Greek word · G1431

δωρεά

dōrea

free gift

Dōrea: a gift or grant, especially a free one given by a ruler or benefactor. The related adverb dōrean means “freely, for nothing.” In the New Testament it is always God's gift. Pneuma: breath, wind, spirit. “Holy Spirit” is God's own Spirit and active presence.

Appears 11 times in 11 verses of the Greek New Testament. · Updated October 24, 2026

What it means

δωρεά, -ᾶς, ἡ

(δίδωμι), [in LXX chiefly (-άν) for חִנָּם, as Genesis 29:15 ;]

a gift: Acts 11:17, Romans 5:15, Hebrews 6:4; δ. τ. θεοῦ, John 4:10, Acts 8:20; τ. Χριστοῦ, Ephesians 4:7; τ. πνεύματος, Acts 2:38 10:45; τ. δικαιοσύνης, Romans 5:17; τ. χάριτος, Ephesians 3:7; ἀνεκδιηγήτὶῳ δ., 2 Corinthians 9:15. Acc, δωρεάν, adverbially (as frequently in LXX),

(a) freely, as a gift: Matthew 10:8, Romans 3:24, 2 Corinthians 11:7, 2 Thessalonians 3:8, Revelation 21:6 22:17;

(b) in vain, uselessly: (John 15:25 LXX) Galatians 2:21.†

SYN.: see: δόμα (AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Acts 2:38

Range of meaning: Dōrea: a gift or grant, especially a free one given by a ruler or benefactor. The related adverb dōrean means “freely, for nothing.” In the New Testament it is always God's gift. Pneuma: breath, wind, spirit. “Holy Spirit” is God's own Spirit and active presence.
Against the English: English “gift” is accurate. “Of the Holy Spirit” is ambiguous in English: a gift from the Spirit, or the gift that is the Spirit? KJV's “Holy Ghost” now sounds like an apparition, which is a drift of the English word “ghost,” not of the Greek.
How it drifted: “Ghost” in older English simply meant “spirit” (Old English gāst). It narrowed to “the spirit of a dead person” in later centuries, which makes KJV's “Holy Ghost” misleading today.
Used elsewhere in the period: Elsewhere Luke uses “the gift” for the Spirit himself: Acts 8:20 (Simon tries to buy “the gift of God”), 10:45 (“the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out”), and 11:17. The promise behind it is Joel 2:28–29 (“I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh”), Ezek 36:27 and 37:14, and Isa 44:3. Peter calls it “the promise of the Holy Spirit” in 2:33 and “the promise” again in 2:39.

From the study of Acts 10:45

Range of meaning: A gift or present. It suggests generosity and freedom: given, not owed. In Greek administrative papyri it can mean a grant or endowment from a king or benefactor. Used as an adverb (dōrean) it means 'freely, without cost' or 'for no reason.'
Against the English: 'Gift' is accurate. The danger is the phrase 'gift of the Holy Spirit,' which modern readers may confuse with the 'gifts of the Spirit' (spiritual abilities, charismata, 1 Corinthians 12). Here the genitive works like 'the gift of a house,' where the house is the gift. The Spirit is the gift, not the giver of further gifts.
How it drifted: In church usage 'spiritual gifts' became a common category for abilities, and that sense gets read back into this different phrase.
Used elsewhere in the period: Acts 2:38 ('you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit'); Acts 8:20 (Simon tries to buy 'the gift of God' with money); Acts 11:17 (Peter: 'God gave them the same gift'). In Ptolemaic papyri such as the Zenon archive, a dōrea is a gift-estate granted by the king.

From the study of 2 Corinthians 9:15

Range of meaning: A gift or bounty, especially one given freely and generously by a superior: a king, a city or a god. Its adverb dōrean means 'freely, for nothing, without payment' (Rom 3:24; 2 Cor 11:7, where Paul preached the gospel to Corinth 'free of charge'), and also 'for no reason' (John 15:25).
Against the English: 'Gift' is accurate. Some English readers will not catch the overtone of free, lavish bounty from a great giver as opposed to a small present. BSB's own gloss of the word, 'free gift', points to it.
Used elsewhere in the period: In Ptolemaic Egypt a dōrea was an estate the king granted to a favored official. The Zenon papyri describe the minister Apollonios's dōrea at Philadelphia. In honorific inscriptions it is the term for civic benefactions. In the New Testament it is used almost only of gifts from God: the gift of God (John 4:10), the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38; 8:20; 10:45; 11:17), the gift of grace and righteousness in Christ (Rom 5:15, 17), the gift of grace for ministry (Eph 3:7; 4:7), the heavenly gift (Heb 6:4).

Where it appears

John · 1

John 4:10 δωρεὰν gift

Jesus answered, “If you knew the gift of God and who is asking you for a drink, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”

Here: A gift freely and generously given, typically by a superior. In the New Testament this word is used only of God's gifts. Here it stands in pointed contrast to the drink Jesus has just asked for: he asked her for a little; God is offering her a great deal.

Acts · 4

Acts 2:38 δωρεὰν gift

Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Here: A gift given freely, like a benefactor's grant. It cannot be bought; Luke shows this in 8:20, where Simon tries to buy it.
Acts 8:20 δωρεὰν gift

But Peter replied, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!

Here: A gift given freely by the giver, never earned or paid for. In Acts this is the word for the gift of the Holy Spirit (2:38; 10:45; 11:17).
Acts 10:45 δωρεὰ gift

All the circumcised believers who had accompanied Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles.

Here: A gift given freely by a generous giver. It is not wages and not something earned. The gift is the Spirit himself.
Acts 11:17 δωρεὰν gift

So if God gave them the same gift He gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to hinder the work of God?”

Here: A freely given gift from a superior. In Acts this word always means the gift of the Holy Spirit (2:38; 8:20; 10:45; 11:17).

Romans · 2

Romans 5:15 δωρεὰ gift

But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many!

Here: A gift given freely, without payment. In v.17 it is called 'the gift of righteousness'.
Romans 5:17 δωρεᾶς gift

For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!

Here: A gift freely given, not earned as wages. It answers 'the gift' of verses 15–16.

2 Corinthians · 1

2 Corinthians 9:15 δωρεᾷ.¶ gift!

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

Here: A gift given freely as a bounty, not as a wage or a debt repaid. In the New Testament it is almost always used of what God gives. It is the last word of the sentence and of the whole two-chapter appeal.

Ephesians · 2

Ephesians 3:7 δωρεὰν gift

I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace, given me through the working of His power.

Here: A freely given gift, a word often used for gifts from rulers and benefactors. It stresses that Paul's commission was handed to him from outside, not earned or chosen by him.
Ephesians 4:7 δωρεᾶς gift

Now to each one of us grace has been given according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

Here: A gift freely given, often used of the generosity of a king or benefactor. It stresses that nothing is owed. It looks ahead to verse 8, where the victorious Christ 'gave gifts.'

Hebrews · 1

Hebrews 6:4 δωρεᾶς gift

It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit,

Here: An unearned gift freely given. Elsewhere in the New Testament it often means the gift of the Spirit (Acts 2:38; 10:45) or God's grace in Christ (Rom 5:15–17).

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.