"fear of the gods; in a bad sense, superstition; a form of religious belief, Acts 25:19*"
Definition and meaning
fear of the gods; in a bad sense, superstition; a form of religious belief, Acts 25:19*
In the original Greek the word is written: δεισιδαιμονία
Historical context
The Roman Empire provided infrastructure no previous civilization had built — roads, sea routes, a common language in Greek, and relative peace across the Mediterranean. Jewish synagogues existed in every major city, giving Paul a starting point everywhere he traveled. The early church had no buildings, no political power, no social standing — and spread faster than any movement in ancient history.
The people who first heard this word were not reading a book — they were living through empires, oppression, exile, and covenant. Every word carried the weight of that reality. Understanding it changes how you read Scripture.
Scripture references
These are the most notable occurrences of deisidaimonia (G1175) across the King James Bible.
But had certain questions against him of their own superstition, and of one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.
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Common questions
Strong's G1175 (deisidaimonia) is a Greek word that means: fear of the gods; in a bad sense, superstition; a form of religious belief, Acts 25:19* It appears 1 times in the King James Bible.
The word deisidaimonia (G1175) appears 1 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G1175 is deisidaimonia, a Greek word defined as: fear of the gods; in a bad sense, superstition; a form of religious belief, Acts 25:19*. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
deisidaimonia is a Greek word found in the New Testament.