1167. deilia

Lexical Summary

deilia: Timidity, cowardice, fearfulness

Original Word: δειλία
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: deilia
Pronunciation: day-lee'-ah
Phonetic Spelling: (di-lee'-ah)
KJV: fear
NASB: timidity
Word Origin: [from G1169 (δειλός - afraid)]

1. timidity

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

fear.

From deilos; timidity -- fear.

see GREEK deilos

HELPS Word-studies

Cognate: 1167 deilía – timidity, reticence (used only in 2 Tim 1:7). See 1169 (deilós).

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from deilos
Definition
cowardice
NASB Translation
timidity (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 1167: δειλία

δειλία, δειλίας, ἡ (δειλός), timidity, fearfullness, cowardice: 2 Timothy 1:7. (Sophocles (Herodotus), Euripides, (Aristophanes), Thucydides, and subsequent writings.) [SYNONYMS: δειλία, φόβος, εὐλάβεια: "of these three words the first is used always in a bad sense; the second is a middle term, capable of a good interpretation, capable of an evil, and lying pretty evenly between the two; the third is quite predominantly used in a good sense, though it too has not altogether escaped being employed in an evil." Trench, § x, which see; cf. δέος.]

Topical Lexicon

Biblical Setting

The noun δειλία (deilía) appears a single time in the New Testament, in Paul’s final letter to his protégé: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:7). The word denotes cowardice or craven fear, a shrinking back that is incompatible with faith.

Historical Context

2 Timothy is penned from Paul’s last Roman imprisonment, likely in the mid-60s A.D., when persecution under Nero was intensifying. Timothy, ministering at Ephesus, faced false teachers, discouragement, and possible governmental hostility. Paul’s reminder about fearlessness is therefore pastoral and urgent: God does not sponsor the timidity that would cause His servants to retreat in the face of opposition.

Cowardice Versus Godly Fear

Scripture distinguishes between sinful fear and the reverential fear of the LORD. Whereas δειλία is condemned, reverence is commended (Proverbs 1:7; Psalm 111:10). Cowardice distrusts God’s character and power; reverence embraces them. Paul’s triad—power, love, self-control—identifies the Spirit’s antidote to cowardice:
• Power supplies courage (Acts 1:8).
• Love casts out fear (1 John 4:18).
• Self-control steadies the believer when threatened (Galatians 5:23).

Intertextual Echoes

Although δειλία itself is rare, the theme pervades Scripture:
• The LORD’s charge to Joshua, “Be strong and courageous” (Joshua 1:6) rejects cowardice.
• Gideon’s army is filtered by removing the fearful (Judges 7:3).
• Jesus rebukes the disciples’ fear during the storm: “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” (Matthew 8:26).
• The “cowardly” head the list of those excluded from the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:8).

Ministry Significance

1. Preaching and Teaching: δειλία warns pastors against soft-pedaling truth. Bold proclamation is Spirit-wrought, not personality-driven (Acts 4:31).
2. Leadership Development: Paul’s exhortation implies that timidity can be confronted and overcome through remembering one’s calling, exercising spiritual gifts, and relying on the Spirit (2 Timothy 1:6-8).
3. Suffering and Perseverance: Where persecution rises, δειλία tempts withdrawal. Believers draw on divine power to witness faithfully even unto death (Revelation 12:11).

Pastoral Application

• Diagnose Fear: Is it protective wisdom or crippling unbelief?
• Recall Identity: The Spirit of adoption (Romans 8:15) displaces servile fear.
• Cultivate the Triad: Seek Spirit-empowered boldness, self-sacrificial love, disciplined thinking.
• Pray for Courage: The early church prayed “that Your servants may speak Your word with complete boldness” (Acts 4:29).

Christological Focus

Christ exemplifies fearless obedience: steadfast before hostile crowds (Luke 4:29-30), resolute en route to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51), unflinching before Pilate (John 18:37). His victory over death ensures that believers “might serve Him without fear” (Luke 1:74).

Impact on Church History

From Stephen’s martyrdom to modern missions, Christians have testified that δειλία is displaced when hearts are captivated by Christ’s glory. The courage of Polycarp, Luther, Bunyan, and countless unnamed believers bears witness that God’s Spirit still grants power, love, and self-control.

Summary

Strong’s Greek 1167 highlights one vice—cowardice—that God decisively counters through His Spirit. The lone New Testament occurrence in 2 Timothy distills a perpetual message: the gospel calls and equips believers to exchange fearfulness for Spirit-born courage, active love, and disciplined resolve.

Forms and Transliterations

δειλία δειλίαν δειλιάνη δειλιας δειλίας deilias deilías

Englishman's Concordance

2 Timothy 1:7 N-GFS
GRK: θεὸς πνεῦμα δειλίας ἀλλὰ δυνάμεως
NAS: us a spirit of timidity, but of power
KJV: us the spirit of fear; but of power,
INT: God a spirit of cowardice but of power

Strong's Greek 1167
1 Occurrence

δειλίας — 1 Occ.