θεοσεβής
theosebḗs
G2318 predicate adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
Having reverence or respect for God; pious. θεοσεβής denotes a person who demonstrates respect, devotion, or reverence toward a deity (especially the God of Israel in Hellenistic-Jewish and early Christian contexts). Its primary sense is 'God-revering' or 'devout.' Contextually, it can refer to those who actively express piety in worship or ethical conduct oriented toward the divine.
Semantic Range
reverent toward God, devout, pious, God-fearing, worshipper of God, showing respect or devotion to God
Root / Etymology
From θεός ('god') + σέβομαι ('to revere, to show respect'), thus formed as a compound adjective signifying 'god-revering.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
θεοσεβής emerges in Hellenistic Greek to denote individuals distinguished by their piety or religious reverence toward a deity, especially when used in Jewish and early Christian texts where reference is most often to the God of Israel. It does not inherently indicate formal religious identity (e.g., Judean), but rather the quality of devotion, and can therefore be ascribed to proselytes, 'God-fearers,' and others who honored the Israelite deity. LXX (Septuagint) usage captures this nuance, sometimes differentiating θεοσεβής from related terms such as εὐλαβής ('devout, careful') and εὐσεβής ('pious'), the latter being broader and not tied specifically to a single god. In classical Greek, σέβομαι as the root verb signified honor or reverence for any deity, while theosebēs focuses this attitude specifically toward God. Most standard translations render the term as 'pious' or 'devout,' but in Jewish or Christian Greek literature, 'God-fearing' or 'devout toward God' better preserves the specificity. The nuance that one might not be ethnically Judean yet still be θεοσεβής is significant in certain NT and LXX contexts.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from θεός and σέβομαι; reverent of God, i.e. pious:--worshipper of God.
Root Family
θεοσέβ- (theosébeia) — to honor (the divine), to revere, to worship
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| G2317 | θεοσέβεια | religious devotion |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2318-01 |
θεοσεβὴς | theosebes | ADJ.P NOM M SG |
worshipper of God | God-revering one | God-revering one | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2318-01 |
John 9:31 | θεοσεβὴς | theosebes | ADJ.P NOM M SG |
worshipper of God | God-revering one | God-revering one |