δειλός G1169
cowardly, fearful, timid; lacking courage or reverence
Deilos describes a disposition of fearfulness or cowardice — the failure of nerve before danger or the divine. Jesus rebukes his disciples as deiloi when they panic during the storm on the Sea of Galilee (Matt 8:26; Mark 4:40), questioning why they lack faith. In Hebrews 12:28, the related sense of reverential awe appears in worship. Most strikingly, Revelation 21:8 places the cowardly first in the list of those consigned to the lake of fire, alongside murderers and idolaters — a sobering warning against faithless timidity.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Cowardly, fearful, or timid, describing a disposition that shrinks from what should be faced with faith or courage. Jesus rebukes the storm-panicked disciples as deiloi (Matt 8:26; Mark 4:40), linking fear to faithlessness. Revelation 21:8 lists the cowardly first among those condemned, alongside murderers and liars. Spanish 'cobardes,' French 'craintif,' and German 'furchtsam' variously emphasize cowardice, timidity, and fearfulness. Hebrews 12:28 may shade toward reverential awe in the context of worship. 4×
AR["الجُبَناءُ", "خائِفونَ", "خَشْيَة"]·ben["ভয়ের", "ভীত", "ভীরু", "ভীরুদের"]·DE["furchtsam", "δειλοί"]·EN["awe", "cowardly", "fearful"]·FR["craintif"]·heb["הַ-פַּחְדָנִים", "פַּחְדָנִים", "פַּחַד"]·HI["कायरों", "डरपोक", "भय-के"]·ID["penakut", "takut", "takut."]·IT["deiloi", "deilois", "deous"]·jav["giris", "jirih", "tiyang-jirih", "wedi"]·KO["겁내는", "두려운-자들이냐", "두려움", "비겁한-자들과"]·PT["covardes", "temerosos", "temor"]·RU["боязливы", "боязливые", "боязливым", "страхом"]·ES["cobardes", "cobardes,", "temerosos", "temor"]·SW["hofu", "waoga", "waoga,"]·TR["korkaklar", "korkakların", "korkaksınız", "korkuyla"]·urd["بزدلوں", "دہشت", "ڈرپوک"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
δειλός, ή, όν, (δέος): __I of persons, cowardly, opposed to ἄλκιμος, Refs 8th c.BC+; opposed to ἀνδρεῖος, Refs 5th c.BC+: hence, vile, worthless, Refs 8th c.BC+; opposed to ἐσθλός, lowborn, mean, Refs 8th c.BC+; of animals, Refs 5th c.BC+afraid of.., Refs: c.infinitive Refs 1st c.BC+. adverb -λῶςRefs 3rd c.BC+ __I.2 more commonly, miserable, wretched, with a compassionate sense, δειλοὶ βροτοί…