ἄῤῥην
árrhēn
G730 substantive adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
Male, specifically of biological sex; designates an individual of the masculine sex, as opposed to female. Used primarily to denote male animals or humans, especially in contexts emphasizing gender distinctiveness.
Semantic Range
male, a male person, a male animal, masculine (in reference to sex); as an adjective, pertaining to the male sex
Root / Etymology
Related to the root ἀρρην-, possibly linked to earlier Indo-European roots signifying male (cf. Sanskrit 'ṛṣabha-', Latin 'mas', etc.), but the specific derivation is uncertain. Earlier etymological suggestions connecting ἄῤῥην to αἴρω ('to lift') are not firmly established or widely accepted in modern scholarship. Thus, etymology uncertain.
Historical & Contextual Notes
ἄῤῥην appears in both classical and Koine Greek as the standard adjective for 'male', often in contrast to θῆλυς (thēlys, 'female'). It is used in the Septuagint to translate Hebrew terms for male animals or persons; this usage continues into the New Testament (e.g., Matt 19:4, Gal 3:28). It is emphatically biological/sex-based, not social or ethnic. Occasionally as a substantive ('the male'). In Hellenistic Greek, ἄῤῥην is alongside the poetic ἄρσην, which appears in some manuscripts; Koine normalizes to ἄῤῥην. Standard English translations ('male') accurately capture its referential scope, though context may further specify animals, children, or adults. The meaning does not shift significantly between periods, but the form and spelling become more standardized in Koine. The term is distinct from ἀνήρ (anēr, 'man'), which can imply social, marital, or age status, and from παῖς (pais, 'child/servant'), as ἄῤῥην is restricted to biological sex distinction.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
probably from αἴρω; male (as stronger for lifting):--male, man.
Root Family
ἄῤῥην (arrhēn) — male, masculine in sex
Word Forms
5 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G730-02 |
ἄρσεν | arsen | ADJ.S ACC N SG |
male | a male | 4 |
G730-04 |
ἄρσενες | arsenes | ADJ.S NOM M PL |
males | 2 | |
G730-05 |
ἄρσεσιν | arsesin | ADJ.S DAT M PL |
to males | 1 | |
G730-01 |
ἄρρενα | arrena | ADJ.A ACC M SG |
male | 1 | |
G730-03 |
ἄρσενα | arsena | ADJ.S ACC M SG |
a male | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
9 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G730-02 |
Matthew 19:4 | ἄρσεν | arsen | ADJ.S ACC N SG |
a male | |
G730-02 |
Mark 10:6 | ἄρσεν | arsen | ADJ.S ACC N SG |
male | a male |
G730-02 |
Luke 2:23 | ἄρσεν | arsen | ADJ.S NOM N SG |
male | a male |
G730-04 |
Romans 1:27 | ἄρσενες | arsenes | ADJ.S NOM M PL |
males | |
G730-04 |
Romans 1:27 | ἄρσενες | arsenes-2 | ADJ.S NOM M PL |
males | |
G730-05 |
Romans 1:27 | ἄρσεσιν | arsesin | ADJ.S DAT M PL |
to males | |
G730-02 |
Galatians 3:28 | ἄρσεν | arsen | ADJ.S NOM N SG |
male | a male |
G730-01 |
Revelation 12:5 | ἄρρενα | arrena | ADJ.A ACC M SG |
male | |
G730-03 |
Revelation 12:13 | ἄρσενα | arsena | ADJ.S ACC M SG |
a male |