Rule
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G2583 can name a rule or standard, and in 2 Corinthians 10 it names the measured sphere or field within which Paul says God assigned his ministry. The governed current-edition witness has four primary forms: three in 2 Corinthians 10 and one in Galatians 6:16.
Reader summary
Full entry for κανών (G2583) · Open the biblical lexicon
G2583 can name a rule or standard, and in 2 Corinthians 10 it names the measured sphere or field within which Paul says God assigned his ministry. The governed current-edition witness has four primary forms: three in 2 Corinthians 10 and one in Galatians 6:16.
The BSB source-word alignment has 4 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include . . . (1), area of influence (1), rule (1), territory (1).
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at 2 Corinthians 10:13. Its strongest book concentrations include 2 Corinthians (3), Galatians (1).
G2583 can name a rule or standard, and in 2 Corinthians 10 it names the measured sphere or field within which Paul says God assigned his ministry. The governed current-edition witness has four primary forms: three in 2 Corinthians 10 and one in Galatians 6:16. A fifth row in Philippians 3:16 belongs only to the TR and Byzantine reading and must remain separately labeled.
In 2 Corinthians, the word limits boasting. Paul refuses to claim another worker's labor and speaks of the field God apportioned to him, including Corinth and hoped-for ministry beyond it. In Galatians 6, those who walk by "this rule" receive a blessing of peace and mercy. The immediate argument, not the English word alone, identifies the rule there. The term is historically related to language later used for a canon or standard, but these four New Testament occurrences do not by themselves establish a doctrine of the biblical canon.
G2583 marks a measured ministry sphere in 2 Corinthians 10 and a governing rule in Galatians 6:16. The Philippians 3:16 traditional-reading row is evidence about transmission, not a fifth primary occurrence.
We, however, will not boast beyond our limits, but only within the field of influence that God has assigned to us—a field that reaches even to you.
God's assignment restrains Paul's boasting and locates the Corinthian ministry within his field of service.
Peace and mercy to all who walk by this rule, even to the Israel of God.
The rule must be read from Paul's closing argument about the cross, new creation, and a corresponding walk.
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders ItA compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
Greek word. rule
Textus Receptus witness, full corpusGreek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
5 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
rule, regulation, province
Read verserule, regulation, province
Read verserule, regulation, province
Read verserule, regulation, province
Read verserule, regulation, province
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
This word appears as a noun across 3 case and number patterns. The form changes show how the word functions in a sentence; they do not change the basic lexical meaning by themselves.
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
G2583 places a boundary around boasting. In 2 Corinthians 10, Paul does not invent a field of influence and then use spiritual language to protect it. He speaks of a measured assignment from God, recognizes Corinth within that assignment, hopes for genuine enlargement as their faith grows, and refuses to claim another worker's labor. Galatians 6:16 gives the word a different local force: a rule for walking that follows Paul's proclamation of the cross and new creation.
Together the passages commend cross-shaped faithfulness, restraint, and honest stewardship. They do not give leaders permission to defend status, territorial control, or untested personal claims by saying that God assigned them a sphere.
2Cor.10.13
The four primary noun forms occupy three case patterns: one genitive singular, one accusative singular, and two dative singular forms. In 2 Corinthians, English versions may render the local force with terms such as limit, field, area, or sphere. In Galatians, "rule" fits the governing-standard context. The traditional Philippians row is also dative singular but is not part of the primary count.
Scripture often uses measured allotments and entrusted responsibilities, but G2583 should not be projected backward as though every boundary text used the same term. The canonical connection is thematic: God assigns, servants answer faithfully, and boasting belongs in the Lord.