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κοίτη

koítē

G2845 noun

SILEX Entry

Root κοιτ- to lie down, to recline, to sleep

Definition

A place to lie down; a bed, couch, or resting place, especially in the context of sleeping or reclining. In extended and euphemistic usage, refers to sexual intercourse or conjugal relations, and by further extension, the outcome of sexual union (i.e., offspring or conception). The term can carry neutral connotations (sleep) or, in some contexts, a disapproving or figurative sense (sexual immorality, relationship of intimacy).

Semantic Range

bed, couch, resting place, place for sleep, sexual intercourse (conjugal union), sexual relationship, offspring or conception (by metonymy)

Root / Etymology

From the verbal root κεῖμαι (‘to lie, to recline’) combined with the nominal feminine ending -η. The word is derived directly from everyday vocabulary relating to lying down or being positioned.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, κοίτη referred literally to a bed, sleeping place, or place to recline. The physical sense predominates in secular and early Hellenistic sources. By the time of the Septuagint and the New Testament, the term is frequently used both for an actual bed and as a euphemism for sexual relations, reflecting broader Greek and Near Eastern usage. In the New Testament, especially in Romans 13:13 and Hebrews 13:4, κοίτη denotes illicit or morally significant sexual intercourse (‘chambering’ in older English translations), emphasizing the act rather than the place. Despite some English versions translating as 'bed' or 'chambering,' the Greek often carries more explicit or euphemistic overtones about sexual activity, sometimes with disapproval. Unlike more clinical terms for sexual union, κοίτη’s euphemistic or indirect character should be noted. Occasionally, the word may refer to semen or generative power as an outgrowth of its use for sexual union, but this sense is rare and context-dependent. In general Koine Greek, κοίτη may also retain the neutral sense of a bed or resting place, but New Testament usage tends toward the secondary sense.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from κεῖμαι; a couch; by extension, cohabitation; by implication, the male sperm:--bed, chambering, X conceive.

Root Family

κοίτη (koitē) — to lie down, bed, resting place, conjugal union

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G2845-03 κοίτην koiten N ACC F SG bed a bed bed 2
G2845-01 κοίταις koitais N DAT F PL sexual immorality in beds in beds 1
G2845-02 κοίτη koite N NOM F SG bed a lying-place bed 1

Occurrences in Scripture

4 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G2845-03 Luke 11:7 κοίτην koiten N ACC F SG bed a bed bed
G2845-03 Romans 9:10 κοίτην koiten N ACC F SG bed a bed bed
G2845-01 Romans 13:13 κοίταις koitais N DAT F PL sexual immorality in beds in beds
G2845-02 Hebrews 13:4 κοίτη koite N NOM F SG bed a lying-place bed
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