τράγος
trágos
G5131 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Male goat; refers specifically to a he-goat, often used in contexts involving livestock, sacrifice, or figurative comparison. In Greek literature, τράγος denotes the adult male of the goat species, distinguished from θύς (she-goat) and ἔριφος (kid). It is used both in literal descriptions of animals and in sacrificial or metaphorical settings.
Semantic Range
he-goat, sacrificial male goat, adult male goat in zoological and ritual contexts, figurative representation of certain characteristics (e.g., stubbornness, lasciviousness)
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root τραγ-, possibly related to τρώγω ('to gnaw'), referencing the feeding behavior of goats. The connection is plausible by association of gnawing with goats' characteristic behavior, but the direct derivation is uncertain.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Attested from early classical Greek (e.g., Homer onward), τράγος primarily denotes a male goat, especially in agricultural, sacrificial, or mythological contexts. The word is central to Greek religious ritual, notably as a sacrificial animal in festivals (such as the Athenian Dionysia, where the term might also connect to the origin of the word 'tragedy'—τραγῳδία, 'goat-song'). In the Septuagint, τράγος appears as a rendering of Hebrew עֵז (he-goat) or שָּׂעִיר (hairy one, male goat), frequently in sacrificial regulations or zoological lists. In the New Testament, the term appears rarely but is used in Hebrews 9:12-13 to denote sacrificial goats contrasted with calves and in reference to the sacrificial system. English translations typically render τράγος as 'goat,' but more precisely it specified the male animal. Unlike ἔριφος (young goat/kid) or αἴξ (general goat), τράγος is gender- and age-specific.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from the base of τρώγω; a he-goat (as a gnawer):--goat.
Root Family
τράγος (tragos) — he-goat, male goat
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G5131-01 |
τράγων | tragon | N GEN M PL |
goats | of he-goats | of he-goats | 4 |
Occurrences in Scripture
4 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G5131-01 |
Hebrews 9:12 | τράγων | tragon | N GEN M PL |
goats | of he-goats | of he-goats |
G5131-01 |
Hebrews 9:13 | τράγων | tragon | N GEN M PL |
of goats | of he-goats | of he-goats |
G5131-01 |
Hebrews 9:19 | τράγων | tragon | N GEN M PL |
goats | of he-goats | he-goats |
G5131-01 |
Hebrews 10:4 | τράγων | tragon | N GEN M PL |
of goats | of he-goats | of he-goats |