Lexical Summary
murias: Ten thousand, myriad
Original Word: μυριάς
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: murias
Pronunciation: moo-ree-as'
Phonetic Spelling: (moo-ree'-as)
KJV: ten thousand
NASB: myriads, many thousands, thousand, thousands
Word Origin: [from G3463 (μύριοι - ten thousand)]
1. a ten-thousand
2. (by extension) a "myriad" or indefinite number
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
double myriad, ten thousand.
From murioi; a ten-thousand; by extension, a "myriad" or indefinite number -- ten thousand.
see GREEK murioi
HELPS Word-studies
3461 myriás (from 3463 /mýrioi, "myriad") – an indefinitely large number, but strictly means "10,000"; (figuratively) a number too large to count (reckon).
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
muriosDefinitionten thousand, a myriad
NASB Translationfifty* (1), many thousands (2), myriads (3), thousand (1), thousands (1), two hundred million* (1).
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 3461: μυριάςμυριάς,
μυριαδος,
ἡ (
μυρίος) (from
Herodotus down), the
Sept. for
רְבָבָה and
רִבּו;
a. ten thousand: Acts 19:19 (on which passage see ἀργύριον, 3 at the end).
b. plural with the genitive equivalent to an innumerable multitude, an unlimited number ((like our myriads), the Latinsexcenti, German Tausend): Luke 12:1; Acts 21:20; Revelation 5:11 (not Rec.st);
Topical Lexicon
Semantic ScopeThe Greek term translated “myriads” moves fluidly between the precise idea of ten-thousand and the expansive idea of an incalculable multitude. Classical writers employed it both ways, and the New Testament writers follow suit, letting immediate context decide whether it means a literal tally or a poetic superlative for something too vast to number.
Distribution in the New Testament
Luke 12:1
Acts 19:19; Acts 21:20
Hebrews 12:22
Jude 1:14
Revelation 5:11; Revelation 9:16 (two case-forms in each verse)
These nine occurrences form three natural clusters: historical narrative (Luke–Acts), church and heavenly worship (Hebrews, Revelation 5), and eschatological judgment (Jude, Revelation 9).
Narrative Usage in Luke–Acts
Luke 12:1 pictures “a crowd of many thousands” pressing around Jesus. The evangelist’s choice of “myriads” underscores how magnetic the Lord’s ministry had become while simultaneously setting the stage for His warning against hypocrisy; popularity must never eclipse holiness.
Acts 19:19 records the burning of occult scrolls in Ephesus. The price reached “five myriads of silver” (roughly fifty thousand day-wages), revealing not only the entrenched darkness of the city but the costly sincerity of new converts who publicly renounced it.
Acts 21:20 shows Jerusalem overflowing with “myriads of believers … zealous for the Law.” The description balances Luke’s portrait of Gentile advance with a reminder that tens of thousands of Torah-faithful Jews had embraced Messiah. It anticipates Paul’s later defense that faith in Christ fulfills, rather than nullifies, God’s earlier revelation.
Heavenly Worship and Fellowship
Hebrews 12:22 assures persecuted believers that they already belong to “myriads of angels in joyful assembly.” Earthly isolation is countered by the unseen yet countless company of heaven, reinforcing perseverance through trial.
Revelation 5:11 lifts the curtain even higher: “I heard the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands.” The choir is so vast that the largest Greek numerals are stacked upon each other, stressing the Lamb’s infinite worth. The vision invites every church to join a worship that is already thundering above.
Eschatological Judgment
Jude 1:14 cites Enoch: “Behold, the Lord is coming with myriads of His holy ones.” The untold number conveys irresistible certainty—wickedness will be answered by a host no rebel can withstand.
Revelation 9:16 speaks of demonic cavalry: “The number of mounted troops was two hundred million; I heard their number.” Literally “two myriads of myriads,” the phrase purposely mirrors Revelation 5:11. Heaven’s armies and hell’s hordes each appear innumerable, but only one side is victorious. The parallel intensifies the contrast between righteous and unrighteous hosts at the climax of history.
Old Testament and Inter-Testamental Background
The Septuagint frequently uses the same word for Israel’s census figures (Numbers 10:36), angelic hosts (Deuteronomy 33:2), and celebratory praise (Psalm 68:17). Jewish apocalyptic literature picked up the term for celestial armies, so New Testament readers were primed to associate “myriads” with both divine majesty and cosmic conflict.
Theological Reflections
1. Divine Sufficiency: Whether referencing angels, believers, or resources, “myriads” testifies that God is never short-handed.
2. Human Response: Luke–Acts pairs huge crowds with calls to repentance, reminding ministries today that numerical success must always yield to spiritual integrity.
3. Eschatological Assurance: Jude and Revelation promise that evil, however numerous, will be overcome by a still greater multitude under Christ’s command.
Pastoral Application
• Encourage congregations by pointing to Hebrews 12:22—believers never worship alone.
• Challenge superficial discipleship by recalling Luke 12:1—large followings must heed Jesus’ warning against hypocrisy.
• Highlight sacrificial obedience through Acts 19:19—true conversion can be measured in costly renunciations.
• Inspire mission through Acts 21:20—God can raise “myriads” even in seemingly resistant communities.
• Cultivate hope by preaching Jude 1:14 and Revelation 5:11—no matter how overwhelming present opposition seems, the Lord commands an incomparably larger host.
Summary
“Myriads” functions as Scripture’s verbal telescope, sweeping from the marketplace of Ephesus to the throne room of heaven, from the teeming streets of Jerusalem to the final battlefield of history. In every setting it magnifies the limitless resources of God and calls His people to steadfast faith, confident that the One who marshals angelic countless thousands also numbers every hair on their heads.
Forms and Transliterations
μυριαδας μυριάδας μυρίαδας μυριαδες μυριάδες μυριαδων μυριάδων μυριάς μυρίας μυριάσι μυριασιν μυριάσιν μυρίασιν muriadas muriades muriadon muriadōn muriasin myriadas myriádas myriades myriádes myriadon myriadōn myriádon myriádōn myriasin myriásin
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