κυρία G2959
lady, a woman of high status or authority
This noun (the feminine form of κύριος, 'lord') means 'lady' in the sense of a woman of authority, status, or respect. It appears only in 2 John, where the epistle is addressed 'to the elect lady (κυρίᾳ)' (v. 1) and closes with greetings from 'the children of your elect sister (ἀδελφῆς)' (v. 13). Scholars debate whether this refers to a specific Christian woman of prominence or is a personification of a local church (with 'children' being church members and 'sister' being another congregation). Either way, the term conveys respect and possibly authority within the Christian community.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Second John 1:1 addresses 'the elect lady (ἐκλεκτῇ κυρίᾳ)' and her children. Second John 1:5 continues 'and now I ask you, lady (κυρία).' The multilingual glosses preserve the term: Spanish 'señora' (lady), English 'lady,' French and German use the Greek 'κυρία/κυρίᾳ' or 'Herrin' (mistress/lady). The vocative in verse 5 is direct address. Whether this is a person named 'Kyria' (Lady) or a respectful title for a woman or church remains debated. 2×
AR["أَيَّتُها-السَّيِّدَةُ", "سَيِّدَةٍ"]·ben["মহিলা", "মহিলাকে"]·DE["Herrin"]·EN["lady"]·FR["κυρία", "κυρίᾳ"]·heb["גְבִרָה"]·HI["स्त्री,", "स्त्री-को"]·ID["ibu", "ibu,"]·IT["kuria"]·jav["nyonya"]·KO["부인-에게", "부인아"]·PT["senhora", "senhora,"]·RU["госпожа", "госпоже"]·ES["señora"]·SW["bibi"]·TR["hanım,", "hanıma"]·urd["خاتون", "خاتون،"]
Related Senses
H0376 1. man, person, human male (2130×)H0251 1. brother (blood sibling) (573×)H0120 1. man, human being (individual/generic) (527×)H0802 1. woman, female person (519×)H0802 2. wife, spouse (255×)H0517 1. mother, female parent (217×)G0435 1. man, male person (202×)G1135 1. woman, adult female (190×)H2233 1. offspring, descendants (172×)H0001 2. ancestor, forefather (146×)H5288 1. Youth, young man (122×)H0269 1. sister (female sibling) (113×)H1755 1. generation, contemporaries (96×)G5043 1. child, offspring (89×)G0444 2. people, humankind (86×)H3206 1. child, boy, youth (86×)H2145 1. male (human being) (79×)G3384 1. mother (77×)H6485a 1. Qal passive participle: numbered ones, enrollment (76×)H1397 1. man (strong/mighty) (65×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
κυρία (Κυρία, T, WH, mg.), -ας, ἡ, [in LXX chiefly for גְּבֶרֶת ;] a lady: 2Jn.1 Jn 5 (on the interpretation, see ICC, 167 ff.).† (From Abbott-Smith. LSJ has no entry)