θῠσί-α G2378
Sacrifice or offering presented to God, encompassing the act, the victim, and spiritual worship
Derived from θύω ('to slaughter, offer'), θυσία denotes sacrifice in its full range: the ritual act, the animal victim, and by extension any offering to God. The NT employs it for OT animal sacrifices (Luke 2:24, quoting Lev 12:8), for the surpassing value of mercy over ritual (Matt 9:13, 12:7, citing Hos 6:6), and for the believers' spiritual offerings (Rom 12:1, Phil 4:18, Heb 13:15-16). Spanish 'sacrificio,' French 'sacrifice,' and German 'Opfer' all converge on a single translation, confirming the unified semantic core despite the word's breadth from slaughtered lambs to praise.
Senses
1. sacrifice, offering — A sacrifice or offering presented to God, covering the physical act of slaughter, the victim itself, and metaphorical spiritual worship. Jesus twice quotes Hosea 6:6—'I desire mercy, not sacrifice' (Matt 9:13, 12:7)—reframing the concept. Mark 12:33 contrasts inner devotion with burnt offerings, while Hebrews develops Christ's single sacrifice superseding the entire Levitical system (Heb 9:26, 10:12). 29×
AR["الذَّبائِحِ", "ذَبيحَةً", "ذَبيحَةِ", "ذَبيحَتِهِ", "ذَبَائِحَ", "ذَبَائِحِهِمْ", "ذَبِيحَة", "ذَبِيحَةً", "ذَبِيحَةٍ", "قَرَابِينَ"]·ben["বলি", "বলিদান", "বলিদানে", "বলিদানের", "বলির"]·DE["Opfer"]·EN["a-sacrifice", "sacrifice", "sacrifices", "to-offer"]·FR["sacrifice"]·heb["זְבָחִים", "זִבְחֵיהֶם", "זֶבַח", "מִנְחוֹת", "קָרְבָּן"]·HI["बलि", "बलिदान", "बलिदान,", "बलिदानों", "बलिदानों-से", "भेंटें"]·ID["korban", "korban,", "korban-korban", "korban-sembelihan", "persembahan"]·IT["sacrificio"]·jav["korban", "kurban", "kurban,", "kurban-kurban", "kurban:"]·KO["제물-은", "제물-을", "제물들의", "제물로", "제사", "제사-를", "제사가", "제사들보다", "제사들을", "제사로", "제사를", "제사와", "희생-을", "희생들-을"]·PT["sacrifício", "sacrifícios"]·RU["жертв", "жертва", "жертвами", "жертвою", "жертву", "жертвы", "угодной"]·ES["sacrificio", "sacrificios"]·SW["dhabihu", "dhabihu,", "dhabihu;", "sadaka"]·TR["kurban", "kurbaninda", "kurbanları", "kurbanların", "kurbanlarının", "kurbanı", "ve"]·urd["قربانی", "قربانی-سے", "قربانیاں", "قربانیوں", "قربانیوں-سے", "قُربانی-پر"]
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
θῠσί-α, Ionic dialect -ιη, ἡ, (θύω) properly burnt-offering, sacrifice, mostly in plural, variant in Refs 5th c.BC+; θυσίας ἔρδειν, ἐπιτελέειν, ἀνάγειν, Refs 5th c.BC+; θ. σωτηρίου, αἰνέσεως, τῆς τελειώσεως, LXX; of the gods, θυσίαν δέχεσθαι Refs 4th c.BC+ __2 mode of sacrifice, θ. ἡ αὐτὴ πᾶσι κατέστηκε Refs 5th c.BC+ __3 festival, at which sacrifices were offered, Refs 5th c.BC+; περὶ τῶν ἐν…