Lexical Summary
gramma: Letter, writing, document
Original Word: γράμμα
Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter
Transliteration: gramma
Pronunciation: GRAH-mah
Phonetic Spelling: (gram'-mah)
KJV: bill, learning, letter, scripture, writing, written
NASB: letter, letters, bill, writings, learning
Word Origin: [from G1125 (γράφω - written)]
1. a writing, i.e. a letter, note, epistle, book, etc.
2. (plural) learning
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
letter, scripture, writing.
From grapho; a writing, i.e. A letter, note, epistle, book, etc.; plural learning -- bill, learning, letter, scripture, writing, written.
see GREEK grapho
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
graphóDefinitionthat which is drawn or written, i.e. a letter
NASB Translationbill (2), learning (1), letter (5), letters (3), writings (2).
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 1121: γράμμαγράμμα,
γράμματος,
τό (
γράφω),
that which has been written;
1. a letter i. e. the character: Luke 23:38 (R G L brackets Tr marginal reading brackets); Galatians 6:11.
2. any writing, a document or record;
a. a note of hand, bill, bond, account, written acknowledgment of debt (asscriptio in Varro sat. Men. 8, 1 (cf. Edersheim ii., 268ff)): Luke 16:6f. ((Josephus, Antiquities 18, 6, 3), in L text T Tr WH plural τά γράμματα; so of one document also in Antiph., p. 114 (30); Demosthenes, p. 1034, 16; Vulg.cautio).
b. a letter, an epistle: Acts 28:21; (Herodotus 5, 14; Thucydides 8, 50; Xenophon, Cyril 4, 5, 26, etc.).
c. τά ἱερά γράμματα the sacred writings (of the O. T.; (so Josephus, Antiquities prooem. § 3; 10, 10, 4 at the end; contra Apion 1, 10; Philo, de vit. Moys. 3, 39; de praem. et poen. § 14; leg. ad Gai. § 29, etc. — but always τά ἱερά γράμματα)): 2 Timothy 3:15 (here T WH omit; L Tr brackets τά); γράμμα equivalent to the written law of Moses, Romans 2:27; Μωϋσέως γράμματα, John 5:47. Since the Jews so clave to the letter of the law that it not only became to them a mere letter but also a hindrance to true religion, Paul calls it γράμμα in a disparaging sense, and contrasts it with τό πνεῦμα i. e. the divine Spirit, whether operative in the Mosaic law, Romans 2:29, or in the gospel, by which Christians are governed, Romans 7:6; 2 Corinthians 3:6f (but in 2 Corinthians 3:7 R G T WH read the plural written in letters, so L marginal reading Tr marginal reading).
3. τά γράμματα, like the Latinlitterae, English letters, equivalent to learning: Acts 26:24; εἰδέναι, μεμαθηκέναι γράμματα (cf. German studirthaben), of sacred learning, John 7:15. (μανθάνειν, ἐπίστασθαί, etc., γράμματα are used by the Greeks of the rudiments of learning; cf. Passow, i. p. 571; (Liddell and Scott, under the word, II. a.).)
Topical Lexicon
Overview of the Term Strong’s Greek 1121 (γράμμα) most often denotes a written character, document, or, by extension, the whole realm of writing and literacy. Its appearances span formal inscriptions, private letters, legal codes, and the Holy Scriptures themselves, allowing the word to bridge everyday culture and divine revelation.
Range of New Testament Usage
1. Public inscriptions and notices: Luke 23:38 records the titulus above the crucified Messiah, “There was a written notice above Him which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
2. Commercial contracts: Luke 16:6-7 cites γραμματα for the promissory notes in the parable of the shrewd manager.
3. Personal correspondence: Galatians 6:11, “See what large letters I am using to write to you with my own hand!”
4. Academic learning: John 7:15 marvels at Jesus’ mastery of γραμματα without formal rabbinic schooling.
5. Jewish legal-religious code: Romans 2:27-29; 7:6; 2 Corinthians 3:6-7 contrast “letter” with “Spirit.”
6. Sacred Scriptures: 2 Timothy 3:15 reminds Timothy that “from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures (τὰ ἱερὰ γράμματα).”
Gramma and the Written Law
Paul repeatedly sets γραμμα in tension with the Spirit. In Romans 2:29 he insists true covenant identity is “by the Spirit, not by the written code.” Romans 7:6 echoes this release: believers “serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.” The climax appears in 2 Corinthians 3:6-7 where the tablets of stone are called “the ministry of death, engraved in letters,” while the Spirit bestows life. The apostle does not denigrate Scripture; rather, he exposes the impotence of mere external conformity divorced from regeneration. The same γραμμα that condemns the sinner becomes life-giving when illuminated by the Spirit who authored it.
Letters, Literacy, and the Early Church
Luke’s commercial parable (Luke 16) and the accusation of madness against Paul (Acts 26:24) show γραμματα as ordinary literacy, a notable skill in a largely illiterate Roman world. The early church quickly became a “people of the Book.” Acts 28:21 indicates that Jerusalem’s leaders expected official letters before judging Paul—evidence of bureaucratic dependence on written testimony. Christianity’s rapid spread owed much to such literacy networks: itinerant workers carried papyrus scrolls, circular epistles, and personal notes that stitched congregations together across the empire.
The Letter and the Spirit: Theological Implications
The juxtaposition found in 2 Corinthians 3:6 summarises a foundational New-Covenant reality:
“He has qualified us as ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”
The “letter” represents law external to the heart; the Spirit internalises that law (Jeremiah 31:33). The same γραμμα that exposes transgression (Romans 7:7) now drives the sinner to Christ, where the veil is lifted (2 Corinthians 3:14-16). The believer’s relationship to γραμμα is thus transformed—from a condemning statute to a cherished revelation illuminated by the Spirit.
Pastoral and Practical Applications
• Catechesis: 2 Timothy 3:15 demonstrates the value of early exposure to “the Holy Scriptures,” urging families and churches to ground children in God’s written Word.
• Preaching: Awareness of the “letter vs. Spirit” antithesis guards against legalistic homiletics; sermons must aim at Spirit-empowered obedience.
• Discipleship: Galatians 6:11 reminds leaders to invest personal effort in communication; handwritten letters carried Paul’s pastoral heartbeat. Digital or ink, authenticity still matters.
• Apologetics: John 7:15 secures the legitimacy of Spirit-taught wisdom. Formal credentials, while useful, are not ultimate; divine calling validates ministry.
Historical-Scribal Context
First-century scribes produced scrolls and codices with painstaking accuracy. The presence of γραμμα on ossuaries, monuments, and coinage confirms a literate stratum capable of scrutinising apostolic writings. Early Christians inherited Jewish reverence for the consonantal text yet quickly embraced translations (e.g., the Septuagint). The preservation of γραμματα across centuries—culminating in thousands of extant manuscripts—attests to God’s providential safeguarding of His Word.
Doctrinal Reflections
1. Inspiration: Though γραμμα may kill when severed from the Spirit, it remains God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16).
2. Authority: Written revelation provides an objective norm against which spirits are tested (1 John 4:1).
3. Sufficiency: The Holy Scriptures “are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15), lacking nothing essential for life and godliness.
4. Continuity: The same God who engraved tablets at Sinai inspired apostolic letters; Scripture forms one coherent canon despite differing covenants.
Summary
Strong’s 1121 embraces both the mundane world of ink and parchment and the majestic realm of divine self-disclosure. Its New Testament trajectory moves from public signs and promissory notes to the Holy Scriptures and the gospel itself. The “letter” that once condemned now, through the Spirit, enlightens and saves, equipping Christ’s church for faithful witness until every stroke of every γραμμα is fulfilled.
Forms and Transliterations
γραμμα γράμμα γραμμασιν γράμμασιν γραμματα γράμματα γραμματείας γραμματι γράμματι γραμματος γράμματος γραμμάτων gramma grámma grammasin grámmasin grammata grámmata grammati grámmati grammatos grámmatos
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