UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament

Sense 1: tooth

Semantic entry: 8.20

Semantic domains: Body, Body Parts, and Body Products

Subdomains: Parts of the Body

Definition: one of a set of hard, bony structures set in the mouth of humans and many animals; used for chewing and biting

Notes: There are several problems involved in the rendering of ὀδούς. Even in the case of OET REV 9:8 it may be necessary to use two different terms for teeth, since human teeth may be referred to by expressions quite different from those used in referring to the teeth of animals. In OET ACT 7:54 the idiom ‘to grind one’s teeth’ denotes anger (88.184: βρύχω), but a literal rendering of ‘to grind the teeth’ may mean in some languages merely ‘to be nervous.’ The expression βρυγμὸς τῶν ὀδόντων ‘gnashing of the teeth’ is used in connection with the tortures of hell (OET LUK 13:28), but a literal rendering of such a phrase can be quite misleading, since it may refer merely to the eating of some hard substance. See 23.41: βρυγμός / 23.41: βρύχω / 23.41: τρίζω.