θεά (thea)
thea
goddess
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun thea simply means "goddess," serving as the feminine form of theos, which denotes god or deity. In the New Testament, this word appears only twice, both in Acts 19, where it identifies the pagan deities worshipped in Ephesus. It is not used for the God of Israel or for Jesus, but strictly for female figures in polytheistic contexts.
Its most prominent occurrence is in Acts 19:27, where a silversmith named Demetrius warns that Paul’s preaching threatens to discredit "the goddess Artemis," whose temple was central to Ephesian commerce and identity. The second instance appears in Acts 19:35, when the town clerk calms the rioting crowd by reminding them that Ephesus is the guardian of "the great Artemis" and her sacred image. These verses highlight the word’s role in describing the tangible, local goddesses whose cults faced decline as Christianity spread.
The term carries no theological weight for Christian doctrine itself; rather, it functions as a historical marker for the religious landscape of the first century. By using this specific word, the biblical text distinguishes the worship of the true God from the myriad female deities venerated in the Greco-Roman world, emphasizing that early Christians were actively challenging established pagan systems.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word thea, meaning goddess, appears only twice in the New Testament, both within Acts chapter 19. It identifies Artemis, the prominent deity worshipped in Ephesus during the first century. The text uses this term to describe a specific pagan figure whose cult was central to local commerce and civic identity. This usage highlights the stark contrast between the true God and the many idols people followed before encountering the gospel.
For believers today, this word serves as a historical marker rather than a theological concept. It reminds us that early Christians faced real social and economic pressures when they rejected false worship. The silence of this term in Christian doctrine underscores that our faith rests on the living God, not on created things or local deities. We find peace in knowing that no earthly power can compare to His sovereignty.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- goddess2×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- θεᾶς2×
Key Verses
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Acts 19:27
Not only is there danger that this our trade come into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be counted as nothing and her majesty destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worships.”
This verse shows the economic threat Demetrius felt, as the worship of this goddess directly supported his trade in silver shrines.
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Acts 19:35
When the town clerk had quieted the multitude, he said, “You men of Ephesus, what man is there who doesn’t know that the city of the Ephesians is temple keeper of the great goddess Artemis, and of the image which fell down from Zeus?
The town clerk uses this title to affirm Ephesus's unique status as the guardian of Artemis and her sacred image, calming the riotous crowd.