βασίλισσα
basílissa
G938 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A female royal ruler; a woman exercising authority as sovereign in her own right or as consort to a reigning king. In broader usage, may denote the wife of a king (queen consort), a female member of a royal household, or metaphorically, a woman of elevated status within a royal context. The term is used for queens of foreign nations, the queen-mother, or prominent royal women in narratives.
Semantic Range
queen regnant (female sovereign), queen consort (wife of a king), queen mother, royal woman, noblewoman of high rank
Root / Etymology
Derived from the Greek root βασιλ- (relating to 'king' or 'royal'), with the feminine ending -ισσα forming a parallel to the masculine βασιλεύς ('king'). Related forms include the verb βασιλεύω ('to reign, be king').
Historical & Contextual Notes
Classically, βασίλισσα is attested in Greek literature as the technical term for a ruling queen, typically the wife of a βασιλεύς, though sometimes used for a queen in her own right. In the Hellenistic and Roman periods, including the Septuagint and New Testament, βασίλισσα may refer to foreign royal women (e.g., the Queen of Sheba in LXX/NT), but also Judahite/Judean queens of the biblical tradition. The Septuagint generally uses βασίλισσα for Hebrew words such as מַּלְכָּה (malkāh, 'queen' or 'queen-mother'). In the New Testament (e.g., Acts 8:27), it refers to Candace, the royal title of the queen mother of the Nubian kingdom of Meroë. Standard English translations often render βασίλισσα simply as 'queen,' but the term's emphasis may fall variously on royal status, marital role, or political power depending on context. Unlike the masculine βασιλεύς, βασίλισσα is rarely used for a direct sovereign and more often as a consort or senior royal figure, though usage can vary across sources. No inherent religious or ethnic identity is attached to βασίλισσα; function and social role are determined by context.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
feminine from βασιλεύω; a queen:--queen.
Root Family
βασίλισσα (basilissa) — royal, ruler, queen
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G938-01 |
βασίλισσα | basilissa | N NOM F SG |
a queen | queen | 3 |
G938-02 |
βασιλίσσης | basilisses | N GEN F SG |
queen | of a queen | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
4 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G938-01 |
Matthew 12:42 | βασίλισσα | basilissa | N NOM F SG |
queen | |
G938-01 |
Luke 11:31 | βασίλισσα | basilissa | N NOM F SG |
queen | queen |
G938-02 |
Acts 8:27 | βασιλίσσης | basilisses | N GEN F SG |
queen | of a queen |
G938-01 |
Revelation 18:7 | βασίλισσα | basilissa | N NOM F SG |
a queen | queen |