What does Γαλιλαία (Galilaía) mean in the Bible?
G1056 names Galilee, the northern region that frames early calling, signs, return from Judea, Cana, Capernaum, and movement toward the sea. In John, Galilee is not a minor backdrop.
Greek · G1056
Γαλιλαία
Galilæa (i.e. the heathen circle), a region of Palestine
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Γαλιλαία G1056
Pronunciation Galilaía
What does Γαλιλαία (Galilaía) mean in the Bible?
G1056 names Galilee, the northern region that frames early calling, signs, return from Judea, Cana, Capernaum, and movement toward the sea. In John, Galilee is not a minor backdrop.
Reader summary
Full entry for Γαλιλαία (G1056) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G1056?
The BSB source-word alignment has 61 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include Galilee (40), in Galilee (10), of Galilee (10), - (1).
Where does Γαλιλαία (Galilaía) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 2:22. Its strongest book concentrations include John (17), Matthew (16), Luke (13), Mark (12).
Are there verse guides for Γαλιλαία (Galilaía)?
This entry includes 1 verse guide that explain exact original-language forms in context.
What This Word Actually Means
G1056 names Galilee, the northern region that frames early calling, signs, return from Judea, Cana, Capernaum, and movement toward the sea. In John, Galilee is not a minor backdrop. Jesus decides to go there and calls Philip, manifests His glory at Cana, returns there after leaving Judea, and continues public work in settings where belief, misunderstanding, and signs unfold.
Galilee helps readers see Jesus' mission moving through real places rather than abstract ideas. The region is associated with disciples, households, signs, and movement between local ministry and wider feast conflict. It should not be romanticized as simple faith or dismissed as marginal; John uses it as a real mission field where glory is revealed and faith is tested.
How the Bible Uses It
G1056 locates Galilee in John as a setting of calling, Cana signs, regional movement, and public ministry that reveals Jesus' glory and tests responses to Him.
- John.1.43
The next day Jesus decided to set out for Galilee. Finding Philip, He told him, “Follow Me.”
Jesus decides to go to Galilee and calls Philip. The region becomes a setting for discipleship initiative.
- John.2.1
On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there,
The wedding at Cana in Galilee introduces the sign that will manifest Jesus' glory.
- John.2.11
Jesus performed this, the first of His signs, at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.
Cana in Galilee is named as the place of the first sign, where Jesus reveals His glory and His disciples believe in Him.
- John.4.3
He left Judea and returned to Galilee.
Jesus leaves Judea and goes again into Galilee. The movement shows regional transition in His mission.
- John.4.43
After two days, Jesus left for Galilee.
After two days in Samaria, Jesus goes on to Galilee. The sequence keeps Galilee connected to wider mission movement.
- John.6.1
After this, Jesus crossed to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias).
Jesus crosses the Sea of Galilee before the feeding sign. Galilee remains a sign setting, not only a starting point.
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It Galilee 40× Matthew 3:13, Matthew 4:12, Matthew 4:15, Matthew 4:23
in Galilee 10× Matthew 21:11, Mark 1:9, Luke 1:26, Luke 2:4
of Galilee 10× Matthew 2:22, Matthew 4:18, Matthew 15:29, Mark 1:16
- 1× John 4:45
Show sample aligned rows
Matthew 2:22 Γαλιλαίας to of Galilee Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular Matthew 3:13 Γαλιλαίας to Galilee Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular Matthew 4:12 Γαλιλαίαν to Galilee Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular Matthew 4:15 Γαλιλαία to Galilee Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular Matthew 4:18 Γαλιλαίας to of Galilee Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular Matthew 4:23 Γαλιλαίᾳ to Galilee Noun - Dative Feminine Singular Matthew 4:25 Γαλιλαίας to Galilee Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular Matthew 15:29 Γαλιλαίας to of Galilee Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular Matthew 17:22 Γαλιλαίᾳ to Galilee Noun - Dative Feminine Singular Matthew 19:1 Γαλιλαίας to Galilee Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Matthew 2:22
Aligned rows 61
Books represented 5
Matthew 16 Mark 12 Luke 13 John 17 Acts 3
Source forms
Γαλιλαίας 37x Galilaias Matthew 2:22, Matthew 3:13, Matthew 4:18, Matthew 4:25
Γαλιλαίαν 17x Galilaian Matthew 4:12, Matthew 26:32, Matthew 28:7, Matthew 28:10
Γαλιλαίᾳ 6x Galilaia Matthew 4:23, Matthew 17:22, Mark 15:41, Luke 24:6
Γαλιλαία 1x Galilaia Matthew 4:15
Parsing patterns
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular 37x Matthew 2:22, Matthew 3:13, Matthew 4:18, Matthew 4:25
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular 17x Matthew 4:12, Matthew 26:32, Matthew 28:7, Matthew 28:10
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular 6x Matthew 4:23, Matthew 17:22, Mark 15:41, Luke 24:6
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular 1x Matthew 4:15
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Pay attention to ordinary places where Jesus reveals glory and calls disciples.
- Let geography serve the passage's movement rather than replacing the passage's claims.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim that Galilee is automatically a symbol of pure faith in John. Responses there are still tested.
- Do not claim that place names are incidental when John uses them to trace Jesus' movement and signs.
Key Verse and Form Guides
Verse-level guides showing how this original-language form works in its specific context, including grammar, verse function, and guarded interpretation.
Evidence Summary
Greek word. Galilæa (i.e. the heathen circle), a region of Palestine
Source Gloss
Galilæa (i.e. the heathen circle), a region of Palestine
Extended definition
:--Galilee.
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
16 of 63 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Matthew 2:22 Noun Genitive Singular Feminine
Γαλιλαίας, galilaiav
Galilee
Read verse Matthew 3:13 Noun Genitive Singular Feminine
Γαλιλαίας galilaiav
Galilee
Read verse Matthew 4:12 Noun Accusative Singular Feminine
Γαλιλαίαν· galilaian
Galilee
Read verse Matthew 4:15 Noun Singular Feminine
Γαλιλαία galilaia
Galilee
Read verse Matthew 4:18 Noun Genitive Singular Feminine
Γαλιλαίας galilaiav
Galilee
Read verse Matthew 4:23 Noun Accusative Singular Feminine
Γαλιλαίαν galilaian
Galilee
Read verse Matthew 4:25 Noun Genitive Singular Feminine
Γαλιλαίας galilaiav
Galilee
Read verse Matthew 15:29 Noun Genitive Singular Feminine
Γαλιλαίας· galilaiav
Galilee
Read verse Matthew 17:22 Noun Dative Singular Feminine
Γαλιλαίᾳ, galilaia
Galilee
Read verse Matthew 19:1 Noun Genitive Singular Feminine
Γαλιλαίας, galilaiav
Galilee
Read verse Matthew 21:11 Noun Genitive Singular Feminine
Γαλιλαίας. galilaiav
Galilee
Read verse Matthew 26:32 Noun Accusative Singular Feminine
Γαλιλαίαν. galilaian
Galilee
Read verse Matthew 27:55 Noun Genitive Singular Feminine
Γαλιλαίας, galilaiav
Galilee
Read verse Matthew 28:7 Noun Accusative Singular Feminine
Γαλιλαίαν· galilaian
Galilee
Read verse Matthew 28:10 Noun Accusative Singular Feminine
Γαλιλαίαν, galilaian
Galilee
Read verse Matthew 28:16 Noun Accusative Singular Feminine
Γαλιλαίαν, galilaian
Galilee
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
This word appears as a noun across 4 case and number patterns. The form changes show how the word functions in a sentence; they do not change the basic lexical meaning by themselves.
Form patterns 4 Aligned forms 61 Case pattern Genitive (37) Number pattern Singular (61)
Nominative · Singular · Feminine Matt 4:15 1×
Genitive · Singular · Feminine Matt 2:22 · Matt 3:13 · Matt 4:18 · Matt 4:25 · Matt 15:29 · Matt 19:1 · Matt 21:11 · Matt 27:55 · Mark 1:9 · Mark 1:16 · Mark 1:28 · Mark 3:7 · Mark 6:21 · Mark 7:31 · Mark 9:30 · Luke 1:26 37×
Dative · Singular · Feminine Matt 4:23 · Matt 17:22 · Mark 15:41 · Luke 24:6 · John 7:1 · John 7:9 6×
Accusative · Singular · Feminine Matt 4:12 · Matt 26:32 · Matt 28:7 · Matt 28:10 · Matt 28:16 · Mark 1:14 · Mark 1:39 · Mark 14:28 · Mark 16:7 · Luke 2:39 · Luke 4:14 · John 1:43 · John 4:3 · John 4:43 · John 4:45 · John 4:47 17×
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Geographic region of Palestine where Jesus traveled and ministered
Showing 1 selected witness from 61 lexical occurrence verses.
Cross-Language Connections
Hebrew roots and equivalents that share conceptual or etymological ground with this Greek word.
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
For the Preacher and Teacher
G1056 helps readers see that John's theology moves through real geography. Galilee is where Jesus calls Philip, where Cana hosts the first sign, where Jesus manifests His glory and His disciples believe, and where later signs continue to test responses. The region sits in movement with Judea and Samaria rather than in isolation. This protects preaching from turning John into abstract doctrine detached from embodied mission.
Jesus reveals glory at a wedding, speaks across regional boundaries, and continues toward the sea where crowds and disciples must interpret His work. Galilee is not the hero of the story. It is a lived place where the Son's initiative, glory, and mission become visible.
Anchor passage
John.2.11
Doctrinal connections
- G4592 Semeion: Cana in Galilee is the first sign that reveals Jesus' glory.
- G1391 Doxa: Galilee becomes the setting where Jesus manifests His glory to His disciples.
- G3101 Mathetes: Discipleship begins and grows in Galilean scenes.
- G5316 Phaino or manifestation language: The Cana sign shows glory made visible in a concrete place.
- G4540 Samareia: John's movement from Judea through Samaria to Galilee shows mission crossing expected boundaries.
- G2281 Thalassa: The Sea of Galilee becomes another setting for signs and teaching in John 6.
G1056 is a regional place name. Its teaching value comes from tracking narrative movement, not from treating the geography as a hidden code.
From Old to New Testament
Galilee carries prophetic and Gospel significance as a region where light dawns and Jesus ministers among real towns, homes, and roads. John contributes by showing glory revealed there through signs and calling.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain