Greek noun (neuter) · G4747
στοιχεῖον
stoicheionstoy-khi'-on
the shadow-line of a dial (Aristoph.).; an elementary sound or letter of the alphabet (Anth., Plut., π.).; the elements or rudiments of knowledge (Arist., al.); The material elements of the universe; The heavenly bodies (Ding. Laert.).; The demons or tutelary spirits of nature (Enoch., Test., Sol., al.
7 uses in the Greek text, one for each word STEP Bible has tagged with this key
Concordance spelling: stoicheîon
Word page · Part of the concordance, one page for every word of the Hebrew and Greek text. Strong's G4747is this word's number in James Strong's 1890 index of the King James Bible.
- 4 of 27New Testament books
- 2spellings
- 6meanings
The definition in full
Strong's key (1890) · G4747
something orderly in arrangement, i.e. (by implication) a serial (basal, fundamental, initial) constituent (literally), proposition (figuratively)
The King James renders it: element, principle, rudiment.
James Strong, The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890), public domain. Strong indexed the King James text, and this site quotes his entry as that index.
Summary
stoicheion is rendered "the shadow-line of a dial (Aristoph.).; an elementary sound or letter of the alphabet (Anth., Plut., π.).; the elements or rudiments of knowledge (Arist., al.); The material elements of the universe; The heavenly bodies (Ding. Laert.).; The demons or tutelary spirits of nature (Enoch., Test., Sol., al.". It stands 7 times in the Greek text, across four books.
- Two of the uses stand in Galatians, more than in any other book.
- The lexicon lists six meanings for it, beginning with "the shadow-line of a dial (Aristoph.).".
- Its first use in canonical order opens the ledger below.Galatians 4:3So also, when we were children, we were enslaved under the basic principles of the world.
- The Greek text spells it two different ways.
The first use
So also, when we were children, we were enslaved under the basic principles of the world.
Galatians 4:3στοιχεῖα
The first use, in the order of the New Testament's books.
Where the word stands
Two of the word's seven uses are in Galatians.
What the word means
The lexicons give this word six senses, and a verse uses one of them at a time: the shadow-line of a dial (Aristoph.)., and an elementary sound or letter of the alphabet (Anth., Plut., π.)., and the elements or rudiments of knowledge (Arist., al.), and The material elements of the universe, and The heavenly bodies (Ding. Laert.)., and The demons or tutelary spirits of nature (Enoch., Test., Sol., al..
Each meaning, and the words it is translated by
| Meaning | Tagged as | Where |
|---|---|---|
| the shadow-line of a dial (Aristoph.). | Tagged aslisted under the table | WhereGalatians 4:3So also, when we were children, we were enslaved under the basic principles of the world. |
| an elementary sound or letter of the alphabet (Anth., Plut., π.). | Tagged aslisted under the table | Wherein the ledger below |
| the elements or rudiments of knowledge (Arist., al.) | Tagged as
| WhereGalatians 4:3So also, when we were children, we were enslaved under the basic principles of the world. |
| The material elements of the universe(Plat.; LXX, ll. with): 2Pe.3:10 3:12. | Tagged as
| Where2 Peter 3:10But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar… |
| The heavenly bodies (Ding. Laert.). | Tagged aslisted under the table | Wherein the ledger below |
| The demons or tutelary spirits of nature (Enoch., Test., Sol., al.for this sense in Ga | Tagged aslisted under the table | WhereColossians 2:8See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception… |
The words built on the same word-part
Each word below begins with the same letters this one begins with. A shared word-part shows a family. It does not settle what any one of them means, so each word carries its own uses on its own page. Scholars call that shared part the stem.
All 7, in canonical order
Every use, in order
Every use, grouped by book, with its verse.
2 spellings and their grammar
STEP Bible tags every word of the Hebrew and Greek text with its spelling and its grammar. Both lists below count the rows printed underneath, written out in English, with the code beside each one as it was tagged.
How it is spelled
- στοιχεῖα6
- στοιχείων1
The grammar of each form
- noun · accusative (object) · neuter plural4N-APN
- noun · nominative (subject) · neuter plural2N-NPN
- noun · genitive (“of”) · neuter plural1N-GPN
Galatians
two uses
So also, when we were children, we were enslaved under the basic principles of the world.
- στοιχεῖαstoicheianoun · accusative (object) · neuter pluraltagged: basic principles
But now that you know God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you are turning back to those weak and worthless principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?
- στοιχεῖαstoicheianoun · accusative (object) · neuter pluraltagged: principles
Colossians
two uses
See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, which are based on human tradition and the spiritual forces of the world rather than on Christ.
- στοιχεῖαstoicheianoun · accusative (object) · neuter pluraltagged: principles
If you have died with Christ to the spiritual forces of the world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its regulations:
- στοιχείωνstoicheionnoun · genitive (“of”) · neuter pluraltagged: principles
Hebrews
one use
Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to reteach you the basic principles of God’s word. You need milk, not solid food!
- στοιχεῖαstoicheianoun · accusative (object) · neuter pluraltagged: principles
2 Peter
two uses
But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and its works will be laid bare.
- στοιχεῖαstoicheianoun · nominative (subject) · neuter pluraltagged: elements
as you anticipate and hasten the coming of the day of God, when the heavens will be destroyed by fire and the elements will melt in the heat.
- στοιχεῖαstoicheianoun · nominative (subject) · neuter pluraltagged: elements
Where it leads
How the numbers are counted
Every count on this page comes from STEP Bible's tagged Hebrew and Greek text, the same text the ledger prints. A use is counted once each time the tagging marks a word with this key.
Spellings are counted as the Greek text spells them, with the sentence's own punctuation taken off the word first, so a form that ends a clause is not counted as a second spelling.
The family is read from the lexicon by the stem the two words share, with the accents off, and a person or a place named on the stem is left out.