Lexical Summary kausis: Burning, combustion Original Word: καῦσις Strong's Exhaustive Concordance burningFrom kaio; burning (the act) -- be burned. see GREEK kaio NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom kaió Definition burning NASB Translation burned (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 2740: καῦσιςκαῦσις, καύσεως, ἡ (καίω), burning, burning up: ἧς τό τέλος εἰς καῦσιν, the fate of which land (appointed it by God) is, to be burned up (by fire and brimstone from heaven cf. Deuteronomy 29:23), Hebrews 6:8; cf. Bleek at the passage (Herodotus, Plato, Isocrates, Plutarch, others; the Sept..) Topical Lexicon Overview The term appears once in the Greek New Testament, Hebrews 6:8, where it denotes the decisive burning of unproductive land. Though rare in usage, its single occurrence serves as a vivid theological and pastoral warning embedded in the Epistle’s larger call to perseverance. Semantic Range and Imagery In classical and Hellenistic sources the word carries the idea of intense heat, conflagration, or ceremonial burning. Scripture appropriates that imagery to describe an act that removes what is useless, purifies what remains, and signals final judgment. Fire in the canon stands both as destructive judgement (Genesis 19:24; Matthew 25:41) and as purifying discipline (Zechariah 13:9; 1 Peter 1:7), shaping the dual resonance of the term in Hebrews. Hebrews 6:8 – Immediate Context Hebrews 6:7–8 contrasts two plots of land receiving the same rain: one bears a crop and “receives a blessing from God,” the other yields thorns and thistles and “its end is to be burned”. The burning is not casual field maintenance but a pronouncement that the ground, representative of apostate hearers, is headed toward irreversible judgment. The epistle’s wider argument (Hebrews 3:12; 10:26–31; 12:25–29) reinforces this as an eschatological warning rather than a temporal pruning. Agricultural Background In first-century Palestine unproductive fields were often scorched after harvest to clear thorny growth, destroy pest eggs, and return nutrients to the soil. The practice, witnessed by historians such as Columella, forms the cultural backdrop for Hebrews 6:8. Listeners would recognize the severity of a landowner who resorts to fire: the plot has exhausted ordinary remedies. Theological Themes of Judgment and Purification 1. Divine Judgment: The fire motif aligns with prophetic oracles against covenant infidelity (Isaiah 30:33; Malachi 4:1) and with New Testament warnings (Matthew 3:12; 2 Thessalonians 1:7–8). Pastoral Implications for the Church • Exhortation to Persevere: Leaders can deploy the warning of καῦσις to encourage believers to bear fruit in keeping with repentance (Luke 3:8). Intertextual Resonances Hebrews 6:8 echoes: Historical Reception Early Christian writers (e.g., Origen, Chrysostom) read the verse as evidence that apostasy, not merely immaturity, invokes irrevocable judgment. Reformation commentators stressed its role in distinguishing genuine saving faith from barren profession. Modern evangelical scholarship continues to cite the passage when addressing perseverance, sanctification, and the possibility of self-deception within the covenant community. Application for Evangelism and Discipleship • Evangelists can appeal to the stark destiny of “burning” to awaken spiritual concern. Related Greek Vocabulary While καῦσις occurs only in Hebrews 6:8, cognate terms such as πῦρ (fire, Luke 12:49) and καίω (to burn, Revelation 8:8) develop complementary aspects of divine fire, enriching a holistic understanding of judgment and purification. Summary Though a hapax legomenon, καῦσις provides a sharply focused lens on divine judgment against fruitlessness. By weaving agrarian practice with eschatological warning, Hebrews deploys the term to compel believers toward enduring, productive faith, underscoring the abiding biblical theme that the God who graciously sends rain also reserves the right to cleanse His field with unquenchable fire. Forms and Transliterations καύσεως καυσιν καύσιν καῦσιν kausin kaûsinLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |
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