Glossary: Lost in Translation

Everything Is Meaningless 🔍

Ecc 1:1 The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:
Ecc 1:2 “Meaningless! Meaningless!”
says the Teacher.
“Utterly meaningless!
Everything is meaningless.”

Ecc 1:3 What does man gain from all his labor
at which he toils under the sun?

So, in a Biblical context, when the Greek word come from κόπος [kopos /kop·os/], there the image of very strenuous laboring.

However, I was curious as to whether it rules out mental “labor” – or if it was left out of the Biblical context because most laboring then was physical. I turned to MS Copilot and asked: does κόπος [kopos /kop·os/] – from Rev 2:2 “hard work” always involve manual labor, or could it also be much thought/thinking/mental labor as well?

Based on some research I did on my own, it appeared there wasn’t an obvious reason it couldn’t be physical/mental/both. Copilot AI confirmed that with the following response:

Great question, Chris — you’re digging into the nuance of κόπος (kopos) in Revelation 2:2, where Jesus commends the Ephesian church for their “hard work.” Let’s unpack the Greek carefully:

📖 Lexical Range of κόπος

• Root meaning: κόπος comes from the verb κόπτω (“to strike, cut”), and originally carried the sense of weariness from beating or striking.
• Primary sense: “labor, toil, hardship” — often emphasizing the exhaustion or trouble that results from effort.
• Not limited to manual labor:
  • In classical Greek, kopos could mean physical toil (e.g., farming, battle).
  • In Hellenistic and NT usage, it broadens to include mental, emotional, and spiritual exertion — any effort that leaves one weary.
• NT examples:
  • 1 Thessalonians 1:3 — “your work of faith and labor of love” (kopos here is linked to love, not manual effort).
  • 1 Corinthians 15:58 — “your labor in the Lord is not in vain” — clearly spiritual/ministry effort.
  • Galatians 4:11 — Paul fears his labor (kopos) among them may have been in vain — this is mental/emotional investment, not physical.

🧠 Manual vs. Mental/Spiritual

• Manual labor: Yes, kopos can describe physical toil (e.g., Acts 20:35 — Paul’s manual work to support himself).
• Mental/spiritual labor: Equally valid. In Revelation 2:2, the Ephesian church’s kopos is more about sustained ministry effort, discernment, and perseverance than about digging trenches.
• Key nuance: kopos emphasizes the burden and weariness that comes from effort — whether physical or mental. It’s not the type of work that defines it, but the costliness of the effort.

✨ Takeaway

In Revelation 2:2, κόπος is best understood as exhausting, costly effort in service of Christ — encompassing both physical and mental/spiritual labor. It’s the kind of work that drains you, whether by sweat or by sleepless nights of prayer and discernment.