πτόησις
ptoēsis
fear
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
ExploredThe Greek word πτόησις (ptoēsis) is found only once in the Bible and refers to a feeling of fear. This word conveys a sense of trepidation or apprehension that someone may experience in a given situation. Given its single occurrence in the biblical text, πτόησις' usage is quite limited, making it a relatively specific emotion compared to other emotions like joy or love. In examining πτόησις' place within the broader semantic domain of Emotion & Attitude, it is reasonable to infer that this emotion is closely related to a range of other feelings that convey a sense of vulnerability or concern. The fact that the text only uses πτόησις in a specific context may suggest that the author of the Bible used this term to convey a particular type of fear that is worth highlighting. Overall, the scarcity of information regarding πτόησις makes it challenging to assess its full significance within the biblical narrative. However, its association with the broader category of Emotion & Attitude implies that the emotion of fear serves as an integral aspect of human experience, one that has the potential to shape our perceptions and interactions with the world around us.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence across the text