ἱερόν (G2411) — Greek Lexicon

ἱερόν

hierón

G2411 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A sacred place, particularly the entire precinct and complex of a temple, not limited to the central sanctuary (ναός) but encompassing its courts, buildings, and surrounding areas. Refers especially to the physical and functional domain set apart for religious rites and activities, often in urban civic spaces. In Hellenistic and Roman contexts, also denotes the broader temple area including auxiliary structures and open courts, contrasted with the inner sanctum.

Semantic Range

sacred place, temple precinct, temple complex, sanctuary grounds, holy grounds, area set apart for religious rites

Root / Etymology

From the adjective ἱερός ('sacred, holy'), itself of uncertain Indo-European origin, used broadly in ancient Greek for anything set apart for a deity or religious use. ἱερόν is the neuter substantive form, signifying 'sacred place.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, ἱερόν refers generally to any sacred area or temple precinct, not just the central structure. In Hellenistic Greek and the Septuagint, it commonly translates Hebrew מִקְדָּשׁ (miqdash, 'sanctuary') or בֵּית־הַמִּקְדָּשׁ (Beit HaMikdash, 'House of the Sanctuary'). In the New Testament, ἱερόν refers specifically to the Jerusalem temple's entire complex, including its courts and enclosed areas, distinct from ναός, which signifies the central sanctuary or inner shrine. This distinction is not always recognized in English translations, where both terms are often rendered 'temple.' While Greco-Roman temples similarly employed ἱερόν for the full sacred enclosure, the use in Judean contexts underscores the boundaries of ritual access and activities. In contrast, ναός in Hellenistic and biblical sources emphasizes the innermost, most restricted space. ἱερόν was also used for major sacred complexes outside Jerusalem, such as at pagan shrines. Later Greek sources sometimes conflate the terms, but in earlier Koine the distinction remains significant.

Translation Consistency

primary "temple" 71 occurrences

ἱερόν normally denotes the temple precinct or complex (not just the inner sanctuary). "Temple" is the natural, common English noun that covers the whole sacred area in Hellenistic/Roman contexts, is easy to inflect consistently, and avoids the narrower sense of "sanctuary" or the adjectival ambiguity of "sacred."

✓ All renderings match approved senses

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

neuter of ἱερός; a sacred place, i.e. the entire precincts (whereas ναός denotes the central sanctuary itself) of the Temple (at Jerusalem or elsewhere):--temple.

Root Family

ἱερόν (hieron) — sacred place, temple precinct, holy grounds, area set apart for a deity

Root ἱερ- sacred, holy, set apart for a deity

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`G2411-01`	ἱερῷ	iero	`N DAT N SG`	temple	to the sacred precinct	to the temple	32
`G2411-02`	ἱερόν	ieron	`N ACC N SG`	temple	the sacred precinct	the temple	20
`G2411-03`	ἱεροῦ	ierou	`N GEN N SG`	temple	of the temple precinct	temple precinct	19

Occurrences in Scripture

71 occurrences

Filter by SIDANCE:

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`G2411-03`	Matthew 4:5	ἱεροῦ	ierou	`N GEN N SG`	temple	of the temple precinct	of the temple precinct
`G2411-01`	Matthew 12:5	ἱερῷ	iero	`N DAT N SG`	temple	to the sacred precinct	temple
`G2411-03`	Matthew 12:6	ἱεροῦ	ierou	`N GEN N SG`	temple	of the temple precinct	temple precinct
`G2411-02`	Matthew 21:12	ἱερόν	ieron	`N ACC N SG`	temple	the sacred precinct	the temple
`G2411-01`	Matthew 21:12	ἱερῷ	iero	`N DAT N SG`	temple	to the sacred precinct	to the temple
`G2411-01`	Matthew 21:14	ἱερῷ	iero	`N DAT N SG`	temple	to the sacred precinct	to the temple
`G2411-01`	Matthew 21:15	ἱερῷ	iero	`N DAT N SG`	temple	to the sacred precinct	temple
`G2411-02`	Matthew 21:23	ἱερὸν	ieron	`N ACC N SG`	temple	the sacred precinct	the temple
`G2411-03`	Matthew 24:1	ἱεροῦ	ierou	`N GEN N SG`	temple	of the temple precinct	temple precinct
`G2411-03`	Matthew 24:1	ἱεροῦ	ierou-2	`N GEN N SG`	temple	of the temple precinct	temple precinct
`G2411-01`	Matthew 26:55	ἱερῷ	iero	`N DAT N SG`	temple	to the sacred precinct	temple
`G2411-02`	Mark 11:11	ἱερόν	ieron	`N ACC N SG`	temple	the sacred precinct	the temple
`G2411-02`	Mark 11:15	ἱερὸν	ieron	`N ACC N SG`	temple	the sacred precinct	the temple
`G2411-01`	Mark 11:15	ἱερῷ	iero	`N DAT N SG`	temple	to the sacred precinct	to the temple
`G2411-03`	Mark 11:16	ἱεροῦ	ierou	`N GEN N SG`	temple	of the temple precinct	temple precinct
`G2411-01`	Mark 11:27	ἱερῷ	iero	`N DAT N SG`	temple	to the sacred precinct	to the temple
`G2411-01`	Mark 12:35	ἱερῷ	iero	`N DAT N SG`	temple	to the sacred precinct	to the temple
`G2411-03`	Mark 13:1	ἱεροῦ	ierou	`N GEN N SG`	temple	of the temple precinct	temple precinct
`G2411-03`	Mark 13:3	ἱεροῦ	ierou	`N GEN N SG`	temple	of the temple precinct	temple precinct
`G2411-01`	Mark 14:49	ἱερῷ	iero	`N DAT N SG`	temple	to the sacred precinct	to the temple
`G2411-02`	Luke 2:27	ἱερόν	ieron	`N ACC N SG`	temple	the sacred precinct	the temple
`G2411-03`	Luke 2:37	ἱεροῦ	ierou	`N GEN N SG`	temple	of the temple precinct	temple precinct
`G2411-01`	Luke 2:46	ἱερῷ	iero	`N DAT N SG`	temple	to the sacred precinct	temple
`G2411-03`	Luke 4:9	ἱεροῦ	ierou	`N GEN N SG`	temple	of the temple precinct	temple precinct
`G2411-02`	Luke 18:10	ἱερὸν	ieron	`N ACC N SG`	temple	the sacred precinct	the temple
`G2411-02`	Luke 19:45	ἱερὸν	ieron	`N ACC N SG`	temple	the sacred precinct	the temple
`G2411-01`	Luke 19:47	ἱερῷ	iero	`N DAT N SG`	temple	to the sacred precinct	temple
`G2411-01`	Luke 20:1	ἱερῷ	iero	`N DAT N SG`	temple	to the sacred precinct	temple
`G2411-03`	Luke 21:5	ἱεροῦ	ierou	`N GEN N SG`	temple	of the temple precinct	temple precinct
`G2411-01`	Luke 21:37	ἱερῷ	iero	`N DAT N SG`	temple	to the sacred precinct	temple
`G2411-01`	Luke 21:38	ἱερῷ	iero	`N DAT N SG`	temple	to the sacred precinct	to the temple
`G2411-03`	Luke 22:52	ἱεροῦ	ierou	`N GEN N SG`	temple	of the temple precinct	of the temple precinct
`G2411-01`	Luke 22:53	ἱερῷ	iero	`N DAT N SG`	temple	to the sacred precinct	to the temple
`G2411-01`	Luke 24:53	ἱερῷ	iero	`N DAT N SG`	temple	to the sacred precinct	to the temple
`G2411-01`	John 2:14	ἱερῷ	iero	`N DAT N SG`	temple	to the sacred precinct	to the temple
`G2411-03`	John 2:15	ἱεροῦ	ierou	`N GEN N SG`	temple	of the temple precinct	temple precinct
`G2411-01`	John 5:14	ἱερῷ	iero	`N DAT N SG`	temple	to the sacred precinct	to the temple
`G2411-02`	John 7:14	ἱερὸν	ieron	`N ACC N SG`	temple	the sacred precinct	the temple
`G2411-01`	John 7:28	ἱερῷ	iero	`N DAT N SG`	temple	to the sacred precinct	to the temple
`G2411-02`	John 8:2	ἱερόν	ieron	`N ACC N SG`	temple	the sacred precinct	the temple
`G2411-01`	John 8:20	ἱερῷ	iero	`N DAT N SG`	temple	to the sacred precinct	to the temple
`G2411-03`	John 8:59	ἱεροῦ	ierou	`N GEN N SG`	temple	of the temple precinct	temple precinct
`G2411-01`	John 10:23	ἱερῷ	iero	`N DAT N SG`	temple	to the sacred precinct	to the temple
`G2411-01`	John 11:56	ἱερῷ	iero	`N DAT N SG`	temple	to the sacred precinct	temple
`G2411-01`	John 18:20	ἱερῷ	iero	`N DAT N SG`	temple	to the sacred precinct	to the temple
`G2411-01`	Acts 2:46	ἱερῷ	iero	`N DAT N SG`	temple	to the sacred precinct	to the temple
`G2411-02`	Acts 3:1	ἱερὸν	ieron	`N ACC N SG`	temple	the sacred precinct	the temple
`G2411-03`	Acts 3:2	ἱεροῦ	ierou	`N GEN N SG`	temple	of the temple precinct	of the temple precinct
`G2411-02`	Acts 3:2	ἱερόν	ieron	`N ACC N SG`	temple	the sacred precinct	the temple
`G2411-02`	Acts 3:3	ἱερὸν	ieron	`N ACC N SG`	temple	the sacred precinct	the temple
`G2411-02`	Acts 3:8	ἱερὸν	ieron	`N ACC N SG`	temple	the sacred precinct	the temple
`G2411-03`	Acts 3:10	ἱεροῦ	ierou	`N GEN N SG`	temple	of the temple precinct	temple precinct
`G2411-03`	Acts 4:1	ἱεροῦ	ierou	`N GEN N SG`	temple	of the temple precinct	of the temple precinct
`G2411-01`	Acts 5:20	ἱερῷ	iero	`N DAT N SG`	temple	to the sacred precinct	to the temple
`G2411-02`	Acts 5:21	ἱερὸν	ieron	`N ACC N SG`	temple	the sacred precinct	the temple
`G2411-03`	Acts 5:24	ἱεροῦ	ierou	`N GEN N SG`	temple	of the temple precinct	of the temple precinct
`G2411-01`	Acts 5:25	ἱερῷ	iero	`N DAT N SG`	temple	to the sacred precinct	to the temple
`G2411-01`	Acts 5:42	ἱερῷ	iero	`N DAT N SG`	temple	to the sacred precinct	temple
`G2411-02`	Acts 19:27	ἱερὸν	ieron	`N ACC N SG`	temple	the sacred precinct	the temple
`G2411-02`	Acts 21:26	ἱερόν	ieron	`N ACC N SG`	temple	the sacred precinct	the temple
`G2411-01`	Acts 21:27	ἱερῷ	iero	`N DAT N SG`	temple	to the sacred precinct	temple
`G2411-02`	Acts 21:28	ἱερὸν	ieron	`N ACC N SG`	temple	the sacred precinct	the temple
`G2411-02`	Acts 21:29	ἱερὸν	ieron	`N ACC N SG`	temple	the sacred precinct	the temple
`G2411-03`	Acts 21:30	ἱεροῦ	ierou	`N GEN N SG`	temple	of the temple precinct	of the temple precinct
`G2411-01`	Acts 22:17	ἱερῷ	iero	`N DAT N SG`	temple	to the sacred precinct	to the temple
`G2411-02`	Acts 24:6	ἱερὸν	ieron	`N ACC N SG`	temple	the sacred precinct	the temple
`G2411-01`	Acts 24:12	ἱερῷ	iero	`N DAT N SG`	temple	to the sacred precinct	to the temple
`G2411-01`	Acts 24:18	ἱερῷ	iero	`N DAT N SG`	temple	to the sacred precinct	to the temple
`G2411-02`	Acts 25:8	ἱερὸν	ieron	`N ACC N SG`	temple	the sacred precinct	the temple
`G2411-01`	Acts 26:21	ἱερῷ	iero	`N DAT N SG`	temple	to the sacred precinct	to the temple
`G2411-03`	1 Corinthians 9:13	ἱεροῦ	ierou	`N GEN N SG`	temple	of the temple precinct	temple precinct

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