θλῖψις
Pressure (literally or figuratively)
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What does θλῖψις (thlîpsis) mean in the Bible?
θλῖψις (thlîpsis) is a Greek word meaning "pressure (literally or figuratively)". θλίψις (LTr. Frames suffering as part of kingdom discipleship. This term runs through the canonical themes of Kingdom.
Meaning
Pressure that produces affliction or distress; used especially for persecution and tribulation in Christian experience.
(θλίβω), [in LXX for צָרָה, etc. ;] pressure (Arist.). In LXX and NT metaphorically, tribulation, affliction, distress: Mat.24:9, 21 24:29, Mrk.13:19, 24, Jhn.16:21, Act.7:11 11:19, Rom.12:12, 2Co.1:4 1:8 4:17 6:4 7:4 8:2 8:13, Php.4:14, 2Th.1:6, Jas.1:27, Rev.1:9 2:9, 22 7:14; with ἀνάγκη (which see), 1Th.3:7; στενοχωρία (which from the order of the words would appear to be the stronger term), Rom.2:9 8:35; διωγμός, Mat.13:21, Mrk.4:17, 2Th.1:4; θ. ἔχω, Jhn.16:33, 1Co.7:23, Rev.2:10; ἔρχεσθαι ἐπί, Act.7:11; ἐν θλίψει 1Th.1:6; pl., Act.7:10 14:22 20:28, Rom.5:3, Eph.3:13, 1Th.3:3, Heb.10:33; τ. Χριστοῦ, Col.1:24; θ. τῆς καρδίας, 2Co.2:4; θ. ἐγείρειν, Php.1:17.
Why This Word Matters
Frames suffering as part of kingdom discipleship. Acts 14:21-28
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Canonical Themes
Biblical Occurrences
Each occurrence shows the passage reference, the original language term as it appears in that context, its transliteration, and the contextual sense.
New Testament Witnesses
Additional Occurrences
Appears In
Compound and idiomatic lexemes in which this word is a constituent. Follow a link to study the phrase and its other participating words.
Word Pictures (Robertson)
A.T. Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) discusses this term in the following chapters. Open any chapter and go to the Word Pictures tab to read his verse-by-verse commentary.
A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) — public domain