Greek word · G2304

θεῖος

theios

divine

Divine, belonging to or proceeding from deity. A standard term of Greek religion and philosophy (τὸ θεῖον, 'the Divine').

Appears 3 times in 3 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

θεῖος, -εία, -εῖον

(θεός), [in LXX: Exodus 31:3 35:31, Job 27:3 33:4, Proverbs 2:17 (אֵל, אֱלֹהִים, אֱלוֹהַּ), Sirach 6:35, 1-37 II Malachi 3:1-40, 3Ma.1:1-29, 4Mac.25 * ;]

divine: δύναμις, 2 Peter 1:3; φύσις (for parallel in π., see MM, Exp., xv), 2 Peter 1:4; τὸ θ.,

the Deity (so in cl.; of God, in Philo and FlJ), Acts 17:29.†

(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 2 Peter 1:3

Range of meaning

Divine, belonging to or proceeding from deity. A standard term of Greek religion and philosophy (τὸ θεῖον, 'the Divine').

Against the English

All versions 'divine'. Accurate.

Used elsewhere in the period

Philo and Josephus use it often. In the New Testament only Acts 17:29 (Paul in Athens) and 2 Peter 1:3–4. 'Divine power' (θεία δύναμις) is a stock phrase in Hellenistic religious texts and inscriptions.

From the study of 2 Peter 1:4

Range of meaning

Physis means the inborn constitution of a thing: what something is by origin and kind (BDAG: 'natural characteristic', 'kind', 'nature'). Theios means 'divine, belonging to God or the gods'. Together, 'divine nature' was a stock phrase in Hellenistic religion and philosophy for the kind of existence the divine has. Its defining marks were immortality, incorruptibility (not being subject to decay) and perfect virtue.

Against the English

Most versions say 'the divine nature', which is fine. The NLT says 'his divine nature', which makes the phrase sound like God's own inner essence. The Greek has no article, and YLT's 'a divine nature' shows this. The phrase points to a quality of existence rather than to a substance that is handed over.

How it drifted

Later debates about Christ's 'two natures' (the Council of Chalcedon, 451) and about God's 'essence' gave physis a precise technical meaning it did not yet have. Modern readers can also hear 'becoming God' or 'a new nature implanted at conversion'. Neither idea is spelled out in the text.

Used elsewhere in the period

Josephus, Against Apion 1.232, speaks of a seer who seemed to have 'shared in divine nature', using nearly the same idiom. Philo uses theia physis often for the nature of God. Plato, Theaetetus 176a–b, says we should 'flee' from this world 'as quickly as possible', and that fleeing means 'becoming like God as far as possible'. That pairs flight with likeness to God, just as this verse pairs escape with sharing divine nature. Wisdom of Solomon 2:23 says God created humans for incorruption (aphtharsia). 4 Maccabees 18:3 speaks of the martyrs being counted worthy of a 'divine portion'.

From the study of 4 Maccabees 18:22

Range of meaning

'Divine', 'belonging to or coming from God or the gods'. In Hellenistic Jewish Greek, including Philo, Josephus and 4 Maccabees, it is a polished, philosophical way of saying 'God's'.

Against the English

'Divine' is a fair rendering. The adjective is what turns the Greek idea of Dikē into a statement about Israel's God.

Used elsewhere in the period

2 Peter 1:3–4 ('divine power', 'divine nature') and Acts 17:29 show the same refined Hellenistic register. In 4 Maccabees it is often paired with dikē and pronoia ('providence').

Where it appears

Acts · 1

  1. Acts 17:29 θεῖον Divine Being

    Therefore, being offspring of God, we should not think that the Divine Being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by man’s skill and imagination.

    Here: 'The divine', a general, neuter term Greek philosophers and educated Jews used for the divine reality. Paul uses his audience's own vocabulary here. It does not mean the later doctrine of the Trinity.

2 Peter · 2

  1. 2 Peter 1:3 θείας divine

    His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

    Here: 'Divine', meaning belonging to God. This is a typical Greek religious word, rare in the New Testament (only here, v. 4 'divine nature', and Acts 17:29). It was chosen to speak the religious language of the Greek-speaking world.

  2. 2 Peter 1:4 θείας of [the] divine

    Through these He has given us His precious and magnificent promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, now that you have escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

    Here: 'Belonging to the divine'. There is no article, so it reads literally 'of divine nature'. This was the standard Greek way to describe the kind of existence that belongs to God or the gods. The same adjective appears in v. 3, 'his divine power'.

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