What does δωρεά (dōreá) mean in the Bible?
Dorea means gift, with an emphasis on gracious giving rather than earned payment. In the New Testament it repeatedly points to what God gives through Christ and the Spirit.
Greek · G1431
δωρεά
A gratuity
Reading a lexicon entry
What this page is: Each lexicon entry shows the original Hebrew or Greek word behind the English translation: its meaning, its range of use, and where it appears in Scripture.
Strong's number: The Strong's code (H- or G-) is the standard reference number for this word. It connects this entry to chapter and passage language tabs.
Where it appears: The witness passages show where this word is used in context. Click any to open the study page for that passage.
This lexicon entry is part of our ongoing editorial review. If you notice missing content, unclear wording, or a possible correction, please send us a note through the Connect page. Screenshots are helpful.
δωρεά G1431
Pronunciation dōreá
What does δωρεά (dōreá) mean in the Bible?
Dorea means gift, with an emphasis on gracious giving rather than earned payment. In the New Testament it repeatedly points to what God gives through Christ and the Spirit.
Reader summary
Full entry for δωρεά (G1431) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G1431?
The BSB source-word alignment has 11 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include gift (11).
Where does δωρεά (dōreá) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at John 4:10. Its strongest book concentrations include Acts (4), Ephesians (2), Romans (2), 2 Corinthians (1).
What This Word Actually Means
Dorea means gift, with an emphasis on gracious giving rather than earned payment. In the New Testament it repeatedly points to what God gives through Christ and the Spirit. Jesus speaks of the gift of God in His offer of living water. Peter announces the gift of the Holy Spirit after repentance and baptism. In Acts, the gift cannot be bought with silver and is poured out even on Gentiles, proving God's welcome is not controlled by human status.
Paul uses dorea for grace abounding through Jesus Christ, for righteousness received, for God's indescribable gift, and for grace given according to Christ's measure. The word therefore teaches that the decisive blessings of salvation are received, not purchased, achieved, or controlled.
How the Bible Uses It
Dorea names gracious gift. It marks living water, the Holy Spirit, grace, righteousness, and Christ's generosity as received blessings that cannot be bought or earned.
- John.4.10
Jesus answered, “If you knew the gift of God and who is asking you for a drink, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
Jesus tells the Samaritan woman that knowing the gift of God would lead her to ask Him for living water.
- Acts.2.38
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Peter promises the gift of the Holy Spirit in the apostolic call to repent and be baptized in Jesus' name.
- Acts.8.20
But Peter replied, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!
Peter rebukes Simon because he thinks the gift of God can be bought with money.
- Acts.10.45
All the circumcised believers who had accompanied Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles.
Jewish believers are astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit has been poured out on Gentiles.
- Rom.5.15
But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many!
Paul contrasts Adam's trespass with the gift that abounds by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ.
- 2Cor.9.15
Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!
Paul ends his teaching on generosity by thanking God for His indescribable gift.
- Eph.4.7
Now to each one of us grace has been given according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
Grace is given to each believer according to the measure of Christ's gift.
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 gift 11× John 4:10, Acts 2:38, Acts 8:20, Acts 10:45
Show sample aligned rows
John 4:10 δωρεὰν to gift Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular Acts 2:38 δωρεὰν to gift Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular Acts 8:20 δωρεὰν to gift Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular Acts 10:45 δωρεὰ to gift Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular Acts 11:17 δωρεὰν to gift Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular Romans 5:15 δωρεὰ to gift Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular Romans 5:17 δωρεᾶς to gift Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular 2 Corinthians 9:15 δωρεᾷ to gift Noun - Dative Feminine Singular Ephesians 3:7 δωρεὰν to gift Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular Ephesians 4:7 δωρεᾶς to gift Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row John 4:10
Aligned rows 11
Books represented 6
John 1 Acts 4 Romans 2 2 Corinthians 1 Ephesians 2 Hebrews 1
Source forms
δωρεὰν 5x dōrean John 4:10, Acts 2:38, Acts 8:20, Acts 11:17
δωρεᾶς 3x dōreas Romans 5:17, Ephesians 4:7, Hebrews 6:4
δωρεὰ 2x dōrea Acts 10:45, Romans 5:15
δωρεᾷ 1x dōrea 2 Corinthians 9:15
Parsing patterns
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular 5x John 4:10, Acts 2:38, Acts 8:20, Acts 11:17
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular 3x Romans 5:17, Ephesians 4:7, Hebrews 6:4
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular 2x Acts 10:45, Romans 5:15
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular 1x 2 Corinthians 9:15
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Call readers to receive God's grace with humility rather than trying to control it.
- When teaching spiritual gifts or ministry grace, keep stewardship downstream from Christ's giving.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim that dorea means every blessing is received without response or responsibility.
- Do not claim that the gift of God can be mediated by money, status, or human control.
Evidence Summary
Greek word. A gift freely given as an act of grace, never earned or deserved by the recipient.
Strong's G1431
Lexical occurrences 11 verses Greek text appearances 11 times Word forms 4 forms 11 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Acts 8:9-25 Source Gloss
a gratuity
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
11 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
John 4:10 Noun Accusative Singular Feminine
δωρεὰν dwrean
a free gift
Read verse Acts 2:38 Noun Accusative Singular Feminine
δωρεὰν dwrean
a free gift
Read verse Acts 8:20 Noun Accusative Singular Feminine
δωρεὰν dwrean
a free gift
Read verse Acts 10:45 Noun Nominative Singular Feminine
δωρεὰ dwrea
a free gift
Read verse Acts 11:17 Noun Accusative Singular Feminine
δωρεὰν dwrean
a free gift
Read verse Romans 5:15 Noun Nominative Singular Feminine
δωρεὰ dwrea
a free gift
Read verse Romans 5:17 Noun Genitive Singular Feminine
δωρεᾶς dwreav
a free gift
Read verse 2 Corinthians 9:15 Noun Dative Singular Feminine
δωρεᾷ. dwrea
a free gift
Read verse Ephesians 3:7 Noun Accusative Singular Feminine
δωρεὰν dwrean
a free gift
Read verse Ephesians 4:7 Noun Genitive Singular Feminine
δωρεᾶς dwreav
a free gift
Read verse Hebrews 6:4 Noun Genitive Singular Feminine
δωρεᾶς dwreav
a free gift
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 11 Case pattern Accusative (5) Number pattern Singular (11)
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Nominative · Singular · Feminine Acts 10:45 · Rom 5:15 2×
Genitive · Singular · Feminine Rom 5:17 · Eph 4:7 · Heb 6:4 3×
Dative · Singular · Feminine 2 Cor 9:15 1×
Accusative · Singular · Feminine John 4:10 · Acts 2:38 · Acts 8:20 · Acts 11:17 · Eph 3:7 5×
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
New Testament Witnesses
A free gift.
Showing 1 selected witness from 11 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
δωρεά is built from this root:
Why This Word Matters
Emphasizes that the Spirit is received by grace, not transaction. Acts 8:9-25
Canonical Themes
For the Preacher and Teacher
The core insight of dorea is that God's decisive blessings arrive as grace-gifts. The word is not about a sentimental present or a reward given after performance. It names the kind of giving that exposes need, humbles pride, and creates worship. The Samaritan woman needs to know the gift of God before she can ask rightly. Simon needs to learn that silver cannot purchase the Spirit.
Gentile believers receiving the same gift prove that God's saving generosity outruns boundary markers that people expected to control. Paul then places the whole gospel inside this gift logic: grace and righteousness abound through Jesus Christ, and ministry grace is distributed according to His measure. Dorea teaches the church to receive before it boasts and to steward grace without trying to own it.
Anchor passage
Acts.8.20
Doctrinal connections
- John.4.10: Jesus offers the gift of God as living water.
- Acts.2.38: the Holy Spirit is promised as God's gift to repentant believers.
- Acts.8.20: the gift of God cannot be bought with money.
- Acts.10.45: the Spirit's gift is poured out on Gentiles.
- Romans.5.15: the gift by grace abounds through Jesus Christ.
- Ephesians.4.7: grace is given according to the measure of Christ's gift.
Dorea is a noun for gift or gratuity. In these New Testament contexts, its force is theological: the giver is God, the gift is gracious, and the recipient receives rather than purchases or controls.
From Old to New Testament
Scripture's larger gift pattern begins with God giving life, land, covenant mercy, and provision. The New Testament centers that pattern in Christ and the Spirit, where the gift is not merely a benefit from God but participation in His saving grace.
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