Quick Definition
κάμηλος, ου, ὁ, ἡ n.f. a camel
Strong's Definition
of Hebrew origin (1581); a "camel"
KJV Usage: camel
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
noun, f. | -ου
4.30 · Animals · Animals
camel large quadruped mammal; Camelus dromedarius and Camelus bactrianus; bactrians may reach 2 m.; dromedaries are bigger and a uniform light fawn color; bactrians are darker; suited to life in desert areas; store excess food in their humps, can go without water for long periods; can make long journeys through dry areas; used for riding and for carrying heavy loads and pulling carts; hair woven into cloth used for making tents or outer robes; milk used as food and drink; symbol of wealth and commerce In most areas where camels are not known, a term for ‘camel’ has been borrowed from a dominant language. In other instances people may have constructed descriptive phrases. For example, in Timorese the first two expressions suggested for camel were ‘the horse with a crooked back’ or ‘the long-legged horse,’ but finally people settled upon a more satisfactory rendering, namely, ‘the horse of the desert.’ In a number of languages a camel is simply called ‘the big humped animal.’ In a number of cases, however, it may be useful to have some kind of a description of a camel in a glossary or word list.
In referring to the camel’s hair garment worn by John the Baptist, there are two problems. In the first place, it is important to translate the phrase ‘garment of camel’s hair’ in such a way as to indicate that the garment was made of cloth woven out of camel’s hair and did not consist of the entire skin nor of camel’s hair stuck onto John the Baptist’s body. In the second place, it is important to indicate that this camel’s hair garment was a kind of rough garment, since in a number of languages an expression such as ‘camel’s hair coat’ would refer to an expensive, luxury garment. See also 6.216.
MAT 3:4 · MAT 19:24 · MAT 23:24 · MRK 1:6 · MRK 10:25 · LUK 18:25
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
κάμηλος, -ου, 6, 7, Hebr. D3, [fr. Hdt. down], α camel [BB.DD. s. v.; Tristram, Nat. Hist. ete. p. 58 sqq.]: Mt. iii. 4; Mk. i. 6; in proverbs, Mt. xix. 24; Mk. x. 25; Lk. xviii. 25, (meaning, ‘something almost or altogether impossible’ [ef. Farrar in The Expositor for 1876 i. p. 369 sqq.; esp. Wetzstein in the Sitzungsberichte ἃ. Akad. d. Wissensch. zu Miinchen, 1873, pp. 581-596]); Mt. xxiii. 24 (of one who is careful not to sin in trivial matters, but pays no heed to the more important matters).
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
κάμηλος kamēlos 6x
a camel, Mt. 3:4; 23:24
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
κάμηλος, -ου, ὁ, ἡ,
[in LXX for גָּמַל;]
camel: Mt 3:4, Mk 1:6; in proverbs, Mt 19:24 23:24, Mk 10:25, Lk 18:25 (on the v.l. κάμιλος, v. WH, Notes, 151).†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
κάμηλος. In P Tebt I. 252 (B.c. 95-4 or 62-1) 1 talent is paid for 1. ρης καμή(λων Ὁ), but, as will be observed, the editors regard the completion of the word as doubtful, and the doubt is increased when we note that this is the only reference to camels as beasts of burden that we can produce from Ptolemaic times. In Imperial times, on the other hand, they are constantly referred to, as in the custom-house receipt P Ryl II. 1972 (late ii/A.D.) τετελ(ώνηται) διὰ πύλης Σοκνοπίαίου) Νήσου ρ΄ ν΄ Σαραπίων ἐξάγ(ων) ἐπὶ καμήλ(ῳ) ἃ μιᾷ λαχανοσπέρμ(ου) ἀρτάβί(ας) ἕξ τελ(ούσας) (δραχμὰς) πέντε, ““Ῥαϊὰ at the custom-house of Socnopaei Nesus for the tax of 4; and τἷς by Sarapion, exporting on one camel six artabae of vegetable-seed paying five , καμινος drachmae” (Edd.), and in the illiterate P Oxy VII. 106917 (iii/A.D.) τάχα yap δυνασθῶμεν φο[ρ]υτρείσε (/. φο[ρ]ετρίσαι) σοι δύω καμήλους [πυ]ροῦ καὶ πέμψε πρὸ σέν, ‘for we may be able to load two camels with wheat for you and to send them to you”’ (Ed.). BGU I. 352" (a.p. 135-6) mentions as registered—KapidAous τελείους τρεῖς, and similarly in P Lond 3287 (a.p. 163) (= 11. p. 75) the writer announces that of the two camels and a foal (καμήλων δύο καὶ πώλου) which he possessed in the previous year, one has been requisitioned eis κυριακὰς χρείας, ‘for Imperial service”: he therefore returns two camels for the current year—!® τοὺς δὲ λοιποὺς καμήλους B ἀπογρ(άφομαι) εἰς τὸ ἐνεστὸς (ἔτος). καμήλια. In P Oxy III. 4988 (ii/A.p.) we read of “‘ squared building-stones transportable by camel” —AQov κύβων καμηλικῶν, though too heavy for other beasts: this is remarkably like μύλος ὀνικός in Mk 9%. Cf. also OG/S 62918 (A.D. 137) τεσσάρων γόμων καμηλικῶν τέλος ἐπράχθη : so 30,88. On the τέλεσμα καμήλων see Wilcken Ο έν. i. Ρ. 378.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
κάμηλος (kamēlos) — camel. κάμηλος [ᾰ], ὁ and ἡ (as in [Refs 5th c.BC+], camel, Camelus bactrianus and C. dromedarius [Refs 4th c.BC+]; τοὺς ἔρσενας τῶν κ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; κ. ἀμνός a camel-lamb, i.e. young camel, [NT+5th c.BC+]; compare κάμιλος.
2. ἡ κ. camelry, [Refs 5th c.BC+]. (Semitic word, cf. Hebrew gāmāl.)