παρρησί-α G3954
Boldness, confidence, or openness of speech; fearless frankness before God or people, or public plainness of expression.
Derived from pas (all) and rhesis (speech), parresia carries the fundamental idea of saying everything freely, without concealment or fear. In the New Testament it most often describes the bold confidence of believers, whether in proclaiming the gospel (Acts 4:29, 31) or in approaching God in prayer (Heb 4:16). The Johannine writings use it distinctively in an adverbial sense for speaking or acting openly and publicly, as opposed to secrecy (John 7:4, 26). Spanish captures both dimensions well: confianza for inner boldness, abiertamente for outward openness.
Senses
1. boldness, confidence — Inner boldness, confidence, and fearless courage, especially in speech or in approaching God. The dominant New Testament sense (22x), appearing across Acts, Hebrews, and the Pauline epistles. Translations converge on boldness-type terms: Spanish confianza/denuedo, French assurance/hardiesse, German Freimut. Peter and John's parresia astonishes the Sanhedrin in Acts 4:13, and the early church prays for it explicitly in Acts 4:29. 22×
AR["الثِّقَةَ", "الجُرأَةُ", "ثِقَة", "ثِقَةٌ", "ثِقَةٍ", "ثِقَتَكُمْ", "جُرأَةً", "جُرأَةٌ", "جُرأَةٍ", "جُرأَةُ", "جُرْأَةٍ", "جُرْأَةَ", "كَثيرَةً", "مُجاهَرَةٍ"]·ben["নির্ভীকতা", "নির্ভীকতায়", "সাহস", "সাহসিকতা-এ", "সাহসিকতায়", "সাহসের", "স্পষ্টবাদিতা"]·DE["Freimut", "παρρησίαν", "παρρησίας"]·EN["boldness"]·FR["assurance", "hardiesse"]·heb["בְּתֻעַזָּה", "בִּטְחוֹן", "בִּטָּחוֹן", "בִּטָּחוֹן,"]·HI["तुम-से", "निदरत,", "निर्भयता", "यूहन्ना-का", "सअहस", "सहस", "साहस", "साहस-के"]·ID["kebebasan", "keberanian", "keberanian,", "keberanian.", "keyakinan", "keyakinan,"]·IT["franchezza"]·jav["kakendelan", "kawantosan", "kawantun", "kawantunan", "kebak-ing-manah", "kebak-ing-manah,", "kebak-ing-manah.", "kendel", "wantun"]·KO["나-를", "담대함", "담대함,", "담대함-으로", "담대함-을", "담대함과", "담대함으로", "담대함을", "담대함이다", "베드로-의"]·PT["confiança", "confiança,", "ousadia"]·RU["дерзновение", "дерзновение,", "дерзновением", "дерзновением.", "дерзновенности", "смелости", "смелость", "смелостью"]·ES["confianza", "denuedo", "franqueza", "libertad"]·SW["mkubwa", "ujasiri"]·TR["-e", "birlikte-", "cesaret", "cesaret-", "cesaretini", "cesaretinizi", "cesaretle", "cesarettle", "cesaretyle", "cesurluğu", "engelsizce"]·urd["بے-باکی", "بے-باکی-سے", "جرأت-میں", "دلیری", "دلیری،"]
2. openly, publicly, plainly — Openness, publicness, or plainness of speech and action, used adverbially (often in the dative or with en). Concentrated in the Gospel of John (9x), where it contrasts with speaking in secret or in figures. Spanish abiertamente and libertad highlight the public, unconcealed quality. Jesus' brothers challenge him to act en parresia in John 7:4, and the Jews demand he speak plainly in John 10:24. 9×
AR["جَهرًا", "صَرَاحَةً", "عَلَانِيَةً", "عَلَانِيَةٍ", "عَلَنًا", "عَلَنٍ"]·ben["প্রকাশ্যে", "স্পষ্টভাবে", "স্পষ্টভাবে,"]·DE["Freimut"]·EN["openly", "openness", "plainly", "plainness"]·FR["assurance"]·heb["בְּ-גָלוּי", "בְּגַלוּי", "בְּגָלוּי", "בְּפֻמְבֵּי", "גַלוּי", "פֻּמְבֵּי"]·HI["खुलकर", "खुलकर।", "खुले-आम-में", "खुले-आम-से", "स्पष्टता", "स्पष्टता-से"]·ID["dengan-terang-terangan", "dengan-terus-terang", "terbuka", "terus-terang"]·IT["franchezza"]·jav["cetha", "kalayan-cetha", "kalayan-cetha,", "ngajeng-tiyang-kathah", "ngajeng-tiyang-kathah.", "sacara-cetha,", "sacara-terang"]·KO["공개적으로", "담대히"]·PT["abertamente", "franqueza"]·RU["открыто", "открыто,", "открыто.", "открытости"]·ES["abiertamente", "claridad", "libertad", "libremente"]·SW["wazi", "waziwazi"]·TR["açıklıkta", "açıkça"]·urd["کھل کر", "کھل-کر", "کھُل-کر", "کھُلے-عام"]
Related Senses
G2309 1. want, desire (166×)G0025 1. to love actively (133×)H0157 1. love (verb, active Qal) (129×)H8055 1. Qal: rejoice, be glad (123×)H7453 1. neighbor, fellow man (120×)G0026 1. of love (115×)H1058 1. Qal: to weep, cry (112×)H0954 1. to be ashamed, feel shame (Qal) (95×)H8057 1. joy, gladness, delight (90×)H2781 1. disgrace, shame, dishonor (68×)G2307 1. will, desire, purpose (63×)G5463 1. rejoice, be glad (63×)G0027 1. beloved (61×)H8130 1. Qal: to hate, detest (60×)G5479 1. (59×)G1680 1. (53×)H8130 2. Qal ptcp: hater, enemy (53×)H0014 1. be willing, want (51×)H0157 2. lover, friend (Qal participle substantive) (51×)H1945 1. woe (50×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
παρρησί-α, ἡ, (πᾶς, ῥῆσις) outspokenness, frankness, freedom of speech, claimed by the Athenians as their privilege, ἐλεύθεροι παρρησίᾳ θάλλοντες οἰκοῖεν πόλιν κλεινῶν Ἀθηνῶν Refs 5th c.BC+; ἔχειν π. Refs 5th c.BC+; δημοκρατίας οὔσης οὐκ ἔστι π. Refs 5th c.BC+; περὶ παρρησίας, title of work by Philodemus. __2 in bad sense, licence of tongue, ἡ εἰς τοὺς θεοὺς π. Refs 5th c.BC+ __3 freedom of…