Chloe meaning

Meaning

Verdure, Tender Shoot

Etymology

From the noun χλοη (chloe), tender shoot, verdure.

Chloe, apparently, is a woman in Corinth whose household is big enough to account for Paul referring to Chloe's people (1 Corinthians 1:11). These people have informed Paul — who's then probably in Ephesus — about improprieties in the Corinthian church. This church has sent Paul a letter (7:1), which was possibly hand-carried to Paul by Chloe's people, who may be the same as the Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus of 16:17.

The name Chloe is an off-the-shelf Greek noun meaning (1) the first shoot of plants in spring, the green blade of corn or grass, or (2) the young verdure of trees, foliage (says Liddell & Scott, An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon). It has to do with the word χλωρος (chloros), meaning green:

The noun chloe isn't used in the Bible, but the word chloros shows up all over, most notably in the green horse of Revelation 6:8 (and see our discussion of the Green Horse of Revelation).

The word chloros lives on in our words chlorophyll and chloroform, but the noun chloe was once a star player in the world's language and was incorporated in many a composite word: χλοηκομεω (chloekomeo), meaning to be as green as a young leaf; χλοηφαγεω (chloephageo), meaning herbivorous; χλοητοκος (chloetokos), meaning producing young shoots. And some words that are obviously coming out of the same corner: χλοανος (chloanos), meaning greenish; χλοαυγης (chloauges), meaning with a green luster; χλουνης (chlounes), meaning making its bed in the grass.

For a meaning of the name Chloe, Zodhiates' The Complete Word Study Dictionary New Testament reads Verdure, Tender Shoot. NOBSE Study Bible Name List has Verdure.