Quick Definition
force, violence
Strong's Definition
force
Derivation: probably akin to G979 (βίος) (through the idea of vital activity);
KJV Usage: violence
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
βία, βίας, ἡ;
1. strength, whether of body or of mind: Homer and subsequent writers.
2. strength in violent action, force: μετά βίας by the use of force, with violence, Act_5:26; Act_24:7 (Rec.); shock τῶν κυμάτων, Act_27:41 (R G, but Tr text brackets; others omit τῶν κυμάτων); διά τήν βίαν τοῦ ὄχλου, the crowd pressing on so violently, Act_21:35. (Synonym: see δύναμις, at the end.)
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
βία bia 3x
force, impetus, violence, Act_5:26 ; Act_21:35 ; Act_27:41 * violence.
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
βία , -ας , ἡ ,
[in LXX for H6531 , etc.;]
strength, force, violence: Act_5:26 ; Act_21:35 ; Act_24:7 ; Act_27:41 .†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
βία [page 109]
A few examples will suffice of this common word P Petr III. 53 ( n ) .9 (iii/B.C.) π ]ρὸς βὶαν ἔχετ̣α̣ι̣, he is forcibly detained (Edd.), P Par 38 .28 (B.C. 162) περὶ δὲ ἦς πεποίηνται βίας (cf. P Amh II. 35 .44 B.C. 132), ib. 15 .18 (B.C. 120) καὶ τῇ περὶ ἑαυτοὺς βίᾳ χρώμενοι , P Oxy VIII. 1120 .11 (early iii/A.D.) κατὰ τοῦτο μαρτύρομαι τὴν βίαν γυνὴ χήρα καὶ ἀσθενής , ib. .20 ὡς ἐν παντὶ σθένει βίαν με σχεῖν , so that I am subjected to unmitigated violence (Ed.), P Strass I. 5 .9 (A.D. 262) πέπονθεν βίαν πα [ρ ]α̣̣ πάντας τ̣οὺς νόμου̣[ς ], ib. .18 εἴ τι πρὸ [ς ] βίαν ἐλήμφθη , and P Giss I. 34 .12 (A.D. 265 6) βίαν οὐ τ̣[ὴ ]ν̣ τυχοῦσαν ἐρ [γ ]άσασθαι . Μετὰ βίας , as in Act_5:26 , occurs in P Tebt I. 5 .57 (B.C. 118), Syll 356 .33 (B.C. 6), in the latter case associated with ὕβρεως and applied to burglars. Note also P Tebt II. 434 .2 (A.D. 104) τῆς βίας αὐτῶν δεομένης τῆς τοῦ κρατίστου ἡγεμόνος δικαιοδοσίας , P Amh II. 78 .4 (A.D. 184) βίαν πάσχων ἑκάστοτε ὑπὸ Ἑκυ̣σεως , Chrest. I. 461 .12 (iii/A.D. init. ) βίαν [π ]αθὼν [. . . ὑπὸ ] Μάρκου κτλ . It is rather curious that in NT βία is restricted to Ac.
Liddell-Scott — Intermediate Greek Lexicon
βία "bodily strength, force, power, might", Hom. , etc.; periphr. βίη Ἡρακληείη "the strength" of Hercules, i. e. the strong Hercules, Il. ; βίη Διομήδεος id=Il. ; Τυδέως βία, Πολυνείκους β. Aesch. , etc. of the mind, Il. "force, an act of violence", Od. ; in pl., id=Od. ; in attic, βίαι τινός "against" one's "will, in spite of" him, Aesch. , Thuc. , etc.; βίαι φρενῶν Aesch. ; also βίαι alone as an adv., "perforce", Od. , etc.; so, πρὸς βίαν τινός and πρὸς βίαν alone, Aesch.
STEPBible — Tyndale Abridged Greek Lexicon
βία, -ας, ἡ,
[in LXX for פֶּרֶךְ, etc. ;]
strength, force, violence: Act.5:26 21:35 24:7 27:41.†
(AS)