4480. rhedé
Lexical Summary
rhedé: Chariot

Original Word: ῥεδή
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: rhedé
Pronunciation: hreh-DAY
Phonetic Spelling: (hred'-ah)
KJV: chariot
NASB: chariots
Word Origin: [of Latin origin]

1. a rheda, i.e. four-wheeled carriage (wagon for riding)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
chariot.

Of Latin origin; a rheda, i.e. Four-wheeled carriage (wagon for riding) -- chariot.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
of Gallic origin
Definition
a chariot
NASB Translation
chariots (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 4480: ῤέδη

ῤέδη (others, ῥεδα; on the first vowel cf. Tdf.s note on Revelation as below; WHs Appendix, p. 151{a}) (according to Quintilian 1, 5, 57 (cf. 68) a Gallic word (cf. Vanicek, Fremdwörter, under the word ῥεδα)), ῥεδης, , a chariot, a species of vehicle having four wheels (Isidorus Hispal. orig. 20, 12 (sec. 511) (cf. Rich, Dict. of Antiq. under the word Rheda)): Revelation 18:13.

Topical Lexicon
Occurrence

Strong’s Greek 4480 (ῥέδων) appears once, in Revelation 18:13, within the catalogue of luxury goods traded by “Babylon the great”: “of cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, and frankincense, of wine, olive oil, fine flour, and wheat, of cattle and sheep; of horses and chariots, and slaves— that is, souls of men”.

Historical Background

The term reflects the Latin raeda, a covered four-wheeled carriage used in the Roman world for travel and the transport of high-value cargo or distinguished passengers. Unlike the two-wheeled war chariots of earlier Near-Eastern cultures, the raeda signaled prestige, wealth, and leisurely comfort. Its presence in the list underscores the cosmopolitan nature of first-century trade and the allure of Roman luxury permeating the provinces.

Chariots as Symbols of Power and Prestige

1. Military might: Old Testament chariots often embodied martial strength (Exodus 14:9; 2 Kings 18:24). Nations trusted in them, yet “some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God” (Psalm 20:7).
2. Royal display: Solomon imported chariots from Egypt as marks of affluence (1 Kings 10:28-29).
3. Divine prerogative: God is portrayed as riding a chariot of clouds (Psalm 104:3), reminding believers that all earthly power is subordinate to His rule.

Luxury Trade and Moral Decline

Revelation 18 parallels the lament over Tyre in Ezekiel 27. Both portray commerce that feeds pride and oppression. The “chariots” in Revelation represent not warfare but ostentatious excess. Their pairing with “slaves—souls of men” exposes a system willing to commodify even human life for the sake of convenience and display. Thus, the single use of ῥέδων functions as a moral indictment of a culture drunk on materialism.

Eschatological Significance

1. Transience of earthly splendor: The sudden fall of Babylon (Revelation 18:10) proves that possessions, however ornate, cannot shield from divine judgment.
2. Contrast with the Bride: Revelation 19 presents the pure, enduring glory of the Lamb’s wife, untainted by exploitative commerce.
3. Call to separation: “Come out of her, My people” (Revelation 18:4) warns believers against entanglement with systems that value prestige above righteousness.

Ministry Reflections

• Discernment in stewardship: The passage challenges modern disciples to evaluate their relationship to luxury and convenience.
• Advocacy for the oppressed: Linking chariots with enslaved souls highlights the responsibility to oppose exploitation that props up lavish lifestyles.
• Hope in divine justice: While human structures rise and fall, God’s kingdom endures. The faithful anticipate the day when “the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ” (Revelation 11:15).

Forms and Transliterations
ραιδών ρεδων ῥεδῶν ρέμβεται ρέμβευσον redon redōn rhedon rhedôn rhedōn rhedō̂n
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Revelation 18:13 N-GFP
GRK: ἵππων καὶ ῥεδῶν καὶ σωμάτων
NAS: and [cargoes] of horses and chariots and slaves
KJV: horses, and chariots, and slaves,
INT: of horses and of chariots and of slaves

Strong's Greek 4480
1 Occurrence


ῥεδῶν — 1 Occ.

4479
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