What does ζῶον (zōon) mean in the Bible?
G2226 is a Greek noun for a living creature, living thing, or animal. In Hebrews 13:11 it refers to sacrificial animals whose blood is brought into the holy place and whose bodies are burned outside the camp.
Greek · G2226
ζῶον
Living thing
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ζῶονG2226
Pronunciationzōon
What does ζῶον (zōon) mean in the Bible?
G2226 is a Greek noun for a living creature, living thing, or animal. In Hebrews 13:11 it refers to sacrificial animals whose blood is brought into the holy place and whose bodies are burned outside the camp.
Reader summary
Full entry for ζῶον (G2226) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G2226?
The BSB source-word alignment has 23 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include living creatures (13), living creature (4), - (3), animals (2), of animals (1).
Where does ζῶον (zōon) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Hebrews 13:11. Its strongest book concentrations include Revelation (20), 2 Peter (1), Hebrews (1), Jude (1).
What This Word Actually Means
G2226 is a Greek noun for a living creature, living thing, or animal. In Hebrews 13:11 it refers to sacrificial animals whose blood is brought into the holy place and whose bodies are burned outside the camp. Second Peter 2:12 and Jude 10 use comparison with unreasoning animals in severe warnings about corrupt teachers, a rhetorical judgment that must not become permission to dehumanize opponents.
Most New Testament occurrences belong to Revelation's vision of the four living creatures around God's throne. Revelation 4:8 depicts them ceaselessly declaring God's holiness, and Revelation 5:6 places them near the elders around the slain and standing Lamb. Their imagery draws readers into worship and apocalyptic witness, but the text does not invite confident biological identification.
G2226 is broader than the English word beast often suggests and should be distinguished from G2342, Revelation's hostile beast term. It opens teaching on creaturely life, sacrifice, holy worship, and apocalyptic symbolism. It corrects sensational creature charts and abusive speech that uses animal comparison to deny another person's dignity or safety.
How the Bible Uses It
G2226 names living creatures or animals. Hebrews uses it of sacrificial animals, two catholic letters use it in polemical comparison, and Revelation overwhelmingly uses it for four throne-room living creatures who worship God and participate in the visionary action surrounding the Lamb.
- Rev.4.8
And each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around and within. Day and night they never stop saying: “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”
The four living creatures continually proclaim the holiness and eternal sovereignty of the Lord God Almighty.
- Rev.5.6
Then I saw a Lamb who appeared to have been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which represent the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.
The slain yet standing Lamb appears at the center of the throne, surrounded by the four living creatures and the elders.
- Heb.13.11
Although the high priest brings the blood of animals into the Holy Place as a sacrifice for sin, the bodies are burned outside the camp.
The bodies of sacrificial animals whose blood is brought into the holy place are burned outside the camp, preparing the author's comparison with Jesus' suffering outside the gate.
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders Itliving creatures13×Revelation 4:6, Revelation 4:8, Revelation 4:9, Revelation 5:6
living creature4×Revelation 4:7, Revelation 6:3, Revelation 6:5, Revelation 6:7
-3×Revelation 4:7
animals2×2 Peter 2:12, Jude 1:10
of animals1×Hebrews 13:11
Show sample aligned rows
Hebrews 13:11ζῴωνtoof animalsNoun - Genitive Neuter Plural2 Peter 2:12ζῷαtoanimalsNoun - Nominative Neuter PluralJude 1:10ζῷαtoanimalsNoun - Nominative Neuter PluralRevelation 4:6ζῷαtoliving creaturesNoun - Nominative Neuter PluralRevelation 4:7ζῷονtoliving creatureNoun - Nominative Neuter SingularRevelation 4:7ζῷονto-Noun - Nominative Neuter SingularRevelation 4:7ζῷονto-Noun - Nominative Neuter SingularRevelation 4:7ζῷονto-Noun - Nominative Neuter SingularRevelation 4:8ζῷαtoliving creaturesNoun - Nominative Neuter PluralRevelation 4:9ζῷαtoliving creaturesNoun - Nominative Neuter Plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowHebrews 13:11
Aligned rows23
Books represented4
Hebrews12 Peter1Jude1Revelation20
Source forms
ζῷα8xzōa2 Peter 2:12, Jude 1:10, Revelation 4:6, Revelation 4:8
ζῴων8xzōōnHebrews 13:11, Revelation 5:6, Revelation 5:11, Revelation 6:1
ζῷον4xzōonRevelation 4:7
ζῴου3xzōouRevelation 6:3, Revelation 6:5, Revelation 6:7
Parsing patterns
Noun - Genitive Neuter Plural8xHebrews 13:11, Revelation 5:6, Revelation 5:11, Revelation 6:1
Noun - Nominative Neuter Plural8x2 Peter 2:12, Jude 1:10, Revelation 4:6, Revelation 4:8
Noun - Nominative Neuter Singular4xRevelation 4:7
Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular3xRevelation 6:3, Revelation 6:5, Revelation 6:7
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Do not use the animal comparisons in 2 Peter or Jude to justify slurs, abuse, violence, or the denial of anyone's human dignity.
- Do not claim certainty about the four living creatures' species, angelic classification, or modern political referent where Revelation does not explain it.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim that G2226 is the same term as Revelation's hostile beast or that every English rendering of beast represents one Greek word.
- Do not claim that the four living creatures can be exhaustively identified from their visual features alone.
Evidence Summary
Greek word. Emphasizes the vital living principle common to all animate creation, contrasting with θηρίον's brutish emphasis.
Strong'sG2226
Lexical occurrences0 versesGreek text appearances23 times16 shown belowVerse guides0 guides
Source Gloss
living thing
Extended definitionSource: STEPBible TBESG + Abbott-Smith
Emphasizes the vital living principle common to all animate creation, contrasting with θηρίον's brutish emphasis.
(ζωός, alive), [in LXX for חַי (chiefly) and cognate forms; frequently in Wis ;] a living creature, an animal: Rev.4:6-9 5:6 ff. Rev.6:1 ff. Rev.7:11 14:3 15:7 19:4; ζῴων τ. αἷμα, Heb.13:11; ἄλογα ζ., 2Pe.2:12, Ju 10.
Synonymsθηρίον, in which the brutal, bestial element is emphasized, and which is never used of sacrificial animals. On the other hand, ζ. is the more comprehensive, as expressing the vital element common to the whole anima] creation (see Tr., Syn., LXXxi; Cremer, 274).
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpusGreek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
16 of 23 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Hebrews 13:11Noun Genitive Plural Neuter
ζώωνzwwn
an animal
Read verse2 Peter 2:12Noun Nominative Plural Neuter
ζῶαzwa
an animal
Read verseJude 1:10Noun Nominative Plural Neuter
ζῶα,zwa
an animal
Read verseRevelation 4:6Noun Nominative Plural Neuter
ζῶαzwa
an animal
Read verseRevelation 4:7Noun Nominative Singular Neuter
ζῶονzwon
an animal
Read verseRevelation 4:7Noun Nominative Singular Neuter
ζῶονzwon
an animal
Read verseRevelation 4:7Noun Nominative Singular Neuter
ζῶονzwon
an animal
Read verseRevelation 4:7Noun Nominative Singular Neuter
ζῶονzwon
an animal
Read verseRevelation 4:8Noun Nominative Plural Neuter
ζῶα,zwa
an animal
Read verseRevelation 4:9Noun Nominative Plural Neuter
ζῶαzwa
an animal
Read verseRevelation 5:6Noun Genitive Plural Neuter
ζώων,zwwn
an animal
Read verseRevelation 5:8Noun Nominative Plural Neuter
ζῶαzwa
an animal
Read verseRevelation 5:11Noun Genitive Plural Neuter
ζώωνzwwn
an animal
Read verseRevelation 5:14Noun Nominative Plural Neuter
ζῶαzwa
an animal
Read verseRevelation 6:1Noun Genitive Plural Neuter
ζώωνzwwn
an animal
Read verseRevelation 6:3Noun Genitive Singular Neuter
ζώουzwou
an animal
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.
Word Origins
ζῶον is built from this root:
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
G2226 keeps creaturely life under God's rule and, in Revelation, close to the center of worship. Hebrews can use the noun ordinarily for sacrificial animals, showing that the word itself is not a technical title. Second Peter and Jude compare corrupt teachers to unreasoning animals because they act on destructive impulse and speak beyond their understanding.
That analogy judges conduct; it does not revoke human dignity or authorize cruelty. Revelation gives the noun its most memorable role. The four living creatures are richly symbolic throne attendants, full of eyes, marked by different likenesses, and tireless in declaring God's holiness. They respond to the Lamb, join the elders in worship, and participate in the unfolding vision.
Their features invite canonical reflection, but confident claims about their exact species, angelic rank, or one-to-one historical meaning exceed what the text explains. It is also crucial to distinguish these worshiping creatures from the hostile beast designated by another Greek noun. G2226 therefore trains readers to honor genre, resist sensational certainty, and keep worship centered on God and the Lamb.
Even severe polemic remains accountable to the command to speak truth without dehumanizing people.
Anchor passage
Rev.4.8
Doctrinal connections
- G2226: Revelation's living creatures direct attention to God's holiness, eternity, and sovereign worth rather than to their own spectacle.
- G2226: the slain and standing Lamb occupies the throne-centered vision, joining sacrificial death and victorious life at the heart of worship.
- G2226: creaturely voices participate in praise, presenting worship as larger than a merely private or human-centered experience.
- G2226: Hebrews' sacrificial-animal use serves an argument about Jesus suffering outside the gate and should be followed through the author's stated comparison.
- G2226: polemical comparisons expose irrational, destructive conduct but never remove the image-bearing status or basic protection owed to human beings.
- G2226: apocalyptic symbols reveal truth through vision while also requiring humility where the inspired text does not provide a complete decoding.
G2226 is a neuter noun related to life and broadly denotes a living being or animal. In Revelation it functions as the repeated designation for the four living creatures. It is lexically distinct from G2342, the noun commonly rendered beast for hostile powers in Revelation.
From Old to New Testament
Revelation's throne imagery recalls living-creature visions in Ezekiel and the worship of the Creator across Scripture. Those backgrounds illuminate the vision, but readers should allow Revelation's own descriptions and actions to govern its use of G2226.