Lexical Summary
hémiórion: Half a region, district, or boundary
Original Word: ἡμιόριον
Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter
Transliteration: hémiórion
Pronunciation: hay-mee-O-ree-on
Phonetic Spelling: (hay-mee-o'-ree-on)
KJV: half an hour
NASB: half an hour
Word Origin: [from the base of G2255 (ἥμισυ - half) and G5610 (ὥρα - hour)]
1. a half-hour
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
half an hour.
From the base of hemisu and hora; a half-hour -- half an hour.
see GREEK hemisu
see GREEK hora
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom the root of
hémisus and
hóraDefinitionhalf an hour
NASB Translationhalf an hour (1).
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 2256: ἡμιώριονἡμιώριον and (
L T Tr WH)
ἡμιωρον (cf. Kühner, § 185, 6, 2; (
Jelf, § 165, 6, 1 a.)),
ἡμιωριου,
τό (from
ἠμί and
ὥρα, cf.
τό ἡμικοτυλιον,
ἡμιμοιριον,
ἡμικοσμιον,
ἡμιχοινικιον,
ἡμιωβόλιον, etc.),
half an hour:
Revelation 8:1. (
Strabo 2, p. 133;
Geoponica; others (cf.
Sophocles' Lexicon, under the word).)
Topical Lexicon
Definition and Scope Strong’s Greek 2256 refers to the brief span of “about half an hour” mentioned once in the New Testament. Though seemingly minor, its lone appearance marks a moment of profound stillness in the unfolding of end-time events.
Occurrence in Scripture
Revelation 8:1—“When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.”
Theological Significance of the Silence
1. Awe before Divine Judgment
• The seven-seal sequence crescendos with escalating judgments. The sudden hush underscores the solemnity of what will follow, much as a courtroom grows silent before a verdict is read.
2. Transition from Seal to Trumpet Judgments
• The half-hour pause forms a literary and prophetic hinge between the seventh seal and the trumpets (Revelation 8:2-6). Heaven’s silence heightens anticipation of the prayers of the saints ascending with incense, linking divine justice to the cries of God’s people.
3. Pattern of Holy Stillness
• Scripture repeatedly associates silence with reverence in the face of God’s presence: Habakkuk 2:20; Zephaniah 1:7; Zechariah 2:13. Revelation 8:1 echoes this thread, presenting heaven itself as a model of worshipful restraint.
Historical and Cultural Background
1. Timekeeping in the First Century
• Greek and Roman sundials divided daylight into twelve variable “hours.” A half-hour segment represented a measurable yet short interval, conveying urgency without diminishing gravity.
2. Temple Liturgy Parallels
• Jewish tradition included moments of silence during the evening incense offering. The heavenly scene mirrors earthly worship, now magnified before the throne, suggesting that the half-hour may correspond to a liturgical pause familiar to early Christian readers.
Eschatological Context
The half-hour silence occurs after six seals of global upheaval and immediately before trumpet judgments that intensify God’s wrath. It signals:
• God’s deliberate pacing of redemptive history (2 Peter 3:9).
• Assurance that divine justice, though momentarily restrained, is certain (Revelation 8:5).
• An invitation for human repentance during a merciful pause.
Practical Ministry Insights
1. Incorporating Silence in Worship
• Corporate and private devotion benefit from deliberate stillness, allowing hearts to listen for God’s voice (Psalm 46:10).
2. Encouraging Expectant Prayer
• The silence precedes the presentation of saints’ prayers (Revelation 8:3-4), reminding believers that God hears and acts upon intercession, even when He appears silent.
3. Cultivating Reverence for God’s Holiness
• Teaching on Revelation 8:1 helps modern congregations recover a sense of awe often lost in hurried worship settings.
Related Biblical Themes
• The “Day of the LORD” (Joel 2:1; Amos 5:18)
• Heavenly worship (Revelation 4–5)
• Divine pauses in judgment (Genesis 6:3; Revelation 7:1-3)
Summary
Though only briefly mentioned, the half-hour of silence before the seventh seal impresses on readers the majesty, mercy, and meticulous order of God’s end-time plan. It stands as a timeless call to hushed expectancy, urging believers to approach the Almighty with sobered hearts and steadfast hope.
Forms and Transliterations
ημιώριον ἡμιώριον ημιωρον ἡμίωρον emiorion ēmiōrion hemiorion hemiṓrion hēmiōrion hēmiṓrionLinks
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