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G712 · Greek · New Testament
ἄριστον
Ariston
Noun, neuter
Breakfast, morning meal, midday meal

Definition

The Greek ariston (ἄριστον) refers to the first or primary meal of the day — breakfast or the midday meal. It appears in Luke 11:37-38, where a Pharisee invites Jesus to dine (aristesei) and is surprised that He doesn't wash ceremonially before the meal; and in Luke 14:12 where Jesus instructs on who to invite to a banquet. Matthew 22:4 uses it for the wedding banquet feast.

Usage & Theological Significance

Jesus at the Pharisee's ariston delivers one of His sharpest critiques of religious externalism: 'You Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness' (Luke 11:39). The meal becomes a classroom. Jesus consistently used mealtimes as teaching moments — the feeding of 5,000, the Last Supper, the post-resurrection breakfast, the meal at Emmaus, and here. In Luke 14, the ariston becomes the occasion for the parable of the great banquet — those who were invited to the feast made excuses, so the host fills the table with the poor, lame, and blind. The kingdom's table is always more full than its original guest list.

Key Bible Verses

Luke 11:37 When Jesus had finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him to eat (aristesei) with him; so he went in and reclined at the table.
Luke 11:38 But the Pharisee was surprised when he noticed that Jesus did not first wash before the meal.
Luke 14:12 Then Jesus said to his host, 'When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends.'
Matthew 22:4 Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.
Luke 14:21 Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.

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