Protos

What does "Crown" mean in the Bible?

Anciently the crown or diadem was only a headband, Eze 16:12, or a ribbon or fillet, made of silk or linen, surrounding the head, and probably connected behind. Crown appears in 15 verses across 10 books of the Bible.

Double crown uniting the scorpion-shaped crown of Lower Egypt and the bottle-shaped crown of Upper Egypt
Double crown uniting the scorpion-shaped crown of Lower Egypt and the bottle-shaped crown of Upper Egypt · © Einsamer Schütze, via Wikimedia Commons

What does the Bible say about Crown?

CROWN. 2 Kgs 11:12. Anciently the crown or diadem was only a headband, Eze 16:12, or a ribbon or fillet, made of silk or linen, surrounding the head, and probably connected behind. Crowns arose probably from the natural custom of wearing wreaths of flowers on occasions of joy and festivity, or else from the custom of binding the hair to prevent its dishevelment by the wind. Ex 28:36-37; Ex 29:6. We find it represented on ancient medals. Newly married persons of both sexes wore crowns. Comp. Song of Solomon 3:11 with Eze 16:12. It was usually a badge of royalty or princely distinction. It was sometimes of pure gold, and was worn by kings, 2 Chr 23:11; Matt 27:29, and sometimes in battle. 2 Sam 1:10; 2 Sam 12:30. The weight, in the last passage, denotes the value, and not the Crowns. (After Ayre.) 1. Crown of Upper Egypt. 2. Crown of Upper and Lower Egypt United, 3. Assyrian Crown, from Nineveh Marbles. 4. Laurel Crown. 5. Crown of Herod the Great. 6. Crown of Aretas, King of Arabia. gravity, of the crown. Afterward the shape and size were changed, and costly ornaments appended to it. 2 Sam 12:30. It was worn by queens. Esth 2:17. It was customary for a king to wear as many crowns as he had kingdoms. Rev 19:12. The word is figuratively used by the sacred writers to denote honor, Prov 12:4, prosperity, Lam 5:16, eternal life, and blessedness. 1 Pet 5:4. The inscription on the crown of the high priest, Ex 39:30, was significant of his sacred office and functions. Such inscriptions have sometimes been placed on the crowns of princes and heroes to indicate some splendid action or service. Paul uses the custom of giving crowns of laurel or parsley to the victors in the Greek games to furnish an illustration of the difference between the honor of earthly distinction and that which comes from following Christ. In Rev 17:5 allusion seems to be made to the crown of the Jewish high priest, whose raiment is described as having the colors and ornaments of the sacred vestments. It is said that the word mystcrium ("mystery") was formerly engraven on the papal crown, and was erased in the time of Julius III. The "crown of thorns" worn by Christ, Matt 27:29, was probably made of a common Arabian plant, called ??uabk??, which has "many small and sharp spines, soft, round, pliant branches, leaves much resembling ivy, of a very deep green, as if in designed mockery of a victor's wreath."-Hasselquist, quoted in Ayre: Treasury of Bible Knowledge. The soldiers plaited the wreath for Christ rather as an insult than to cause him suffering.

Definition text: Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible · 1898. Public domain.

Compiled by Protos: the verse list on this page. Where one name belongs to more than one person or place, each of them gets a separate entry.

What is the Greek word for Crown?

Greek · G4735

στέφανος

stephanos

crown

TBESG, from Abbott-Smith (1922). Public domain.

Where does Crown appear in the Bible?

Crown is referenced in 15 verses across 10 books. Every passage below is about this one, not just every verse the word turns up in.

What else appears in these passages?

These turn up in the same passages as Crown.

Common questions

How many times does the Bible mention Crown?

Crown appears in 15 verses across 10 books, most often in Revelation, which accounts for 5 of them.

Which books of the Bible mention Crown?

Revelation, John, 1 Corinthians, 1 Peter, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Timothy, James, Matthew, and 2 more.

Where can I read every verse about Crown?

This page lists 15 of them. Protos carries all 15, and opens this entry on the verse you are reading rather than in a separate tab.

Read it in context

Read Revelation with "Crown" explained on the verse.

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