οὐσία
ousía
G3776 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Essence or being; the underlying reality or substance of something; in some contexts, property or possessions—what one effectively 'has' as physical substance or wealth. The central sense refers to the actual existence or essence of a thing or person, and by extension, it denotes material possessions as the concrete expression of one's substance or resources.
Semantic Range
essence, being, (philosophical) substance, tangible property, possessions, goods, wealth
Root / Etymology
Derived from the participle feminine form of εἰμί ('to be'), namely ὤν, with the abstract noun suffix -ία, forming a term signifying 'being' or 'existence.' Thus, οὐσία is literally 'beingness' or 'essence.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical Greek, οὐσία referred primarily to intrinsic being or essence—what something fundamentally is, as distinguished from accidents or external attributes. Philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle used the term for ontological concepts of 'substance,' a meaning preserved in later philosophical and theological writing. In Hellenistic and Koine usage, the term could also refer to tangible possessions—emphasizing what a person concretely possesses as their own substance. In the Septuagint and New Testament, οὐσία typically refers to property or goods, especially moveable possessions (e.g., Luke 15:12-13, the 'substance' divided by the father among his sons). English translations often render οὐσία as 'goods,' 'property,' or 'wealth' in these contexts, but the term retains connotations of essence or inherent reality in philosophical texts. It is distinct from χρήματα ('money' or 'valuables') and from ὑπάρχοντα ('possessions' in general), focusing instead on the wealth or property that constitutes one’s material existence. 'Substance' in English can capture both philosophical and material aspects, but in most biblical texts, οὐσία primarily refers to property rather than metaphysical essence.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from the feminine of ὤν; substance, i.e. property (possessions):--goods, substance.
Root Family
οὐσία (ousia) — being, essence, substance, possessions
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3776-01 |
οὐσίαν | ousian | N ACC F SG |
substance | essence | substance | 1 |
G3776-02 |
οὐσίας | ousias | N GEN F SG |
estate | of essence | estate | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3776-02 |
Luke 15:12 | οὐσίας | ousias | N GEN F SG |
estate | of essence | estate |
G3776-01 |
Luke 15:13 | οὐσίαν | ousian | N ACC F SG |
substance | essence | substance |