WG: Mystery / Divine Secret¶
Overview¶
The NT concept of divine mystery involves a cluster of five words forming a disclosure arc: the secret is hidden (apokryptō, kryptos), then revealed (apokalyptō) and made known (gnōrizō), with the disclosed secret itself called a mystērion. All five appear in the Pauline epistles; the arc is rooted in the Aramaic tradition of Daniel 2.
Word Group Members¶
| Strong's | Word | Transliteration | POS | Occurrences | Role in Concept | Library Entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G3466 | μυστήριον | mystērion | noun | 27 | The secret itself — the divine thing disclosed | G3466 |
| G601 | ἀποκαλύπτω | apokalyptō | verb | 26 | The act of unveiling/revealing the secret | G601 |
| G2927 | κρυπτός | kryptos | adjective | 17 | The state of being hidden/concealed | TODO(need G2927 study) |
| G1107 | γνωρίζω | gnōrizō | verb | 23 | To make known — the communicative disclosure | TODO(need G1107 study) |
| G613 | ἀποκρύπτω | apokryptō | verb | 6 | To conceal/hide away — the prior hiddenness | TODO(need G613 study) |
Relationships¶
Conceptual Arc¶
The five words form a narrative sequence: 1. apokryptō — the secret was concealed (Col 1:26 "hath been hid from ages") 2. kryptos — its state: hidden (1 Cor 2:7 "hidden wisdom") 3. mystērion — the secret itself (the thing hidden) 4. apokalyptō — the act of unveiling (Eph 3:5 "is now revealed") 5. gnōrizō — the communication of what was unveiled (Eph 1:9 "Having made known")
Co-occurrence (shared distinct verses)¶
| Word A | Word B | Shared Verses | Typical Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| mystērion | gnōrizō | 4 | Eph 1:9; Eph 3:3; Col 1:27; Col 4:3 — "make known the mystery" |
| mystērion | apokryptō | 3 | 1 Cor 2:7; Col 1:26; Eph 3:9 — "mystery hidden/concealed" |
| apokalyptō | kryptos | 2 | Mat 10:26 — "nothing covered that shall not be revealed" |
| apokalyptō | apokryptō | 2 | Mat 11:25 — hidden from the wise, revealed to babes |
Shared Aramaic Heritage (LXX Bridge)¶
All five words cluster around the Aramaic râz/gᵉlâh pattern in Daniel 2:
| Aramaic Source | Strong's | → Greek | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| רָז (râz) — secret | H7328 | → mystērion | 25.20 |
| רָז (râz) — secret | H7328 | → apokalyptō | 13.26 |
| גְּלָה (gᵉlâh) — reveal | H1541 | → mystērion | 19.33 |
| גְּלָה (gᵉlâh) — reveal | H1541 | → apokalyptō | 14.91 |
Daniel 2 is the conceptual source for the entire NT disclosure pattern: the king has a secret (râz), God reveals it (gᵉlâh), and Daniel makes it known. Paul uses the same structure for the gospel.
Roles in the Concept¶
- The secret: mystērion (μυστήριον) — what God has kept hidden
- Prior state: kryptos (κρυπτός) — the condition of hiddenness
- The concealing act: apokryptō (ἀποκρύπτω) — how it was kept hidden
- The disclosure act: apokalyptō (ἀποκαλύπτω) — the unveiling moment
- The communicating act: gnōrizō (γνωρίζω) — making the disclosed secret known to others
Key Passages Where Multiple Group Words Appear¶
- Col 1:26 — mystērion + apokryptō: "the mystery which hath been hid (apokekrymmenon) from ages... but now is made manifest"
- Eph 3:3–5 — mystērion + apokalyptō + gnōrizō: "by revelation he made known (apokalypsei) unto me the mystery... which in other ages was not made known (egnōristhē), as it is now revealed (apokalypsthē)"
- 1 Cor 2:7 — mystērion + kryptos + apokryptō: "wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden (apokekrymmenēn) wisdom"
- Mat 11:25 — apokalyptō + apokryptō: "thou hast hid (apekrypas) these things from the wise... and hast revealed (apekalypsas) them unto babes"
Generated from: gather_word_group_data.py, gather_word_data.py Last updated: 2026-04-01