μυστήριονmystḗrion
a secret or "mystery" (through the idea of silence imposed by initiation into religious rites)
Greek (New Testament) · G3466
Meanings
1. that which is known to the μύστης (initiated), a mystery or secret doctrine, mostly in plural, τὰ μ..
2. In later writers (Menand., Incert., 168), that which may not be revealed (not, however, as in the modern sense, intrinsically difficult to understand), a secret or mystery of any kind (Tobit 12:7, Tobit 12:11, Judith 2:2, 2 Maccabees 13:21).
3. In NT, of the counsels of God (cf. Th.: Job 15:8, Psalms 25:14 for סוֹד), once hidden but now revealed in the Gospel or some fact thereof
(a) of the Christian revelation generally: Romans 16:25, 1 Corinthians 2:7, Colossians 1:26, Colossians 1:27, Ephesians 3:3, Ephesians 3:9; τ. βασιλείας τ. θεοῦ, Mark 4:11; τ. θεοῦ, 1 Corinthians 2:1, Revelation 10:7; τ. θ., Χριστοῦ, Colossians 2:2; τ. Χριστοῦ, Colossians 4:3, Ephesians 3:4; τ. θελήματος αὐτοῦ, Ephesians 1:9; τ. εὐαγγελίου, Ephesians 6:19; τ. πίστεως, 1 Timothy 3:9; τ. εὐσεβείας, 1 Timothy 3:16
(b) of particular truths, or details, of the Christian revelation: Romans 11:25, 1 Corinthians 15:51, Ephesians 5:32, 2 Thessalonians 2:7, Revelation 1:20, Revelation 17:5, Revelation 17:7; plural, τὰ μ., 1 Corinthians 13:2, 1 Corinthians 14:2; θεοῦ, 1 Corinthians 4:1; τ. βασιλείας τ. οὐρανῶν (θεοῦ), Matthew 13:11, Luke 8:10.
Same root
- μωρόςmōrós · G3474dull or stupid (as if shut up), i.e. heedless, (morally) blockhead, (apparently) absurd
- καμμύωkammýō · G2576to shut down, i.e. close the eyes
- μυέωmyéō · G3453to initiate, i.e. (by implication) to teach
- μυωπάζωmyōpázō · G3467from G3700 (ὀπτάνομαι)); to shut the eyes, i.e. blink (see indistinctly)
Where it appears
Appears 27 times in the Bible.
- Matthew 13:11 He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not.
- Mark 4:11 He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secret of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables for everything I say to outsiders,
- Luke 8:10 He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables to teach the others so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled: ‘When they look, they won’t really see. When they hear, they won’t understand.’
- Romans 11:25 I want you to understand this mystery, dear brothers and sisters, so that you will not feel proud about yourselves. Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last only until the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ.
- 1 Corinthians 2:1 When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan.
- 1 Corinthians 2:7 No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God—his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began.
Source: G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), public domain.