2342. thérion

Lexicon

thérion: Beast, wild animal

Original Word: θηρίον
Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter
Transliteration: thérion
Pronunciation: thay-ree-on
Phonetic Spelling: (thay-ree'-on)
Definition: Beast, wild animal
Meaning: properly: a wild beast, hence: any animal; met: a brute.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

venomous, wild beast.

Diminutive from the same as thera; a dangerous animal -- (venomous, wild) beast.

see GREEK thera

HELPS Word-studies

2342 thēríon – the generic term for wild animal ("beast"); (figuratively) a brutal ("bestial") nature.

[2342 (thēríon) never refers to animals used for sacrifice.]

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
dim. form of the same as théra
Definition
a wild beast
NASB Translation
beast (38), beasts (2), creature (2), wild beasts (3).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 2342: θηρίον

θηρίον, θηρίου, τό (diminutive of θήρ; hence, a little beast, little animal; Plato, Theact., p. 171 e.; of bees, Theocritus, 19, 6; but in usage it had almost always the force of its primitive; the later diminutive is θηριδιον (cf. Epictetus diss. 2, 9, 6)); (from Homer down); the Sept. for חַיָה and בְּהֵמָה, an animal; a wild animal, wild beast, beast: properly, Mark 1:13; Acts 10:12 Rec.; ; Hebrews 12:20; (James 3:7); Revelation 6:8; in Revelation 11:7 and Revelation 13-20, under the figurative of a 'beast' is depicted Antichrist, both his person and his kingdom and power (see ἀντίχριστος); metaphorically, a brutal, bestial man, savage, ferocious, Titus 1:12 (colloquial, 'ugly dogs') (so in Aristophanes eqq. 273; Plutarch, 439; nub. 184; (cf. Schmidt, chapter 70, 2; apparently never with allusion to the stupidity of beasts); still other examples are given by Kypke, Observations, ii., p. 379; θηρία ἀνθρωπομορφα, Ignatius Smyrn. 4 [ET], cf. ad Ephes. 7 [ET]). (Synonym: see ζοων.)

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: Diminutive of θήρ (thēr), meaning "wild beast" or "animal."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: The Greek θηρίον does not have a direct one-to-one equivalent in Hebrew, but similar concepts can be found in Hebrew words like חַיָּה (chayah, Strong's Hebrew 2416), meaning "living thing" or "animal," and בְּהֵמָה (behemah, Strong's Hebrew 929), meaning "beast" or "cattle." These terms are used in the Old Testament to describe animals and, at times, metaphorically to depict nations or forces opposed to God.

Usage: The term θηρίον is used in the New Testament to describe literal animals, as well as metaphorically to depict hostile or dangerous entities, including those of a spiritual or apocalyptic nature.

Context: The Greek word θηρίον appears several times in the New Testament, primarily in the context of the Book of Revelation. It is often used to describe creatures that are symbolic of evil or opposition to God. For instance, in Revelation 13:1, the term is used to describe a beast rising out of the sea, representing a powerful and malevolent force: "Then I saw a beast with ten horns and seven heads rising out of the sea. There were ten royal crowns on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads." (BSB)

The use of θηρίον in Revelation is significant for its apocalyptic imagery, where beasts symbolize empires, rulers, or systems that stand in opposition to God's kingdom. The imagery of the beast is often associated with persecution, deception, and blasphemy, serving as a warning to the faithful about the trials they may face.

Beyond Revelation, θηρίον is also used in a more literal sense in other parts of the New Testament. For example, in Acts 28:4, it describes the viper that bites Paul: "When the islanders saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, 'Surely this man is a murderer. Although he was saved from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.'" (BSB)

The dual usage of θηρίον, both literal and symbolic, highlights the versatility of the term in conveying messages about the natural world and spiritual realities. It serves as a reminder of the presence of both physical and spiritual adversaries in the Christian journey.

Forms and Transliterations

θηρια θηρία θηρίοις θηριον θηρίον θηριου θηρίου θηριω θηρίω θηρίῳ θηριων θηρίων theria thería thēria thēría therio thēriō theríoi thēríōi therion theríon thērion thēriōn thēríon thēríōn theriou theríou thēriou thēríou

Englishman's Concordance

Mark 1:13 N-GNP
GRK: μετὰ τῶν θηρίων καὶ οἱ
NAS: by Satan; and He was with the wild beasts, and the angels
KJV: with the wild beasts; and
INT: with the beasts and the

Acts 11:6 N-ANP
GRK: καὶ τὰ θηρία καὶ τὰ
NAS: of the earth and the wild beasts and the crawling creatures
KJV: and wild beasts, and
INT: and the wild beasts and the

Acts 28:4 N-ANS
GRK: κρεμάμενον τὸ θηρίον ἐκ τῆς
NAS: saw the creature hanging
KJV: saw the [venomous] beast hang
INT: hanging the beast from the

Acts 28:5 N-ANS
GRK: ἀποτινάξας τὸ θηρίον εἰς τὸ
NAS: he shook the creature off
KJV: he shook off the beast into
INT: having shaken off the creature into the

Titus 1:12 N-NNP
GRK: ψεῦσται κακὰ θηρία γαστέρες ἀργαί
NAS: liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.
KJV: liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.
INT: [are] liars evil wild beasts gluttons lazy

Hebrews 12:20 N-NNS
GRK: διαστελλόμενον Κἂν θηρίον θίγῃ τοῦ
NAS: IF EVEN A BEAST TOUCHES
KJV: And if so much as a beast touch
INT: [which] was commanded And if a beast should touch the

James 3:7 N-GNP
GRK: γὰρ φύσις θηρίων τε καὶ
NAS: species of beasts and birds,
KJV: every kind of beasts, and of birds,
INT: indeed species of beasts both and

Revelation 6:8 N-GNP
GRK: ὑπὸ τῶν θηρίων τῆς γῆς
NAS: and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth.
KJV: and with the beasts of the earth.
INT: by the beasts of the earth

Revelation 11:7 N-NNS
GRK: αὐτῶν τὸ θηρίον τὸ ἀναβαῖνον
NAS: their testimony, the beast that comes
KJV: testimony, the beast that ascendeth
INT: of them the beast who comes up

Revelation 13:1 N-ANS
GRK: τῆς θαλάσσης θηρίον ἀναβαῖνον ἔχον
NAS: I saw a beast coming
KJV: and saw a beast rise up out of
INT: the sea a beast rising having

Revelation 13:2 N-NNS
GRK: καὶ τὸ θηρίον ὃ εἶδον
NAS: And the beast which I saw
KJV: And the beast which I saw
INT: And the beast which I saw

Revelation 13:3 N-GNS
GRK: ὀπίσω τοῦ θηρίου
NAS: [and followed] after the beast;
KJV: wondered after the beast.
INT: after the beast

Revelation 13:4 N-DNS
GRK: ἐξουσίαν τῷ θηρίῳ καὶ προσεκύνησαν
NAS: his authority to the beast; and they worshiped
KJV: power unto the beast: and
INT: authority to the beast and they worshipped

Revelation 13:4 N-DNS
GRK: προσεκύνησαν τῷ θηρίῳ λέγοντες Τίς
NAS: and they worshiped the beast, saying,
KJV: they worshipped the beast, saying,
INT: they worshipped the beast saying Who

Revelation 13:4 N-DNS
GRK: ὅμοιος τῷ θηρίῳ καὶ τίς
NAS: is like the beast, and who
KJV: [is] like unto the beast? who
INT: [is] like to the beast and who

Revelation 13:11 N-ANS
GRK: εἶδον ἄλλο θηρίον ἀναβαῖνον ἐκ
NAS: another beast coming
KJV: another beast coming up
INT: I saw another beast rising out of

Revelation 13:12 N-GNS
GRK: τοῦ πρώτου θηρίου πᾶσαν ποιεῖ
NAS: of the first beast in his presence.
KJV: of the first beast before
INT: of the first beast all it exercises

Revelation 13:12 N-ANS
GRK: προσκυνήσουσιν τὸ θηρίον τὸ πρῶτον
NAS: the first beast, whose
KJV: worship the first beast, whose deadly
INT: they should worship the beast first

Revelation 13:14 N-GNS
GRK: ἐνώπιον τοῦ θηρίου λέγων τοῖς
NAS: in the presence of the beast, telling
KJV: in the sight of the beast; saying
INT: before the beast saying to those who

Revelation 13:14 N-DNS
GRK: εἰκόνα τῷ θηρίῳ ὃς ἔχει
NAS: to make an image to the beast who had
KJV: an image to the beast, which
INT: an image to the beast which has

Revelation 13:15 N-GNS
GRK: εἰκόνι τοῦ θηρίου ἵνα καὶ
NAS: to the image of the beast, so
KJV: unto the image of the beast, that
INT: image of the beast that also

Revelation 13:15 N-GNS
GRK: εἰκὼν τοῦ θηρίου καὶ ποιήσῃ
NAS: that the image of the beast would even
KJV: the image of the beast should
INT: image of the beast and should cause

Revelation 13:15 N-GNS
GRK: εἰκόνι τοῦ θηρίου ἀποκτανθῶσιν
NAS: the image of the beast to be killed.
KJV: the image of the beast should be killed.
INT: image of the beast they should be killed

Revelation 13:17 N-GNS
GRK: ὄνομα τοῦ θηρίου ἢ τὸν
NAS: [either] the name of the beast or
KJV: the name of the beast, or
INT: name of the beast or the

Revelation 13:18 N-GNS
GRK: ἀριθμὸν τοῦ θηρίου ἀριθμὸς γὰρ
NAS: the number of the beast, for the number
KJV: the number of the beast: for
INT: number of the beast number indeed

Strong's Greek 2342
46 Occurrences

θηρία — 2 Occ.
θηρίῳ — 6 Occ.
θηρίων — 3 Occ.
θηρίον — 19 Occ.
θηρίου — 16 Occ.