, outsiders only the surface. - Mat 13:11 — "it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given" - Mark 4:11 — "Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables" - Luke 8:10 — "it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables"

2. God's Pre-temporal Secret Now Disclosed¶

The dominant Pauline usage — something hidden through all prior ages but now brought to light in the gospel proclamation. - 1 Cor 2:7 — "we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory" - Col 1:26 — "the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints" - Rom 16:25 — "the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began" - Eph 3:9 — "the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God"

3. The Mystery of Christ Among the Gentiles¶

In Ephesians and Colossians the content of the mystery is specified — Christ himself, and the Gentiles' inclusion in the covenant. - Col 1:27 — "what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" - Eph 3:3–4 — "by revelation he made known unto me the mystery... my knowledge in the mystery of Christ" - Eph 1:9 — "Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself" - Eph 5:32 — "This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church"

4. Eschatological and Apocalyptic Mysteries¶

End-time disclosures — things about to be completed or already beginning to unfold. - 1 Cor 15:51 — "Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed" - 2 Thess 2:7 — "the mystery of iniquity doth already work" - Rev 10:7 — "in the days of the voice of the seventh angel... the mystery of God should be finished" - Rev 1:20 — "The mystery of the seven stars... and the seven golden candlesticks"

5. Encoded Symbolic Meaning¶

Revelation uses mystērion to flag that a name or image carries a hidden symbolic referent. - Rev 17:5 — "upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT" - Rev 17:7 — "I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast" - 1 Tim 3:9 — "Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience" - 1 Tim 3:16 — "great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh"

Common Collocations¶

Word	Strong's	Co-occurrences	Typical Pattern
θεός (theós)	G2316	11x	"mystery of God" — the source of the secret
Χριστός (Christós)	G5547	8x	"mystery of Christ" — the content of the secret
γνωρίζω (gnōrízō)	G1107	4x	"make known the mystery" — the disclosure act
δίδωμι (dídōmi)	G1325	4x	"it is given to know" — revelation as gift
ἀποκρύπτω (apokrýptō)	G613	3x	"mystery hidden from ages" — prior concealment
βασιλεία (basileía)	G932	3x	"mysteries of the kingdom" — Synoptic frame
αἰών (aiṓn)	G165	3x	"hid from ages" — the duration of concealment
ἔθνος (éthnos)	G1484	3x	"mystery among the Gentiles" — Pauline target
δόξα (dóxa)	G1391	3x	"riches of the glory of this mystery"
μέγας (mégas)	G3173	3x	"great mystery" — weight of the disclosure

Word Family / Cognates¶

G3453 μυέω (myeō) — to initiate (Phil 4:11, translated "learned" in KJV but lit. "been initiated"); the verb from which mystērion derives
G3467 μυωπάζω (myōpazō) — to be short-sighted (2 Pet 1:9); same root μύω, but "closing the eyes" rather than "closing the mouth"

Synonyms¶

No direct synonyms were returned by search_relationships.py for G3466.

Antonyms¶

No antonyms were returned by search_relationships.py for G3466.

Domain Neighbors (Louw-Nida 28.005)¶

Word	Strong's	Occurrences	Key Difference
κρυπτός (kryptós)	G2927	17	Describes what is hidden/concealed (state); mystērion is the secret disclosed by revelation
ἀποκρύπτω (apokrýptō)	G613	6	The act of concealing; provides backstory for mystērion ("that which was hidden")
ἀπόκρυφος (apókryphos)	G614	3	Adjective: hidden away; used of treasures hidden in Christ (Col 2:3)

UBS Semantic Domains¶

Code	Domain Label	Notes
028	Know	`search_relationships.py` places mystērion in the knowledge/disclosure field, fitting the NT emphasis on a divine secret made known by revelation.

Hebrew Source¶

Hebrew/Aramaic Source	Strong's	Co-occ	PMI Score	Notes
רָז (râz) — Aramaic	H7328	8	25.20	Primary: "secret/mystery" in Daniel; LXX Theodotion translates râz with mystērion throughout Dan 2
גְּלָה (gᵉlâh) — Aramaic	H1541	5	19.33	"To reveal" — the act of disclosing the râz; bridges to NT apokalyptō
יְדַע (yᵉdaʻ) — Aramaic	H3046	4	13.00	"To know/make known" — the knowledge that follows disclosure

The primary bridge is Daniel 2, where Nebuchadnezzar's dream is called a râz (secret) that God alone can reveal (gᵉlâh). Paul appropriates this apocalyptic framework: the gospel is God's râz, hidden through the ages and now revealed in Christ.