WG: Time (Greek NT Vocabulary)
Overview
The Greek NT vocabulary for "time" involves 4 distinct words that English translations often render identically as "time," "season," or "age." They differ in whether they emphasize measured duration (chronos), appointed occasion (kairos), qualitative epoch (aion), or a brief specific moment (hora). Understanding the distinctions matters for eschatological passages where the nuance of which word is used carries theological weight.
Word Group Members
| Strong's |
Word |
Transliteration |
POS |
Occurrences |
Role in Concept |
Library Entry |
| G5550 |
χρόνος |
chrónos |
masc. noun |
49 |
Measured duration, elapsed time-span |
G5550-chronos.md |
| G2540 |
καιρός |
kairós |
masc. noun |
79 |
Appointed moment, proper season, opportunity |
G2540-kairos.md |
| G0165 |
αἰών |
aiṓn |
masc. noun |
95 |
Age, epoch, perpetuity — qualitative era |
TODO(need G165 study) |
| G5610 |
ὥρα |
hōra |
fem. noun |
100 |
Hour, specific short period, appointed moment |
G5610-hora.md |
Relationships
Semantic Contrast (Key Distinctions)
- chronos vs. kairos — chronos measures how long; kairos marks when the right moment has come. Acts 1:7 uses both together: "the times (χρόνους) or the seasons (καιρούς)" — the duration-spans and the appointed occasions.
- chronos vs. aion — chronos = quantitative time as a measurable span; aion = qualitative time as a characterized age/epoch. "Before the world began" (pro chronōn aiōniōn, 2 Tim 1:9) uses both together — literally "before age-times."
- chronos vs. hora — hora is the smallest unit; chronos is the broader span. In John 7:33, Jesus says "yet a little while (χρόνον μικρόν)" — a measured span — whereas hora typically marks a decisive turning point.
Co-occurrence (appear in same verses)
| Word A |
Word B |
Shared Verses |
Typical Context |
| G5550 chronos |
G2540 kairos |
2x |
Acts 1:7 — "the times or the seasons" |
| G5550 chronos |
G0165 aion |
2x |
Acts 3:21; 2 Tim 1:9 — "times of restitution"; "before age-times" |
| G2540 kairos |
G0165 aion |
2x |
Mar 10:30 — "now in this time… in the world to come" |
| G2540 kairos |
G5610 hora |
2x |
Rom 13:11 — "knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake" |
| G5550 chronos |
G5610 hora |
0x |
Rarely co-occur — different scales of time |
Shared Hebrew Sources (LXX Bridge)
| Hebrew Word |
Strong's |
Bridges to |
| עֵת (ʻêth) |
H6256 |
→ G2540 kairos (175x), G5610 hora (24x), G5550 chronos (7x) — the primary "appointed time" word |
| עוֹלָם (ʻôwlâm) |
H5769 |
→ G0165 aion (287x), G5550 chronos (5x) — eternity/perpetuity |
| דּוֹר (dôwr) |
H1755 |
→ G0165 aion (32x), G5550 chronos (5x) — generation/age |
Roles in the Concept
- Duration — χρόνος (chronos): time measured in length; the span itself
- Occasion — καιρός (kairos): the right, appointed, opportune moment within time
- Epoch — αἰών (aion): an age characterized by its quality; eternity; "the world" as a time-era
- Moment — ὥρα (hora): the immediate hour; a short window; a decisive turning point
Key Passages Where Multiple Group Words Appear Together
- Acts 1:7 — "It is not for you to know the times (χρόνους) or the seasons (καιρούς), which the Father hath put in his own power" — chronos and kairos in direct parallel
- Rom 13:11 — "knowing the time (καιρόν), that now it is high time (ὥρα) to awake out of sleep" — kairos and hora in the same sentence
- 2 Tim 1:9 — "given us in Christ Jesus before the world began (pro χρόνων αἰωνίων)" — chronos and aionios together in the "before time" formula
- 1 Th 5:1 — "of the times (χρόνων) and the seasons (καιρῶν), brethren, ye have no need" — same pairing as Acts 1:7
Generated from: gather_word_group_data.py, G5550/G2540 word studies
Last updated: 2026-04-02