bēma · judgment seat

What it means

bēma (βῆμα) is a Greek word of the Bible that means “judgment seat”.

The raised platform from which an official judged.

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. The seat where the judge sits.
2. What a foot covers when it steps: the smallest piece of ground.

From Abbott-Smith (1922) · Thayer (1889)

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• judgment seat ×10
• foothold ×1
• tribunal ×1

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Matthew×1
• John×1
• Acts×8
• Romans×1
• 2 Corinthians×1

• Matthew 27:19

  And while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, “Let there be nothing between you and that righteous man; for I have suffered much today in a dream because of him.”

• John 19:13

  So when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus outside and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called the Stone Pavement, and in Hebrew Gabbatha.

• Acts 7:5

  And he did not give him an inheritance in it, not even a foothold; and he promised to give it to him as a possession and to his offspring after him, when he had no child.

• Acts 12:21

  And on an appointed day Herod, having put on royal clothing and taking his seat on the tribunal, was delivering a public address to them.

• Acts 18:12

  But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the judgment seat,

• Acts 18:16

  And he drove them from the judgment seat.

• Acts 18:17

  And they all seized Sosthenes, the synagogue leader, and were beating him in front of the judgment seat; and none of these things mattered to Gallio.

• Acts 25:6

  And after staying among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea, and the next day, sitting on the judgment seat, he ordered Paul to be brought.

• Acts 25:10

  And Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be judged. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you also know very well.

• Acts 25:17

  So when they had come together here, without making any delay, on the next day I sat on the judgment seat and ordered the man to be brought.

• Romans 14:10

  But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you also, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.

• 2 Corinthians 5:10

  For we all must be made manifest before the judgment seat of the Messiah, so that each one may receive the things done through the body, according to what he did, whether good or bad.