Word Study for G1431 (δωρεά) | Strong's Concordance

dōreá /do-reh-ah'/ Ask about this word

Meaninga gratuity

KJV usagegift.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of dōreá — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Greek word dōreá, represented by G1431, is defined as a gratuity or gift. It appears 11 times in 11 unique verses in the Bible. The term consistently refers to a gift that is freely given, often of divine origin, and cannot be earned or purchased.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In scripture, G1431 is used to describe God's provisions to humanity. On the day of Pentecost, Peter promises that those who repent and are baptized will receive the gift of the Holy Ghost Acts 2:38. Jesus refers to this concept when speaking to the woman at the well, calling the "living water" he offers the gift of God John 4:10. This gift is also linked to salvation and position in Christ, as believers receive the "abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness" Romans 5:17. Its value is highlighted when Peter rebukes Simon for thinking the gift of God could be purchased with money Acts 8:20. Paul describes it as an "unspeakable gift" for which he gives thanks to God 2 Corinthians 9:15.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the meaning of G1431:

G1325 dídōmi (to give): This verb describes the action of bestowing a gift. God's love for the world is shown in that he gave his only begotten Son John 3:16. The act of giving is the source of the gift G1431.
G2983 lambánō (to take): As the counterpart to giving, this word means to receive. Believers are told they "shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost" Acts 2:38, highlighting the reception of God's provision.
G5486 chárisma (a (divine) gratuity, i.e. deliverance... (free) gift): This term is closely related to dōreá. In Romans 5:15, a distinction is made between "the free gift" G5486 and "the gift G1431 by grace." It is also used to describe eternal life as "the gift of God" Romans 6:23.
G5485 cháris (graciousness... especially the divine influence upon the heart... grace): This is the basis for the gift. The gift G1431 is given "by grace" Romans 5:15 and is itself called "the gift of the grace of God" Ephesians 3:7.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G1431 is significant, defining the nature of God's redemptive work.

Divine Origin: The gift consistently originates from God the Father or Christ. It is called "the gift of God" (John 4:10, Acts 8:20), "the gift of the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:38, Acts 10:45), and "the gift of Christ" Ephesians 4:7.
Unmerited Nature: The term emphasizes that God's provisions are not earned. The attempt to purchase the gift of God is strongly condemned Acts 8:20. It is a gratuity, given freely out of God's grace.
Key Components of Salvation: The gift is identified with core elements of salvation, including the Holy Spirit Acts 2:38, righteousness Romans 5:17, and grace itself Ephesians 3:7. It is the heavenly gift that the enlightened have tasted Hebrews 6:4.

Summary

In summary, G1431 defines more than a simple present; it signifies a divine gratuity flowing from the grace of God. It represents foundational elements of Christian faith—the Holy Spirit, righteousness, and eternal life—which are bestowed freely and cannot be purchased. This word powerfully illustrates the concept of salvation as a free and "unspeakable gift" from God to humanity.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists one rendering for this word. It is counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the number is how many of them use it. Select it to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Greek New Testament, this word appears as a noun across 11 occurrences, inflected in 4 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

δωρεὰν
δωρεᾶς
δωρεὰ
δωρεᾷ

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 11 verses across 6 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Acts (4 verses); never once in the other 21.

John

Acts

Romans

2 Corinthians

Ephesians

Hebrews

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.