θεά
theá
G2299 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A female deity, goddess; refers to a female divine being within polytheistic religious belief systems, in contrast to a male god (θεός). In specific contexts, can denote a particular goddess, such as Artemis of the Ephesians, or female personifications honored or invoked as divine beings.
Semantic Range
female deity, goddess, divine female being, specific goddess (e.g. Artemis), object of religious veneration as a female divine figure
Root / Etymology
Derived as the feminine form of θεός (theós, 'god'). Formed by affixing the feminine ending -ά to the stem θεα-, paralleling common strategies for creating feminine nouns in Greek.
Historical & Contextual Notes
θεά is rare in classical Greek, where θεός was often used generically for deities of either gender, but becomes more specifically the term for a female divinity in Hellenistic and later Greek. In the Septuagint and New Testament, θεά appears in contexts referencing Greco-Roman religion—most notably in Acts 19:27–37, regarding Artemis, the 'great goddess' (μεγάλη θεά). The term is not used for YHWH or the God of Israel, nor did Israelite or Judean religious vocabulary include a direct female counterpart to θεός. Later translations may render θεά simply as 'goddess' in English, but this may obscure specific historical references or religious identities associated with the term. θεά should be distinguished from other feminine divine or semi-divine entities (e.g., δαίμων), and unlike θεός, rarely connotes a generic or absolute sense of divinity. Usage is typically limited to descriptions of polytheistic cults, especially in reference to deities worshipped across the Greco-Roman world.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
feminine of θεός; a female deity:--goddess.
Root Family
θεά (thea) — female deity, goddess, divine female being
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2299-01 |
θεᾶς | theas | N GEN F SG |
goddess | of a goddess | goddess | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2299-01 |
Acts 19:27 | θεᾶς | theas | N GEN F SG |
goddess | of a goddess | goddess |