6.4. Not Technical Terms

Our short survey of the Greek terms underlying the word crown indicates that it is best not to take these terms in a technical sense (as if their meaning consistently differentiate between victory and rule). It is best to let the context be the deciding factor in determining the sense which either term conveys.

It is doubtful whether the distinction between στεφανος [stephanos] and διαδεμα [diadema] , the victor’s “wreath” and the kingly “crown,” was strictly observed in Hellenistic Greek. “The crown of thorns” στεφανος [stephanos] placed on our Lord’s head, was indeed woven, but it was the caricature of a royal crown.¹

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Notes

¹ M. R. Vincent, Vincent’s Word Studies (Escondido, CA: Ephesians Four Group, 2002), Rev. 4:4.