κτίσις
ktísis
G2937 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
The act of creating or establishing, production, or constitution of something; by extension, that which has been created, a created being, entity, or the sum of created things. In various contexts, it can refer specifically to the natural world (creation), a particular creature, or the result of a founding action (such as a community or social order).
Semantic Range
act of creating, foundation/establishment, production, creature, created order, creation, created thing
Root / Etymology
From the verb κτίζω (to create, to found, to establish), which itself likely derives from the root κτι- relating to producing or founding. Cognate with classical Greek usage referring both to the act of foundation and the thing that is founded.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical Greek, κτίσις initially referred to the act of founding a city, colony, or political entity, emphasizing establishment and constitution (see Herodotus, Thucydides). Over time, especially in Hellenistic and Koine usage, the meaning broadened to encompass the action of creating in a more general sense and then the resulting creation itself. In the Septuagint and New Testament, κτίσις most commonly refers to the created world, the entirety of the cosmos, or an individual creature. In some philosophical contexts (e.g., Philo), it can indicate the cosmic order as a result of divine or rational activity. English translations often render it as 'creation' or 'creature,' but these do not always capture the nuance between the creative act and its result. Later Christian usage (patristic writers) continued to nuance κτίσις as both the process and the product of divine creation. 'Ordinance' as a translation is rare and generally reflects the concept of a foundational establishment rather than a legal decree.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from κτίζω; original formation (properly, the act; by implication, the thing, literally or figuratively):--building, creation, creature, ordinance.
Root Family
κτίσις (ktisis) — creating, founding, establishment, creation, created thing
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2937-02 |
κτίσεως | ktiseos | N GEN F SG |
of creation | of creation | 8 |
G2937-03 |
κτίσις | ktisis | N NOM F SG |
creation | creation | 7 |
G2937-01 |
κτίσει | ktisei | N DAT F SG |
creation | to the creation | 4 |
Occurrences in Scripture
19 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2937-02 |
Mark 10:6 | κτίσεως | ktiseos | N GEN F SG |
of creation | of creation |
G2937-02 |
Mark 13:19 | κτίσεως | ktiseos | N GEN F SG |
of the creation | of creation |
G2937-01 |
Mark 16:15 | κτίσει | ktisei | N DAT F SG |
creation | to the creation |
G2937-02 |
Romans 1:20 | κτίσεως | ktiseos | N GEN F SG |
of creation | |
G2937-01 |
Romans 1:25 | κτίσει | ktisei | N DAT F SG |
to the creation | |
G2937-02 |
Romans 8:19 | κτίσεως | ktiseos | N GEN F SG |
of creation | |
G2937-03 |
Romans 8:20 | κτίσις | ktisis | N NOM F SG |
creation | |
G2937-03 |
Romans 8:21 | κτίσις | ktisis | N NOM F SG |
creation | |
G2937-03 |
Romans 8:22 | κτίσις | ktisis | N NOM F SG |
creation | |
G2937-03 |
Romans 8:39 | κτίσις | ktisis | N NOM F SG |
creation |