Lexical Summary thélus: Female Original Word: θῆλυς Strong's Exhaustive Concordance female, woman. From the same as thelazo; female -- female, woman. see GREEK thelazo HELPS Word-studies 2338 thḗlys (from thēlē, "the female breast") – properly, a woman with nursing breasts ("one who gives suck"); (figuratively) a mature female who exhibit "sanctified femaleness," glorifying God by reflecting the "other wonderful half" of the divine image (cf. Gen 1:26,27). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom prim. root thé- (to suckle) Definition female NASB Translation female (3), woman (1), women (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 2338: θῆλυςθῆλυς, θηλείᾳ, θῆλυ (cf. θηλάζω, at the beginning), of the female sex; ἡ θηλείᾳ, a substantive, a woman, a female: Romans 1:26f; also τό θῆλυ, Matthew 19:4; Mark 10:6; Galatians 3:28. (Genesis 1:27; Genesis 7:2; Exodus 1:16, euc.; in Greek writings from Homer down.) Topical Lexicon Biblical UsageThe adjective θῆλυ appears five times in the Greek New Testament and is always paired or contrasted with ἄρσην (“male,” Strong’s 730). It refers to human femaleness as created by God (Matthew 19:4; Mark 10:6), as distorted by sin (Romans 1:26 – 27), and as included in redemption (Galatians 3:28). Each occurrence anchors a different theological truth: creation order, moral accountability, and gospel equality. Creation Ordinance and Theology of Gender Matthew 19:4 records Jesus’ appeal to Genesis: “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female’?”. Mark 10:6 repeats the same citation. By invoking θῆλυ alongside ἄρσην, Jesus affirms that gender distinction is rooted in divine design, not social convention. This original pairing undergirds the one-flesh union of marriage (Genesis 2:24) and the divine mandate to “be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:28). The permanence of this order serves as the foundation for biblical teaching on marriage, sexuality, family, and ecclesial life. Sexual Ethics Romans 1:26 – 27 applies θῆλυ to expose the moral disorder introduced by sin: “Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones… the men likewise.” The deliberate mention of female same-sex relations, before male, underscores the comprehensive scope of humanity’s rebellion. Paul’s argument rests on creation norms: the natural relation (kata physin) assumes the complementary pairing of ἄρσην and θῆλυ. Departure from that design evidences the “exchanging” of God’s truth for a lie (Romans 1:25). The passage shapes a biblical ethic that views heterosexual monogamy as the only divinely sanctioned context for sexual expression. Redemptive Equality in Christ Galatians 3:28 proclaims, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus”. Here θῆλυ signals that, while gender distinctions remain creationally intact, they confer no spiritual hierarchy regarding salvation or covenant status. The verse dismantles any claim that femaleness limits access to grace, spiritual gifting, or inheritance in Christ. The church therefore upholds both the created difference and the equal worth of women and men. Historical and Cultural Background In Greco-Roman society, women were often confined to domestic spheres and regarded as inferior intellectually and spiritually. By retaining θῆλυ yet elevating its dignity, the New Testament confronts cultural norms without erasing gender. Early Christian communities valued female disciples (Acts 16:14-15; Romans 16:1-2) and martyrs, affirming that the gospel reclaims the honor intended at creation. Ministry Implications 1. Doctrinal clarity: Churches must teach that gender is a divine gift, not a social construct, rooting identity in God’s creative intent. Pastoral Application • Marriage Counseling: Use Matthew 19:4 and Mark 10:6 to ground marital roles and covenant permanence in God’s creation design. Summary θῆλυ serves as a concise biblical witness to God’s intentional creation of women, humanity’s distortion of that intention, and Christ’s redemption that restores women to equal standing in the covenant community. The term therefore contributes to a holistic theology of gender, sexuality, and ministry that honors both the order and the grace of God revealed in Scripture. Forms and Transliterations θηλεία θήλεια θηλειαι θήλειαι θηλείαις θήλειαν θηλειας θηλείας θηλυ θήλυ θῆλυ θημωνία θημωνίας θήρες θιμωνία theleiai thēleiai thḗleiai theleias theleías thēleias thēleías thelu thēlu thely thêly thēly thē̂lyLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Matthew 19:4 Adj-ANSGRK: ἄρσεν καὶ θῆλυ ἐποίησεν αὐτοὺς NAS: MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE, KJV: male and female, INT: male and female made them Mark 10:6 Adj-ANS Romans 1:26 Adj-NFP Romans 1:27 Adj-GFS Galatians 3:28 Adj-NNS Strong's Greek 2338 |
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