Word Study: Does “skeuos” in 1 Thessalonians 4:4 refer to a

vessel, one’s body or wife?

1 Thessalonians 4:4 is found in the context of the apostolic admonition to the young

church in Thessalonica to continue in the commandments they had received and to avoid

“porneias” referring to all forms of sexual immorality. Uncertainty arises with regards to

the meaning of the Greek word “skeuos”, which may be a reference to the “body”,

“vessel” or “wife”.

A survey of the concordance shows that in most instances, the word was employed

to mean “vessel” or “container” used literally for household utensils (Rev 2:27, John

19:29), nautical gear (Acts 27:17) and temple cultic vessels (Mark 11:16).

Metaphorically, people could also be “instruments” of God (Acts 9:15). A sample of data

collected could be viewed at the appendix below1. However, we should not base our

conclusions solely on such statistics since the context in which the word is used

determines the meaning. In secular Greek, the word could also have “a transferred sense”

referring to the body as the vessel of the soul or the reproductive organ.2 (1 Sam 21:6 in

the Septuagint, italics mine) Historically, Tertullian and Chrysotom favored this meaning

1
James Strong, Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, (Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers) ,

section on ‘skeous’.

2
Gerhard Kittel and Gerhard Friedrich editors, translated by Geoffrey W. Bromiley, Theological Dictionary of the

New Testament, Abridged in One volume, (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1985), page 1039.

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but others like Augustine and Theodore of Mopsuestia understood the word to mean “the

wife” as in the Jewish euphemism.3

Since the preceding warning in 1 Thessalonians 4:1-3 is against fornication and the

succeeding one in verse 6 is against adultery, we could narrow down the semantic range

to either “possessing the body/sexual organ” or “acquiring a wife” in sanctification.

There are several strands of evidence that seem to favor the latter meaning. According to

E. Best, ktasthai in the present tense normally means “to gain or acquire”, rather than “to

control or possess.” The argument offered is that the body cannot be acquired or gained.4

Moreover, others have pointed out that Paul’s teaching does not exhibit Platonic concept

of “the body as a container of the soul” or “an ethics centered on the body”5.

If the wife is meant here, 1 Thessalonians 4:4 urges men to marry or acquire a wife

as an antidote to sexual immorality or to hold one’s wife in esteem. A similar Pauline

exhortation is found in 1 Corinthians 7:2-5 where marriage is urged as divinely ordained

provision for sexual needs for both men and women, especially in view of prevalent

sexual sins. This meaning of skeous is also consistent with 1 Peters 3:7 where the wife is

3
Colin Brown, editor, article by H. Vorlander on “Woman”, The New International Dictionary of NT Theology Vol.3,

(Exeter: The Paternoster Press, 1978), page 1064.

4
R.C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of Saint Paul’s Epistles to the Colossians, to the Thessalonians, to Timothy, to

Titus and to Philemon, (Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1964), page 310.

5
Gerhard Kittel and Gerhard Friedrich editors, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Abridged in One volume,

page 1040.

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also referred to as “the weaker vessel” to be honored.6 Maurer also notes that the rabbinic

metaphor of “vessel” to refer to women occurs in sexual contexts and suggests that

ktasthai here has a similar correspondence.7

Some common objections against this interpretation could be that only the needs of

men are addressed in Paul’s admonition and its seemingly low view of marriage.

However, Paul certainly has the needs of women in mind too when he wrote on a similar

vein, “Let each woman have her own husband.” (1 Corinthians 7:2-5) In the epistle to the

Thessalonians, the men were addressed simply because it was their susceptibility to

sexual sins, which occasioned Paul’s admonition. Understanding the occasional nature of

his epistles, we should also be careful not to consider the passage as an exhaustive

exposition of Paul’s views on marriage. There was indeed practical wisdom in the advice:

“It is better to marry than to burn with passion”. (1 Corinthians 7:9) However, it is only

one aspect of Paul’s lofty vision of marriage as foreshadowing the mystery of Christ’s

mystical union with His bride, the Church. (Ephesians 4: 22-33)

6
Frank E. Gaebelen, general editor, Thessalonians, The Expositors’ Bible Commentary, (Michigan: Zondervan, 1978),

page 271.

7
Colin Brown, editor, article by H. Vorlander on “Woman”, The New International Dictionary of NT Theology Vol.3,

page 1065.

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 Appendix

Skeuos Situation in which the word is used

Luke 8:16 A lamp covered by a “vessel”
Mark 11:16 To carry “merchandise” or “temple vessels”
John 19:29 A “vessel” full of vinegar
Acts 9:15 Paul as a chosen “vessel” or instrument
Acts 10:11, 10:16, 11:5 A “vessel” descending in Peter’s vision
Romans 9:21 – 23 Out of the same lump, God made “vessel” unto honor
2 Timothy 2:21 A cleansed person is an “instrument” for noble purposes
1 Peter 3:7 Treat wives with respect as the weaker “vessel”
Matthew 12:29 Carry off the strong man’s “possession”
Hebrew 9:21 “Temple vessels”
Revelations 2:27 Dash them to pieces like “pottery”