G5550 — χρόνος (chrónos)¶

Core Data¶

Strong's: G5550
Original: χρόνος
Transliteration: chrónos
Pronunciation: khron'-os
Part of Speech: Masculine noun
Root: Of uncertain derivation
Occurrences: 49 unique verses (49 tokens) across 15 NT books
First Occurrence: Matt 2:7 — "Herod… inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared"
Hapax Legomenon: No

Lexicon Definition¶

A space of time (in general, and thus distinguished from G2540 which is a fixed or special occasion); also of a definite and peculiar time. (KJV: time, season, while, space, a while, old)

Louw-Nida Semantic Domain¶

Primary Domain: 067 — Time
Subdomain 067005: Duration of Time without Reference to Points or Units of Time: Time, Spend Time, Always, Eternal, Old, Immediately, Young
Other words in subdomain: αἰών (G0165), αἰώνιος (G0166), ἀεί (G0104), ἀρχαῖος (G0744), βραχύς (G1024)

UBS Semantic Domains¶

Code	Domain Label	Notes
067	Time	`search_relationships.py` places χρόνος in the time field; neighbors: ἄγω (G71), ἀεί (G104), ἀΐδιος (G126), αἰφνίδιος (G160), αἰών (G165), αἰώνιος (G166).

Translation Distribution (KJV)¶

Translation	Verses	%
time	22	44.9%
the time	3	6.1%
the times	3	6.1%
a while / while	4	8.2%
season / for a season	3	6.1%
times	2	4.1%
a space / space	2	4.1%
other (ago, old, what time, of time, etc.)	10	20.4%

Distribution by Book¶

Book	Count	Per 100 Verses
1 Peter	4	3.8
Titus	1	2.2
Acts	17	1.7
2 Timothy	1	1.2
1 Thessalonians	1	1.1
Hebrews	3	1.0
Revelation	4	1.0
Galatians	1	0.7
Luke	6	0.5
John	4	0.5
Matthew	3	0.3
1 Corinthians	1	0.2
Romans	1	0.2
Mark	1	0.1
Jude	1	—

Acts dominates (17 of 49 occurrences, 35%), reflecting Luke's historical narrative focus on elapsed time. 1 Peter's high density reflects the epistle's temporal framing of the Christian life as a sojourn through time.

Semantic Categories¶

1. Extended Duration ("Long Time")¶

The most common usage — measuring how long something has lasted or someone has been somewhere. - John 5:6 — "knew that he had been now a long time [in that case]" - John 14:9 — "Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip?" - Acts 14:28 — "there they abode long time with the disciples" - Acts 8:11 — "of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries"

2. Fulfilled / Completed Time¶

Time that arrives, fills up, or runs out — marking transition from one state to another. - Luke 1:57 — "Elisabeth's full time came that she should be delivered" - Gal 4:4 — "when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son" - Acts 7:17 — "when the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had sworn to Abraham" - Rev 10:6 — "there should be time no longer" (eschatological cessation of delay)

3. Sovereign Times of History¶

God's disposal and governance of entire epochs or eras; time as object of divine control. - Acts 1:7 — "not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power" - Acts 3:21 — "times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets" - Acts 17:30 — "the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men… to repent" - 1 Pet 1:20 — "manifest in these last times for you"

4. Pre-temporal / Before-Time¶

Primordial time before the world — God's eternal counsel before creation. - Rom 16:25 — "the preaching of Jesus Christ… kept secret since the world began" - 2 Tim 1:9 — "given us in Christ Jesus before the world began (pro chronōn aiōniōn)" - Tit 1:2 — "eternal life, which God… promised before the world began" - 1 Pet 4:3 — "the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles"

5. Brief Remaining Period / Space for Action¶

A limited span allotted for something to occur — rest, repentance, tarrying. - Rev 2:21 — "I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not" - Rev 6:11 — "rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants… should be fulfilled" - Rev 20:3 — "he must be loosed a little season" - 1 Cor 16:7 — "I trust to tarry a while with you, if the Lord permit"

Common Collocations¶

Word	Strong's	Co-occurrences	Typical Pattern
θεός (theós)	G2316	8x (16%)	"Father hath put in his own power… God promised… God winked at"
Ἰησοῦς (Iēsoûs)	G2424	7x (14%)	"so long time with you… manifest in these last times"
πᾶς (pâs)	G3956	7x (14%)	"all the time" (Acts 1:21, 20:18)
ἱκανός (hikanós)	G2425	5x (10%)	"hikanos chronos" — sufficient/long time
ἔτι (éti)	G2089	6x (12%)	"yet a little while" (John 7:33, 12:35)
αἰώνιος (aiṓnios)	G0166	3x (6%)	"pro chronōn aiōniōn" — before eternal ages

Word Family / Cognates¶

χρονίζω (G5549) — to delay, linger, spend time (verb derived from χρόνος)
χρονοτριβέω (G5551) — to waste time (compound: chronos + tribe "to rub/wear away")

Synonyms¶

G2540 καιρός (kairós) — appointed time, season; overlaps in English "time," but emphasizes the fitting or appointed moment rather than elapsed duration.

Antonyms¶

No antonyms were returned by search_relationships.py for G5550.

Easily Confused Words¶

Word	Strong's	Shared Translation	Key Difference
καιρός (kairós)	G2540	both "time, times, season"	kairos = appointed/proper moment, opportune occasion; chronos = measured duration, elapsed span
αἰών (aiṓn)	G0165	both can translate "world, age"	aion = an age/epoch with qualitative character; chronos = quantitative time-span
ὥρα (hōra)	G5610	both translated "time, while"	hora = a specific short period (hour, moment); chronos = extended duration

Hebrew Source¶

Hebrew Source	Strong's	LXX Co-occ	PMI Score	Notes
יוֹם (yôwm)	H3117	23x	7.55	"day" — used for chronos when LXX renders duration context
עֵת (ʻêth)	H6256	7x	7.33	"time, season" — appointed time rendered as chronos
דּוֹר (dôwr)	H1755	5x	7.16	"generation, cycle" — used when chronos renders a generational span
קֵץ (qêts)	H7093	3x	5.95	"end, extremity" — used for chronos in end-time contexts
עוֹלָם (ʻôwlâm)	H5769	5x	4.21	"eternity, age" — overlaps in "before-time" expressions

Note: χρόνος is not the primary Greek equivalent of any single Hebrew word. H3117 (yom) primarily maps to G2250 (hemera). The co-occurrences above reflect LXX translation choices for duration-contexts.