Word Study for G2961 (κυριεύω)

kyrieúō /ko-ree-yoo'-o/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom κύριος

Meaningto rule

KJV usagehave dominion over, lord, be lord of, exercise lordship over.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of kyrieúō — 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 kyrieúō, represented by G2961, is a verb meaning to rule or have dominion over. It appears 9 times across 7 unique verses in the Bible. Derived from G2962 kýrios, meaning "master" or "lord," this term is used to describe the exercise of supreme authority or control, whether by a person, a spiritual force, or a principle.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In scripture, G2961 is used to describe the power that various forces exert. Paul speaks of how the G3551 law "hath dominion over a man" as long as he lives Romans 7:1. He also establishes that G266 sin and G2288 death can "have dominion" (Romans 6:14, Romans 6:9). This power is contrasted with the authority of Christ, who rose from the dead "that he might be Lord both of the dead and living" Romans 14:9. The term is also used to describe secular rulers, such as when the "kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over" their subjects Luke 22:25. In 2 Corinthians, Paul clarifies that his apostleship is not to "have dominion over" the believers' faith 2 Corinthians 1:24.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the concept of ruling and authority:

G2962 kýrios (controller, Master): As the root word, it signifies supreme authority. It is used as a respectful title for God and Christ, establishing the source of all legitimate dominion 1 Timothy 6:15.
G936 basileúō (to rule, reign): This word is often used in contexts of kingdom authority. It describes both the reign of Christ and the spiritual reign of G266 sin in a mortal body, presenting a parallel concept of ruling power (Romans 6:12, Revelation 11:15).
G1850 exousiázō (to control, exercise authority upon): This term appears alongside G2961 in Luke 22:25 to describe the way earthly rulers wield power over their people, highlighting a specific type of authoritative control.
G1413 dynástēs (a ruler or officer): This noun refers to a "potentate" or one with great authority. It is used in 1 Timothy 6:15 to describe God in the same passage that uses G2961 to describe His ultimate lordship.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G2961 is significant, outlining a core spiritual conflict.

Conflict of Dominion: The use of G2961 establishes a clear theological struggle. G266 Sin, G2288 death, and the G3551 law are presented as powers that seek to rule over humanity (Romans 6:14, Romans 7:1).
Christ's Supreme Lordship: Christ's resurrection is the ultimate victory, demonstrating that G2288 death no longer has "dominion over him" Romans 6:9. His authority is absolute, as he is the "Lord of lords" 1 Timothy 6:15 and Lord over both the living and the dead Romans 14:9.
Liberation into New Lordship: Believers are freed from the dominion of sin not by their own strength, but because they are "not under the law, but under grace" Romans 6:14. This represents a transfer of allegiance from one master to the liberating lordship of Christ.

Summary

In summary, G2961 is more than a term for simple governance. It frames a spiritual battle for authority, contrasting the illegitimate dominion of sin, death, and law with the rightful and ultimate lordship of Christ. The word illustrates the biblical principle that every person is under some form of dominion, and that through G5485 grace, believers are transferred from a state of subjugation to the liberating rule of Christ.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Greek New Testament, this word appears as a verb across 7 occurrences, inflected in 6 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Present Active Indicative 3rd Singular 2×
Aorist Active Subjunctive 3rd Singular 1×
Future Active Indicative 3rd Singular 1×
Present Active Indicative 1st Plural 1×
Present Active Indicative 3rd Plural 1×
Present Active Participle Genitive Plural Masculine 1×

Genitive: Possession or source — often "of".
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
1st: First person — the speaker ("I"/"we").
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Present: Action in progress or repeated — happening now or continually.
Future: Action yet to take place.
Aorist: Action viewed as a single whole — usually a simple past event.
Active: The subject performs the action.
Indicative: A plain statement of fact.
Subjunctive: Possibility or purpose — "might", "should".
Participle: A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.

Related Words

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 4 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Romans (4 verses); never once in the other 23.

Luke

Romans

2 Corinthians

1 Timothy

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, 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.