noun · neuter
thērem
Strong’sG2342
a wild beast, animal
stem thēr-46 times in the New Testamentin 6 of 27 books5 of 6 forms occur
What it means
A plain-English reading of the word, with the lexicons it draws on — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, and Liddell-Scott-Jones — right below it, in full.
AI Summary
A wild beast or animal, especially one that is hunted or dangerous 1234. This is the ordinary sense used of real creatures, such as the beasts encountered in the wilderness or the animals mentioned in everyday accounts 1.
The word can also denote a venomous or dangerous creature, such as a snake 23.
In addition, the word is used symbolically for a monstrous figure representing Antichrist, referring to a beast-like power opposed to God 1.
Sources: 1 Abbott-Smith 2 Strong's 3 LSJ 4 Dodson. Condensed by anthropic/claude-sonnet-5 on 2026-09-23 — it may still misstate what these say; check them yourself if it matters to you.
The lexicons it was drawn from, in full:
Abbott-Smith — the 1922 lexicon entry, in full
Strong’s G2342 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from
Saidthay-ree'-on
a dangerous animal
Fromdiminutive from the same as G2339;
King James(venomous, wild) beast.
James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, 1890 — public domain. The numbers in it link to the entries here.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — the classical dictionary this word appears in
(in form diminutive of θήρ), wild animal, especially of such as are hunted, μάλα γὰρ μέγα θηρίον ἦεν, of a stag, Refs 8th c.BC+; in Trag. only in Satyric drama, Refs 5th c.BC+; of the spider's prey, Refs 4th c.BC+; frequently of elephants, Refs 2nd c.BC+: plural, beasts, opposed to men, birds, and fishes, Refs 5th c.BC+
2 generally, animal, Refs; of men, ἄνθρωπος πάντων θ. θεειδέστατον Refs 5th c.BC+; of the dog, Refs 3rd c.BC+; of fishes, Refs 4th c.BC+; of eels, Refs 4th c.BC+; of leeches, Refs; of other small creatures, Refs 5th c.BC+, either above or below the nature of man, Refs 4th c.BC+
3 beast, especially as hostile and odious to man, θηρία τε καὶ βοτά carnivora and graminivora, Refs 5th c.BC+; monster, creature, of sharks, etc., Refs 5th c.BC+; of Typhon, etc., Refs 5th c.BC+; of the Satyrs, Refs 5th c.BC+; ταυτὶ ποδαπὰ τὰ θ.; Refs 5th c.BC+
3.b poisonous animal, NT+1st c.AD+
II in Medicine texts,= θηρίωμα, Refs 5th c.BC+
III as a term of reproach, beast, creature, ὦ δειλότατον σὺ θηρίον Refs 6th c.BC+; δυσνουθέτητον θ., of poverty, Refs 5th c.BC+; τί δέ, εἰ αὐτοῦ τοῦ θηρίου ἠκούσατ; said by Aeschines of Demosthenes, Refs 1st c.AD+; θ. συνεστιώμενον, of woman, Refs 2nd c.AD+
IV Astron., the constellation Refs 4th c.BC+
H. G. Liddell, R. Scott, H. S. Jones, A Greek-English Lexicon (9th ed., 1925–1940) — digitised by the Perseus Digital Library and corrected and expanded by Tyndale House, Cambridge, via STEPBible-Data's TFLSJ table, CC BY 4.0. Covers all of Greek literature, not just the Bible.
Translated as
Every occurrence, sorted by the English it was actually given — the evidence for what the word means, not a gloss of it.
Berean Standard Bible (BSB), dedicated to the public domain — berean.bible.
Biblang forms
Every form this word takes in Biblang, with the Greek it corresponds to and how often the New Testament uses it.
| Job in the sentence case | one singular | more than one plural |
|---|---|---|
| subject or object direct | thērem8×θηρίον | thēreim1×θηρία |
| of, belonging to genitive | thēreu16×θηρίου | thēreiu3×θηρίων |
| to, for dative | thēre6×θηρίῳ | thērei |
Tinted cells are forms the New Testament never uses, so there is no Greek to show against them — but they are still correct Biblang, built from the slots below like any other.
Why these forms, and no others — the slots that make them
thēre is this word in every one of its forms. The slots after it make all the rest.
same in every form varies — every value shown
Words built on the same stem
Other words sharing the exact same stem — not merely related in meaning.
Where it appears
Every verse the word appears in, filed under the form it takes there.
46 occurrences, every one of them listed
thērem“beast”subject or objectdirect singular8×
Hebrews 12:20ouk ferale gar tem diastelorōntem; Kan thērem thinganateia teu oreu, lithoboliti;… what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be …
Revelation 11:7… hotan telaleia tan marturian autoiu, tem thērem tem anabainarōntem ek tau abussau poiati …… witnesses have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss …
Revelation 13:2kai tem thērem hem horama ate homoiem pardalia, kai …The beast I saw was like a leopard …
Revelation 17:8tem thērem hem horasa ate kai ouk atō, …The beast that you saw — it was, and …
Revelation 17:11kai tem thērem hem ate kai ouk atō. kai …The beast that was, and now is not …
Revelation 17:16… deka kerateim heim horasa kai tem thērem, houtois misali tan pornan, kai erēmorēntan …And the ten horns and the beast that you saw will hate the …
Revelation 19:20kai piazita tem thērem kai meta auteu tos pseudoprofētos tos …… who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. Both the …
Revelation 20:10… pureu kai theieu, hopou kai tem thērem kai tos pseudoprofētos, kai basanizili hēmerau …… fire and sulfur, into which the beast and the false prophet had already …
thēreu“beast”of, belonging togenitive singular16×
Revelation 13:3… thaumazita holas tas gēas opisō teu thēreu,… whole world marveled and followed the beast.
Revelation 13:12kai tan exousian teu prōteu thēreu pantan poiatō enōpion auteu. kai poiatō …… all the authority of the first beast and caused the earth and those …
Revelation 13:14… heim dōita aute poiara enōpion teu thēreu, legarōntos toi katoikarōntoi epi tau gēau …… perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived those who dwell on …
Revelation 13:15… aute dōara pneumem ta eikona teu thēreu, hina kai lalateia tas eikonas teu …… to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak …
Revelation 13:15… hina kai lalateia tas eikonas teu thēreu kai poiateia hina hosois ean mē …The second beast was permitted to give breath to …
Revelation 13:15“beast”… ean mē proskunaleia ta eikona teu thēreu apoktenileia.… refused to worship it to be killed.
Revelation 13:17… echarōntos tem charagmem, tem onomem teu thēreu ē ton arithmon teu onomeu auteu.… the mark — the name of the beast or the number of its name.
Revelation 13:18… echarōntos nouon psēfizatar ton arithmon teu thēreu, arithmos gar anthrōpou atō; kai tos …… insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of …
Revelation 15:2… pure, kai toin nikarōntoin ek teu thēreu kai ek tau eikonau auteu kai …… stood those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number …
Revelation 16:2… anthrōpoin toin echarōntoin tem charagmem teu thēreu kai toin proskunarōntoin ta eikona auteu.… who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.
Revelation 16:10… fialan autou epi ton thronon teu thēreu; kai geneta tas basileias auteu skotorēntas, …… bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into …
Revelation 16:13… drakontou kai ek teu stomeu teu thēreu kai ek teu stomeu tou pseudoprofētou …… the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet.
Revelation 17:7… tem mustēriem tau gunaikau kai teu thēreu teu bastazarōnteu autan, teu echarōnteu tain …… of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the …
Revelation 17:12… basilevois henan hōran labalō meta teu thēreu.… authority as kings along with the beast.
Revelation 18:2… panteu ornitheu akatharteu kai fulakas panteu thēreu akatharteu kai misorēnteu,… every unclean bird, and every detestable beast.
Revelation 19:20… planata toin labarantoin tem charagmem teu thēreu kai toin proskunarōntoin ta eikona auteu; …… and worshiped its image. Both the beast and the false prophet were thrown …
thēre“beast”to, fordative singular6×
Revelation 13:4… drakonto hoti dōata tan exousian te thēre, kai proskunala te thēre legarōntois; Tinos …… the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast …
Revelation 13:4… exousian te thēre, kai proskunala te thēre legarōntois; Tinos homoios te thēre, kai …… who had given authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying …
Revelation 13:4… te thēre legarōntois; Tinos homoios te thēre, kai tinos dunotō polemara meta auteu?… beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can wage war against …
Revelation 13:14… epi tau gēau poiara eikonan te thēre, hos echatō tan plēgan tau machairau …… to make an image to the beast that had been wounded by the …
Revelation 17:13… tan dunamian kai exousian autoiu te thēre dōalō.… their power and authority to the beast.
Revelation 17:17… kai dōara tan basileian autoiu te thēre, achri telili tois logois tou theou.… to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are …
thēreim“beasts”subject or objectdirect plural1×
Titus 1:12… autoiu profētos, Krētois aei pseustois, kakoseim thēreim, gastrais argais;… said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”
thēreiu“beast”of, belonging togenitive plural3×
Mark 1:13… tou Satanou, kai ate meta teiu thēreiu, kai tois angelois diakonale auto.… by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and the angels ministered to Him.
James 3:7“beast”pantas gar fusias thēreiu tē kai peteineiu herpeteiu tē kai …… birds, reptiles, and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been …
Revelation 6:8“wild beasts”… kai en thanato kai hupo teiu thēreiu tau gēau.… plague, and by the beasts of the earth.
thērem11×
Acts 28:4… de horala tois barbarois kremannuorōntem tem thērem ek tau cheirau autou, pros allēloin …When the islanders saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said …
Acts 28:5tos men oun apotinassarantos tem thērem eis tem purem paschata oudenem kakosem;But Paul shook the creature off into the fire and suffered …
Revelation 13:1Kai horama ek tau thalassau thērem anabainarōntem, echarōntem kerateim deka kai kefalain …Then I saw a beast with ten horns and seven heads …
Revelation 13:11Kai horama allosem thērem anabainarōntem ek tau gēau, kai echate …Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. This …
Revelation 13:12… en auta katoikarōntoin hina proskunali tem thērem tem prōtem, heu therapeuita tas plēgas …… in it to worship the first beast, whose mortal wound had been healed.
Revelation 14:9… fōna mega; Ei tinos proskunatō tem thērem kai tan eikonan auteu, kai labatō …… loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its …
Revelation 14:11… hēmerau kai nuktau, tois proskunarōntois tem thērem kai tan eikonan auteu, kai ei …… rest for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone …
Revelation 17:3… pneume. kai horama gunaikan kathorōntan epi thērem kokkinem, gemarōnteim onomeim blasfēmiau, echarōntos kefalain …… a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names …
Revelation 17:8… zōau apo katabolau kosmou, bleparōntoiu tem thērem hoti ate kai ouk atō kai …… will marvel when they see the beast that was, and is not, and …
Revelation 19:19kai horama tem thērem kai toin basilevoin tau gēau kai …Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth …
Revelation 20:4… theou, kai hotinois ouk proskunala tem thērem oude tan eikonan auteu kai ouk …… those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not …
thēreim1×
Acts 11:6… teim tetrapodeim tau gēau kai teim thēreim kai teim herpeteim kai teim peteineim …… saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles, and birds of the air.