σειρά (seira)
seira
chain
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun seira refers to a rope or chain used for binding. In the New Testament, it appears only once, in 2 Peter 2:4, where it describes the chains that held fallen angels in darkness until judgment. This single usage anchors the word in a context of severe restraint and divine punishment.
Its root likely connects to verbs meaning to fasten or tie together, emphasizing its function as a tool of confinement. While the Old Testament uses related terms for cords or ropes, Peter’s choice of seira highlights the unbreakable nature of God’s hold on rebellious spirits. The imagery is concrete and physical, pointing to a reality that transcends human power.
Translators consistently render it as "chains," preserving the sense of inescapable captivity. The word carries no metaphorical flexibility in Scripture; it denotes literal bonds imposed by God’s authority. Its rarity underscores the gravity of the situation it describes: beings stripped of freedom and reserved for wrath.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word seira appears only once in the New Testament, describing the chains that bound fallen angels in darkness. This imagery reminds us that no power, however mighty or rebellious, escapes God’s ultimate authority. Even spiritual beings capable of great disruption are held by bonds they cannot break.
For believers, this offers profound comfort. The same God who restrains evil spirits is actively at work in your life. When circumstances feel chaotic or when you face forces beyond your control, remember that nothing operates outside His sovereign oversight. His justice is certain, and His protection is real.
This single reference anchors our hope in a God who sees all things and acts with perfect fairness. You can rest knowing that evil has limits and that divine judgment will prevail. Your faith stands on the solid ground of His unshakeable rule over all creation.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- in chains1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- σειραῖς1×
Key Verses
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II Peter 2:4
For if God didn’t spare angels when they sinned, but cast them down to Tartarus, and committed them to pits of darkness to be reserved for judgment;
This verse uses seira to describe the specific chains holding rebellious angels in Tartarus, emphasizing that even spiritual powers are subject to God's restraining judgment.