"a beast, wild animal, Mk. 1:13; Acts 10:12; met. a brute, brutish man, Tit. 1:12"
Definition and meaning
a beast, wild animal, Mk. 1:13; Acts 10:12; met. a brute, brutish man, Tit. 1:12
In the original Greek the word is written: θηρίον
Historical context
The Gospel of Mark moves urgently — the word "immediately" appears over 40 times. It was written for a Roman audience familiar with power and action. Jesus is portrayed as a man who acts, heals, and commands authority that the Roman world had never seen from a Jewish teacher.
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 therion (G2342) across the King James Bible.
And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.
Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.
Upon the which when I had fastened mine eyes, I considered, and saw fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.
And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live.
And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm.
One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.
(For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart:
For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:
And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.
And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.
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Common questions
Strong's G2342 (therion) is a Greek word that means: a beast, wild animal, Mk. 1:13; Acts 10:12; met. a brute, brutish man, Tit. 1:12 It appears 38 times in the King James Bible.
The word therion (G2342) appears 38 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G2342 is therion, a Greek word defined as: a beast, wild animal, Mk. 1:13; Acts 10:12; met. a brute, brutish man, Tit. 1:12. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
therion is a Greek word found in the New Testament.