Original Word: ἄριστον
Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter
Transliteration: ariston
Pronunciation: ah'-ree-ston
Phonetic Spelling: (ar'-is-ton)
Definition: Breakfast, morning meal
Meaning: breakfast or a mid-day meal.

Word Origin: Derived from the Greek root ἄριστος (aristos), meaning "best" or "excellent."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: While there is no direct Hebrew equivalent for "ariston," the concept of a morning meal can be related to the Hebrew practice of daily sustenance and fellowship, as seen in various Old Testament passages about meals and hospitality.

Usage: In the New Testament, "ariston" refers to a meal, typically the first meal of the day, akin to what we would consider breakfast. It is used to describe a meal that is often more than just a simple breakfast, sometimes implying a more substantial or formal meal.

Cultural and Historical Background: In ancient Greek culture, meals were significant social events. The "ariston" was traditionally the first meal of the day, taken in the late morning. It was a time for nourishment and fellowship, often shared with family or guests. Meals in the Greco-Roman world were not just about sustenance but also about community and relationship-building.

712 áriston (literally, "without boundary, designation") – properly, "undetermined," referring to the meal eaten anytime before the main meal (i.e. "supper," 1173 /deípnon).

Word Origin
perhaps from éri (early) and prim. root ed- (eat, see esthió)
Definition
breakfast, dinner
NASB Translation
dinner (1), luncheon (1), meal (1).

STRONGS NT 712: ἄριστον

ἄριστον, ἀρίστου, τό (from Homer down);

a. the first food, taken early in the morning before work, breakfast; dinner was called δεῖπνον. But the later Greeks called breakfast; τό ἀκράτισμα, and dinner ἄριστον i. e. δεῖπνον μεσηβρινον, Athen. 1, 9, 10, p. 11b.; and so in the N. T. Hence,

b. dinner: Luke 14:12 (ποιεῖν ἄριστον ἤ δεῖπνον, to which others are invited); Luke 11:38; Matthew 22:4 (ἑτοιμάζειν). (B. D. under the word ; Becker's Charicles, namely, vi. excurs. i. (English translation, p. 312f).)

dinner.

Apparently neuter of a superlative from the same as arrhen; the best meal (or breakfast; perhaps from eri ("early")), i.e. Luncheon -- dinner.

see GREEK arrhen

αριστον άριστον άριστόν ἄριστον ἄριστόν αριστου αρίστου ἀρίστου αριώθ ariston áriston áristón aristou arístouInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts