thērion · wild animal

What it means

thērion (θηρίον) is a Greek word of the Bible that means “wild animal”.

Beast.

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. An animal of the wild that lives free and can be dangerous.
2. The monster of Revelation, God's enemy.

From Abbott-Smith (1922) · Thayer (1889)

Word study

Wild animal, beast. Abbott-Smith explains it as a diminutive of θήρ, ‘wild beast’. In Revelation it designates the beast that comes up out of the sea and the one that comes up out of the earth.

• The beast of Revelation Revelation 13:1Revelation 13:18Revelation 19:20
• Jesus “was with the wild animals” Mark 1:13
• Wild animals and animals in general Acts 11:6James 3:7Hebrews 12:20
• The viper that bit Paul Acts 28:4
• “Evil beasts”: the saying about the Cretans Titus 1:12

How we translate it

“Beast” 38 times, almost all in Revelation, with notes that recall the beasts of Daniel 7 (Revelation 11:7; 13:1). Outside Revelation it reads “wild animals” (Mark 1:13), “wild beasts” (Acts 11:6), “beasts” (James 3:7), “an animal” (Hebrews 12:20) or “the creature” (the viper of Acts 28:4-5).

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• beast ×38
• beasts ×3
• creature ×2
• wild animals ×2
• animal ×1

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Mark×1
• Acts×3
• Titus×1
• Hebrews×1
• James×1
• Revelation×39

• Mark 1:13

  And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tested by Satan; and he was with the wild animals, and the angels were serving him.

• Acts 11:6

  Staring into it I was observing it and I saw the four-footed animals of the earth and the wild beasts and the reptiles and the birds of the sky.

• Acts 28:4

  And when the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they were saying to one another, “This man is surely a murderer; though he was brought safely out of the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.”

• Acts 28:5

  However, he shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm.

• Titus 1:12

  One of them, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”

• Hebrews 12:20

  for they could not bear what was commanded: If even an animal touches the mountain, it will be stoned.

• James 3:7

  For every kind of beasts and birds, of reptiles and sea creatures, is tamed and has been tamed by humankind,

• Revelation 6:8

  And I looked, and look, a pale horse, and the one who sat on it, his name was Death, and Hades was following with him; and authority was given to them over the fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild animals of the earth.

• Revelation 11:7

  And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war against them and conquer them and kill them.

• Revelation 13:1

  And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on its horns ten diadems, and on its heads names of blasphemy.

• Revelation 13:2

  And the beast that I saw was like a leopard, and its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth like a lion’s mouth. And the dragon gave it his power and his throne and great authority.

• Revelation 13:3

  And one of its heads was as if slaughtered to death, and its death wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast.

• Revelation 13:4

  And they worshiped the dragon, because he had given the authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?”

• Revelation 13:11

  And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and it had two horns like a lamb’s, and it was speaking like a dragon.

• Revelation 13:12

  And it exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and it makes the earth and those who live in it worship the first beast, whose death wound was healed.

• Revelation 13:14

  And it deceives those who live on the earth by the signs that it was given to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who live on the earth to make an image for the beast that has the wound of the sword and came to life.

• Revelation 13:15

  And it was given power to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause that as many as did not worship the image of the beast be killed.

• Revelation 13:17

  and that no one may be able to buy or to sell except the one who has the mark, the name of the beast or the number of its name.

• Revelation 13:18

  Here is wisdom. Let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a human being; and its number is six hundred sixty six.

• Revelation 14:9

  And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand,

• Revelation 14:11

  And the smoke of their torment goes up to the ages of the ages, and they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.”

• Revelation 15:2

  And I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing on the sea of glass, holding harps of God.

• Revelation 16:2

  And the first went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and a harmful and painful sore came on the people who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped its image.

• Revelation 16:10

  And the fifth poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness; and they gnawed their tongues because of the pain,

• Revelation 16:13

  And I saw out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet three unclean spirits like frogs;

• Revelation 17:3

  And he carried me away into a wilderness in the Spirit; and I saw a woman seated on a scarlet beast full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

• Revelation 17:7

  And the angel said to me, “Why are you amazed? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns.

• Revelation 17:8

  The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and goes to destruction. And those who live on the earth, whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will be amazed when they see the beast, because it was and is not and will be present.

• Revelation 17:11

  And the beast that was and is not, it too is an eighth, and it is of the seven, and it goes to destruction.

• Revelation 17:12

  And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings for one hour with the beast.

• Revelation 17:13

  These have one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast.

• Revelation 17:16

  And the ten horns that you saw, and the beast, these will hate the prostitute and will make her desolate and naked, and they will eat her flesh and burn her up with fire.

• Revelation 17:17

  For God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose and to act on one purpose and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled.

• Revelation 18:2

  And he cried out with a mighty voice, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! And she has become a dwelling place of demons and a haunt of every unclean spirit, and a haunt of every unclean bird, and a haunt of every unclean and hated beast,

• Revelation 19:19

  And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered to make war against the one who sat on the horse and against his army.

• Revelation 19:20

  And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who performed the signs in its presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. The two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.

• Revelation 20:4

  And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them; and I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand. And they came to life and reigned with the Messiah for a thousand years.

• Revelation 20:10

  And the Devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet also are, and they will be tormented day and night to the ages of the ages.

And 8 more times.