Lexical Summary kubeia: Trickery, deceit, craftiness Original Word: κυβεία Strong's Exhaustive Concordance sleight, trickeryFrom kubos (a "cube", i.e. Die for playing); gambling, i.e. (figuratively) artifice or fraud -- sleight. HELPS Word-studies 2940 kybeía (from kybos, "a cube" or "die") – properly, dice-playing (WS, 859); hence, "gaming, trickery, sleight" (Souter). 2940 (kybeia ), associated with a "sleight of the hand," implies the use of trickery and cheating (used only in Eph 4:14). [2940 /kybeía is the root of the English term, "cube."] NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom kubos (a cube, die) Definition dice playing NASB Translation trickery (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 2940: κυβείᾳκυβείᾳ (κυβία T WH; see Iota), κυβειας, ἡ (from κυβεύω, and this from κύβος a cube, a die), dice-playing (Xenophon, Plato, Aristotle, others); tropically, ἡ κυβείᾳ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, the deception (A. V. sleight) of men, Ephesians 4:14, because dice-players sometimes cheated and defrauded their fellow-players. Topical Lexicon Term Overview Strong’s Greek 2940, kubeía, appears once in the New Testament and depicts the calculated trickery of dice-players who manipulate the odds for gain. Paul borrows the term in Ephesians 4:14 to expose spiritual con artists who gamble with souls through deceptive doctrine. Biblical Usage Ephesians 4:14 warns that immature believers are “tossed about by the waves and carried around by every wind of teaching, by the clever cunning of men in their deceitful scheming.” The word highlights deliberate manipulation, contrasting sharply with the stability produced by Christ-centered truth (Ephesians 4:15-16). Though kubeía occurs only here, its concept permeates Scripture: Together, these passages trace a consistent pattern: deception is active, intentional, and ultimately destructive. Historical Background In the first-century Mediterranean world, dice-throwing (kuboi) was notorious. Gamblers shaved or weighted dice, enticing onlookers by sleight of hand. Contemporary writers—such as Plato (Republic 604a) and Polybius (Histories 32.15)—used kubeía for dishonest gaming. Paul’s audience in Ephesus, a bustling port city teeming with sailors, merchants, and traveling lecturers, would immediately picture street hustlers luring the naïve with rigged dice. By selecting this vivid term, Paul brands false teachers as spiritual gamblers who stake other people’s eternity for personal profit. Theological Significance 1. Truth versus Trickery: The Church’s unity “in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God” (Ephesians 4:13) is the antidote to kubeía. Sound doctrine guards believers from being easy marks (2 Timothy 4:3-4). Practical Ministry Applications • Catechesis and Discipleship: Systematic teaching anchors new believers, preventing gullibility. Warnings Against Deception in Scripture Genesis 3:1-5; Exodus 7:11-12; Matthew 24:24; Acts 8:9-11; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-11; 1 John 4:1—each warns that deception is satanic in origin yet human in agency. Kubeía is therefore not merely intellectual error but spiritual warfare. Christ as Sure Foundation Jesus Christ, “the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6), embodies the opposite of kubeía. His teaching carries no hidden agenda (John 18:20). Those who build on His words withstand the storm (Matthew 7:24-25) rather than being “tossed about by the waves.” Exhortations for the Church Today • Test every teaching by Scripture (Acts 17:11). Questions for Reflection 1. Where might I be vulnerable to persuasive but unscriptural ideas? Kubeía challenges believers to prize truth, grow up in Christ, and guard the flock from every glittering, crooked roll of the dice. Forms and Transliterations κυβεία κυβείᾳ κυβερνώσι κυβια κυβίᾳ kubeia kybeia kybeíāiLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |
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