Word Study for G901 (βαθύς) | Strong's Concordance

bathýs /bath-oos'/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom the base of βάσις

Meaningprofound (as going down), literally or figuratively

KJV usagedeep, very early.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of bathýs — 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 bathýs, represented by G901, is a term for that which is profound or goes down deeply. Its base definition includes both literal and figurative applications, leading to translations such as deep or very early. It appears 3 times across 3 unique verses in the Bible, demonstrating a specific but varied usage.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, G901 is used in three distinct contexts. Its most literal meaning is found when the Samaritan woman states that "the well is deep" John 4:11, referring to physical depth. The word is also used to describe a profound state of being, as when Eutychus fell into a "deep sleep" while Paul was preaching Acts 20:9. Finally, it is applied to time, where it is translated as "very early in the morning" to describe the women arriving at the sepulchre, signifying a point deep into the morning hours Luke 24:1.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the meaning of G901 in context:

G3722 órthros: This word means dawn or early in the morning. It is used alongside G901 in Luke 24:1 to create the emphatic phrase "very early in the morning," combining the idea of dawn with profoundness.
G5258 hýpnos: Meaning sleep, this word is modified by G901 in Acts 20:9 to describe the "deep sleep" that overcame Eutychus. Its figurative sense can also refer to spiritual torpor, as seen in Romans 13:11.

Theological Significance

The significance of G901 lies in its ability to convey a sense of intensity or profundity, whether literally or figuratively.

Literal Depth: The primary meaning establishes a physical reality, as with the well in John 4:11. This tangible concept of depth grounds the word's other uses.
Intensity of State: The term extends from a physical measurement to describe the intensity of a human condition. The "deep sleep" in Acts 20:9 is not a measure of distance but of the profound nature of the sleep itself.
Temporal Depth: Its use in Luke 24:1 to mean "very early" shows how the concept of "deep" can be applied to time, indicating a point far into the early hours of the morning.

Summary

In summary, G901 is a focused but flexible word. While it appears only a few times, it effectively communicates the core idea of "profoundness." Whether describing the literal depth of a well, the immersive state of a deep sleep, or the profound earliness of the morning, bathýs adds a layer of intensity and degree to the concepts it modifies in Scripture.

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 an adjective across 4 occurrences, inflected in 4 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Accusative Plural Neuter 1×
Dative Singular Masculine 1×
Genitive Singular Masculine 1×
Nominative Singular Neuter 1×

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
Genitive: Possession or source — often "of".
Dative: The indirect object — often "to" or "for".
Accusative: The direct object of the verb.
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
Neuter: Neuter grammatical gender.

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 3 verses across 3 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Luke, John, and Acts (1 verse each); never once in the other 24.

Luke

John

Acts

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.