Lexical Summary gunaikeios: Womanly, feminine Original Word: γυναικεῖος Strong's Exhaustive Concordance wife, femaleFrom gune; feminine -- wife. see GREEK gune NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom guné Definition female NASB Translation woman (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 1134: γυναικεῖοςγυναικεῖος, γυναικεῖα, γυναικεῖον, of or belonging to a woman, feminine, female: 1 Peter 3:7. (From Homer down; the Sept.) Topical Lexicon Canonical OccurrenceThe adjective appears only in 1 Peter 3:7, where Peter urges Christian husbands to live “with consideration as a weaker vessel, and with honor as fellow heirs of the gracious gift of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered”. The term accents the distinctly female nature of the wife in contrast to the male husband, providing the backdrop for Peter’s pastoral counsel on honor, understanding, and joint inheritance. Biblical Foundations of Femininity From Genesis onward Scripture treats the female sex as God-designed, dignified, and indispensable. “Male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:27), establishing a binary that is both biological and theological. Eve is fashioned “out of man” (Genesis 2:23), yet she is given to be his essential counterpart and partner in dominion (Genesis 1:28). The Old Testament canon, particularly Proverbs 31, celebrates the strength, wisdom, and spiritual vitality of godly women, preparing the way for New Testament teaching. Theological Significance in 1 Peter 3:7 1. Mutual Heirship. Though the wife is called a “weaker vessel,” she is simultaneously identified as a “fellow heir” of eternal life. Spiritual equality underlines physical distinction. Historical and Cultural Background First-century Greco-Roman culture often treated women as property. Peter’s instructions elevate wives far above societal norms by granting them equal spiritual status and calling for respectful partnership. Early Christian writings (e.g., Didache, Shepherd of Hermas) echo this ethos, illustrating the transformative impact of the apostolic teaching on household codes. Old and New Testament Parallels • Genesis 2:24 – Marriage as one-flesh union. These passages harmonize with Peter by affirming both complementarity and co-heirship. Ministerial Applications 1. Premarital Counseling. Teach prospective husbands to understand and honor the feminine frame—physically, emotionally, and spiritually—grounding their role in 1 Peter 3:7. Contemporary Relevance Modern debates over gender blur God-given distinctions. The single New Testament use of this adjective pierces current confusion with balanced clarity: physical and functional differences remain, yet neither sex is spiritually superior. The church safeguards the beauty of femininity by holding both truths together—celebrating equal worth and protecting designed distinctness. Summary Strong’s Greek 1134 appears only once, but its placement in 1 Peter 3:7 supplies a keystone for biblical anthropology and marital ethics. Scripture presents the female sex as a divinely crafted vessel, to be honored, protected, and cherished as an equal participant in redemption. Christian ministry that embraces this pattern upholds the created order and magnifies the gospel’s transformative power in homes, congregations, and society. Forms and Transliterations γυναικεία γυναικείαν γυναικείον γυναικειω γυναικείω γυναικείῳ γυναικώνα γυναικώνι γυναικώνος γύναιον gunaikeio gunaikeiō gynaikeio gynaikeiō gynaikeíoi gynaikeíōiLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |
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