[Greek] κρύπτω (kryptō), [Latin] absconditus, [Latin] non revelare, [Latin] occultus: to hide, to conceal, to keep secret, to keep things hidden; Mt.13:44, Lk.13:21, Col.3:3, Mt.11:25, Heb.11:23, Mt.25:18, Mt.5:14, Mt.10:26, Lk.12:2, Mk.4:22, Lk.8:17, Jn.19:38, Jn.3:2, Jn.7:4, 2 Cor.4:2, Eph.5:12
The Finding of Moses: a painting by Nicolas Poissin (1638)
Background Information:
Secular culture: In secular culture this term is primarily used in the sense of to conceal, to hide, to deceive, to overlook, and to pretend. In poetry, mention is made of a helmet concealing protectively. Concealment is often used for selfish reasons to prevent others from using the object (to keep it for oneself). Hiding can involve hiding treasure or hiding things of which one is ashamed. Overlooking can mean pardoning faults or grievances. The keeping of entrusted secrets becomes part of the Delphic rules of life. Pretending (dissembling) involves hiding one’s true feelings and intentions.
Greek Hellenism: The gods (deities) are hidden. Even the worldly Homeric man and common man are aware of this. The presence of the gods evoke ominous meanings. To see a god at an unfortunate time means destruction. The gods do not have absolute control over man, but their reality is upheld for purposes of oaths. Man have greater access to the gods. On the other hand, Gnosticism provides knowledge, information, and access to a select few.
Old Testament: In the Old Testament, this term takes on the sense of to hide, to cover and to bury. Rahab was ordered to hide two men (Joshua 2:4). The infant Moses is hidden in the reeds in the Nile River (Ex.2:3). God ponders hiding His intentions from Abraham (Gen.17:17). One ponders covering a misdeed (Prov.17:9). Several passages involve burying someone or digging a pit.
God and hiddenness: God, because of His nature, remains hidden from man. Man would otherwise die from seeing God. Sinful man often hides from God, who sees all. Nothing is hidden from God. The righteous man does not hide from God. Man discloses everything, follows, and serves Him. Although hidden, God still provides protection, guidance, and wisdom. God restores man’s broken relationship with Him. He reveals Himself through the Messiah.
New Testament: This term means being hidden, hiding, being buried, being ignored, being misunderstood, and escaping. The disciples’ deeds (actions) can only be seen if they are not hidden. He will announce what has laid hidden. The kingdom of heaven is like a valuable treasure that is buried in the ground. Jesus’ third prediction of the Passion remained hidden (was not understood) to the disciples. The master scolded the servant for squandering the talent by burying it. Jesus’ words for peace remained hidden (were ignored), resulting in Jerusalem experiencing devastation. Jesus escaped and hid from being hit with stones. Joseph of Arimathea, secretly a disciple of Jesus, hid from the authorities. All actions, both good and bad, cannot be hidden. The infant Moses was hidden by his parents for three months.
Scripture:
“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” Mt.13:44
The kingdom of heaven is initially hidden waiting to be discovered. In the form of a simile, the kingdom is shown to be like a hidden treasure. In order for the disciples to understand, Jesus presents the image of heaven in the simplest terms.
“Similarly, good works are also public; and even those that are not cannot remain hidden.” 1Tim.5:25
All actions are public
“So out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground. Here it is back.” Mt.25:25
The master scolded the servant for not productively using or investing in his talent.
Conclusion:
Cryptic, cryptic, encryption, decryption, crypt, abscond, occult
First of all, I was glad that I was able to “uncover” this word krypto, hidden with rich meanings and themes. I really did not consider that this term would have many nuanced uses and meanings. Aside from literal hiding and burying, this term also deals with man’s motivations and desires.
Not surprisingly, I discovered a constant theme of hiddenness involving gods, deities, and even God. It was fascinating to see how the hiddenness of God helps define His relationship with His people. This hiddenness really sheds some light on how the gospel message was presented in the form of parables. The gospel message was hidden to many people because of lack of understanding or lack of interest in hearing it.
In Palestine, it was often a customary practice to bury valuable and priceless items in the ground. I try to keep this valuable information hidden.