Word Study for G2303 (θεῖον) | Strong's Concordance

theîon /thi'-on/ Ask about this word

Rootprobably neuter of θεῖος (in its original sense of flashing)

Meaningsulphur

KJV usagebrimstone.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of theîon — 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 θεῖον (theîon), represented by G2303, refers to sulphur or brimstone. It appears 7 times in 7 unique verses, exclusively in contexts of divine judgment and destruction. Its meaning is rooted in the sense of something that flashes or is divinely sent.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In scripture, G2303 is consistently associated with fire as an agent of God's wrath. This is seen both historically and prophetically. In the gospel of Luke, it is mentioned in the context of the destruction of Sodom, where fire and brimstone rained from heaven and destroyed them all Luke 17:29. The book of Revelation expands this theme, describing plagues of fire, smoke, and brimstone issuing from the mouths of supernatural horses Revelation 9:18 and establishing the "lake of fire and brimstone" as the place of final punishment Revelation 20:10.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the role and context of brimstone:

G4442 pŷr (fire): This word for fire is almost always paired with brimstone, signifying an intense and consuming judgment Revelation 14:10.
G3041 límnē (lake): This term for a lake or pond is used to describe the final destination for the unrighteous, a place burning with fire and brimstone Revelation 19:20.
G928 basanízō (to torture): This word describes the effect of the lake of fire and brimstone, where those cast into it will be tormented day and night forever Revelation 20:10.
G2288 thánatos (death): The ultimate consequence of being cast into the lake of fire and brimstone is described as the second death Revelation 21:8.
G2306 theiṓdēs (brimstone): This adjective, meaning sulphurous, is used to describe the material of breastplates worn by apocalyptic riders, connecting it directly to the plague they unleash Revelation 9:17.

Theological Significance

The theological significance of G2303 is centered on the finality and severity of divine judgment.

A Substance of Divine Wrath: From the historical judgment on Sodom Luke 17:29 to the final punishment of the devil G1228, the beast G2342, and the false prophet G5578, brimstone is a physical manifestation of God's indignation (Revelation 14:10, Revelation 20:10).
The Second Death: The "lake which burneth with fire and brimstone" is explicitly defined as "the second death," the final portion for the fearful G1169, unbelieving G571, murderers G5406, sorcerers G5332, idolaters G1496, and all liars Revelation 21:8.
Apocalyptic Weaponry: Brimstone is not just a feature of a location but is also an active weapon of destruction in apocalyptic visions, issuing from the mouths of supernatural horses G2462 to kill a third of mankind Revelation 9:18.

Summary

In summary, G2303 is a powerful symbol of ultimate and irreversible judgment. While appearing infrequently, its use paints a vivid picture of divine retribution. Consistently linked with fire and torment, brimstone functions as both the substance of the final punishment in the lake of fire and as a destructive plague, underscoring the severity of God's wrath against evil.

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 7 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. These are this word’s own inflections, not words built from it — for those, see Related Words.

θείῳ
θείου
θεῖον
θεῖον

Related Words

1 entry in Strong’s name this word as its origin. These are its derivatives — a different relationship from the inflected forms above, which are this same word bent by grammar.

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

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 7 verses across 2 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Revelation (6 verses); never once in the other 25.

Luke

Revelation

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.