θρησκεία Tdf. θρησκια (see Iota) (a later word; Ionic θρησκιη in Herodotus (2, 18. 37)), θρησκείας, ἡ (from θρησκεύω, and this from θρησκός, which see; hence, apparently primarily fear of the gods); religious worship, especially external, that which consists in ceremonies: hence, in plural θρησκιας ἐπιτελεῖν μυριάς, Herodotus 2, 37; καθιστας ἁγνείας τέ καί θρησκείας καί καθαρμους, Dionysius Halicarnassus 2, 63; universally, religious worship, Jas_1:26 f; with the genitive of the object (Winer's Grammar, 187 (176)) τῶν ἀγγέλων, Col_2:18 (τῶν εἰδώλων, Wis_14:27; τῶν δαιμον´ων, Eusebius, h. e. 6, 41, 2; τῶν θεῶν, ibid. 9, 9, 14; τοῦ Θεοῦ, Herodian, 4, 8, 17 (7 edition, Bekker); often in Josephus (cf. Krebs, Observations, etc., p. 339f); Clement of Rome, 1 Cor. 45, 7 [ET]); religious discipline, religion: ἡμετέρα θρησκεία, of Judaism, Act_26:5 (τήν ἐμήν θρησκειαν καταλιπών, put into the mouth of God by Josephus, Antiquities 8, 11, 1; with the genitive of the subjunctive τῶν Ἰουδαίων, 4Ma_5:6; 4Ma_5:13 (12); Josephus, Antiquities 12, 5, 4; θρησκεία κοσμικη, i. e. worthy to be embraced by all nations, a world religion, b. j. 4, 5, 2; piety, περί τόν Θεόν, Antiquities 1, 13, 1; κατά τήν ἔμφυτον θρησκειαν τῶν βαρβάρων πρός τό βασιλικόν ὄνομα, Chariton 7, 6, p. 165, 18 edition, Reiske; of the reverence of Antiochus the Pious for the Jewish religion, Josephus, Antiquities 13, 8, 2). Cf. Grimm on 4Ma_5:6; (especially Trench, § xlviii.).

θρησκεία thrēskeia 4x religious worship, Col_2:18 ; religion, a religious system, Act_26:5 ; religion, piety, Jas_1:26-27

**† θρησκεία (-κία , T ), -ας , ἡ ( < θρῆσκος ), [in LXX : Wis_14:18 ; Wis_14:27 , Sir_22:5 A, 4Ma_5:6 ; 4Ma_5:13 * ;] religion in its external aspect ( MM , Exp., xv), worship: Act_26:5 , Jas_1:26-27 ; θ . τῶν ἀγγέλων , Col_2:18 .† SYN.: see θρῆσκος G2357 .

θρησκεία [page 293] As against the common idea that θρησκεία means only ritual, Hort (on Jas_1:26 ) has shown that the underlying idea is simply reverence of the gods or worship of the gods, two sides of the same feeling a feeling which, however, frequently finds expression in θρησκεῖαι or ritual acts. Of this use of the plur. a good example occurs in a ii/A.D. Rainer papyrus published by Wessely ( Karanis , p. 56) where precautions are taken πρὸς τῷ ἰδίῳ λόγῳ . . . ἴνα μήκετι αἱ τῶν θεῶν θρησκεῖαι ἐμποδίζο (= ω )νται (cf. 1Ma_9:55 ) : see also another Rainer papyrus, Chrest. I. 72 .10 (A.D. 234), where it is reported μηδένα δὲ τῶν ἱερέω [ν ἢ ] ἱερωμένων ἐνκαταλελοιπέναι τὰς [θρ ]ησκείας , and cf. the curious inscr. from Talmis in Nubia, ib. 73 .10 (A.D. 247 8), where the strategus gives orders that all swine should be driven out of the village πρὸς τὸ δύνασθαι τὰ περὶ τὰ ἱερὰ θρήσκια κατὰ τὰ νενομισμένα γείνεσθαι . In the Delphic inscr., first published by Bourguet De rebus Delphicis , 1905, p. 63 f., which has proved of such importance in dating Gallio s proconsulship, and consequently in fixing a point in the Pauline chronology (see s.v . Γαλλίων ), the words ἐπετήρη [σα δὲ τὴ ]ν θρησκεί [αν τ ]οῦ Ἀποί [λλωνος ] τοῦ Πυθίου are put into the mouth of the Emperor Tiberius, to which Deissmann ( St. Paul , p. 251) furnishes a parallel from the same source in a letter of Hadrian's to Delphi : καὶ εἰς τὴν ἀρ [χαιότητα τῆ ]ς πόλεως καὶ εἰς τὴν τοῦ κατέχοντος α [ὐτὴν θεοῦ θρησ ]κείαν ἀφορῶν (Bourguet, p. 78). We may add Syll 656 .48 (Ephesus ii/A.D.) which describes as θρησκεία the keeping of the month Artemision as sacred to the tutelary goddess, OGIS 513 .18 (beginning of iii/A.D.) in honour of a priestess εὐσεβῶς πᾶσαν θρησκείαν ἐκτελέσασαν τῇ θεῷ , and the interesting passage quoted by C. Taylor ( Exp T xvi. p. 334) in illustration of Jas_1:26 from the end of c. 12 of the Ποιμάνδρης of Hermes Trismegistos καὶ τοῦτό ἐστιν ὁ θεός , τὸ πᾶν . . . τοῦτον τὸν λόγον , ὦ τέκνον , προσκύνει καὶ θρήσκευε . θρησκεία δὲ τοῦ θεοῦ μία ἐστί , μὴ εἶναι κακόν , et hoc deus est, universum . . . hoc verbum, o fili, adora et cole. Cultus autem dei unus est, malum non esse (ed. Parthey, Berlin, 1854). For the verb see Preisigke 991 (A.D. 290) where an inscr. on a temple-pillar is dated ἐπὶ Διδύμου ἱερέως θρησκεύοντος . Boisacq (p. 340) derives the Ionic word from the root of θεράπων , θεραπεύω : cf. θρόνος .

θρησκεία "religious worship or usage", Hdt. : "religion", NTest. ; θρ. τῶν ἀγγέλων "worshipping" of angels, id=NTest. [Etym: from θρησκεύω]

θρησκεία (-κία, T), -ας, ἡ (θρῆσκος), [in LXX: Wis.14:18, 27, Sir.22:5 A, 4Ma.5:6 4Mac 5:13 * ;] religion in its external aspect (MM, Exp., xv), worship: Act.26:5, Jas.1:26-27; θ. τῶν ἀγγέλων, Col.2:18.† SYN.: see: θρῆσκος (AS)