Understanding δεισιδαιμονία (deisidaimonia) Strong’s G1175: The Complex Religious Devotion Between Fear and Reverence in Biblical Context

Pronunciation Guide: day-see-day-mon-EE-ah

Basic Definition

Strong’s G1175: Δεισιδαιμονία (deisidaimonia) refers to a religious attitude or disposition that exists in the tension between reverence and superstitious fear. It describes a state of being particularly attentive to divine matters, either in a positive sense as religious devotion or in a negative sense as superstition. In the New Testament context, it was used by a Roman official to describe Jewish religious practices and beliefs without necessarily passing judgment on their validity.

Etymology and Morphology

• Noun (feminine)
• Compound word from δείδω (deido, “to fear”) and δαίμων (daimon, “deity/divine power”)
• Origin in classical Greek literature
• Rare in biblical literature (hapax legomenon in the New Testament)
• Primary usage in narrative sections, particularly political discourse
• Used in contexts of cross-cultural religious description

Δεισιδαιμονία Morphology:

• δεισιδαιμονία (nominative singular) – religious devotion/superstition
• δεισιδαιμονίας (genitive singular) – of religious devotion/superstition
• δεισιδαιμονίᾳ (dative singular) – in/with religious devotion/superstition
• δεισιδαιμονίαν (accusative singular) – religious devotion/superstition (as direct object)

Origin & History

Δεισιδαιμονία emerged in classical Greek as a compound term combining “fear” (δείδω) and “divine being” (δαίμων). The term underwent a fascinating semantic evolution throughout Greek literature. In Xenophon’s works, particularly in “Cyropaedia,” the term carried a positive connotation, describing proper reverence toward the gods. Xenophon used it to describe those who were “god-fearing” in the best sense, showing appropriate piety and devotion.

By contrast, in Theophrastus’ “Characters,” δεισιδαιμονία took on a more negative shade, being used to describe excessive religious fear leading to superstitious behaviors. Plutarch later dedicated an entire essay titled “On Superstition” (Περὶ δεισιδαιμονίας) where he contrasted δεισιδαιμονία (understood negatively as superstition) with ἀθεότης (atheotēs, “atheism”), considering both as extreme departures from proper εὐσέβεια (eusebeia, “piety”). The Septuagint rarely employs this term, suggesting Jewish translators may have been cautious about its potentially negative connotations in Hellenistic culture.

Expanded Definitions & Translation Options

• Religious scrupulousness – careful attention to divine matters and religious observances
• Superstitious fear – excessive anxiety regarding divine powers and their potential displeasure
• Reverential piety – devotion to the divine expressed through ritual observance
• Religious disposition – a general attitude of attention toward the divine realm and its requirements

Δεισιδαιμονία Translation Options:

• “Religious devotion” – emphasizes the positive aspects of careful attention to divine matters
• “Superstition” – highlights the potentially excessive fear element in religious observance
• “Religious scruples” – focuses on the meticulous nature of religious practice without judgment
• “Reverence for divine matters” – captures the respectful attitude toward deity while remaining neutral
• “God-fearingness” – maintains the compound nature of the Greek term while avoiding anachronistic theological interpretations

Biblical Usage

Δεισιδαιμονία appears only once in the New Testament, in Acts 25:19. The context is significant—the Roman governor Festus is explaining to King Agrippa why the Jewish leaders were in conflict with Paul. As a Roman official speaking to another Roman official about Jewish religious matters, Festus adopts deliberately neutral language. He is neither endorsing nor condemning Jewish beliefs but describing them from an outsider’s perspective. This political context suggests that Festus was using the term descriptively rather than pejoratively.

The related adjective δεισιδαιμονεστέρους (deisidaimonesterous) appears in Acts 17:22 where Paul addresses the Athenians as “very religious” or “somewhat superstitious.” This usage demonstrates the term’s ambiguity even within the New Testament. Luke’s careful reporting of these terms in both contexts reveals his awareness of cross-cultural religious descriptions and the diplomatic language used in the Roman world.

• “but they had certain questions against him about their own religion [δεισιδαιμονία].” Acts 25:19

Cultural Insights

Understanding δεισιδαιμονία requires appreciating the complex religious landscape of the first-century Mediterranean world. Roman officials like Festus needed vocabulary to describe foreign religious practices without necessarily passing judgment on them. The Roman Empire generally tolerated various religious practices as long as they didn’t threaten social stability or imperial authority. When Festus uses δεισιδαιμονία to describe Jewish religious concerns, he’s employing terminology that would be understood by other Roman officials but that maintained diplomatic neutrality.

This reflects the delicate position of Judaism within the Roman world. Jewish monotheism and distinctive practices made Judaism stand out among ancient religions, and Romans struggled to categorize it according to their religious framework. The term δεισιδαιμονία allowed Romans to acknowledge Jewish religious seriousness without necessarily endorsing its theological claims. It’s particularly noteworthy that Luke, the author of Acts, preserves this term rather than substituting a more theologically loaded one, demonstrating his attention to historical and cultural accuracy in his narrative.

Theological Significance

The use of δεισιδαιμονία in Acts reveals important theological insights about the intersection of faith communities in the early church period. God, in His wisdom, was orchestrating the spread of the Gospel message into a world with existing religious and cultural frameworks. The term’s ambiguity—hovering between reverence and superstition—mirrors the genuine spiritual tension present in all human religious expression. Even true faith can be corrupted by superstitious fear, while apparent superstition may contain elements of genuine spiritual seeking.

This tension invites reflection on the nature of true worship as defined by the Messiah Yeshua, who taught that the Father seeks those who worship “in spirit and truth” (John 4:23-24). The apparent neutrality of δεισιδαιμονία in Acts 25:19 allowed the Gospel to be presented not as a rejection of religious devotion but as its fulfillment and purification. Yahweh was using even the religiously neutral language of Roman officials to create space for the message of His Son to spread through the Roman world, transforming mere religious observance (whether reverent or superstitious) into genuine covenant relationship.

Personal Application

When we encounter the term δεισιδαιμονία in Scripture, we’re invited to examine our own religious attitudes and practices. Do we serve God out of reverential awe that leads to joyful obedience, or out of superstitious fear that leads to rigid legalism? The tension in this word mirrors the tension in our hearts as we navigate relationship with the Divine. True faith exists in the healthy middle ground—not dismissing the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10), but not allowing that fear to degenerate into superstition.

Consider how others might describe your faith practices from the outside. Would they see authentic devotion or merely religious routine? The ambiguity of δεισιδαιμονία challenges us to ensure our faith is both reverent and reasonable, both passionate and purposeful. As followers of Yeshua, we’re called to a faith that transcends both cold rationalism and irrational superstition—one that engages both heart and mind in covenant relationship with the God who reveals Himself as both transcendent and intimately present.

Related Words

• εὐσέβεια (eusebeia, yoo-SEH-beia) – godliness/piety that emphasizes proper reverence without the element of fear; represents a more positive view of religious devotion focusing on correct worship rather than anxious observance. See G2150
• θρησκεία (thrēskeia, thray-SKI-ah) – religious worship/ritual, emphasizing the external, ceremonial aspects of religion rather than the internal disposition toward the divine. See G2356
• φόβος (phobos, FOH-bohs) – fear/reverence, a more generalized term for fear that can be directed toward God or humans; lacks the specific religious context of δεισιδαιμονία. See G5401
• λατρεία (latreia, lah-TRI-ah) – service/worship, emphasizing the action of serving God through prescribed rituals; focuses on service rather than the emotional or philosophical disposition toward deity. See G2999
• σέβασμα (sebasma, SEH-bas-mah) – object of worship/veneration, refers to that which is worshipped rather than the attitude of the worshipper. See G4574

Did you Know?

• Did you know that δεισιδαιμονία represents one of the earliest recorded tensions between what we might now call “religion” and “superstition”? Greek philosophers like Plutarch struggled with this distinction, trying to define the boundary between proper reverence for the gods and excessive ritual fear. This same tension continues in contemporary religious discussions about authentic faith versus mere traditionalism or superstition.
• Did you know that when Felix used the term δεισιδαιμονία to describe Judaism to King Agrippa, he was employing what Roman officials considered diplomatically neutral language? The Roman Empire cataloged and categorized foreign religions as part of their governance strategy. Judaism posed particular challenges to this system because of its monotheism and lack of images, making terms like δεισιδαιμονία useful for officials who needed to acknowledge Jewish religious seriousness without endorsing its theological claims.
• Did you know that modern Greek still uses derivatives of δεισιδαιμονία? In contemporary Greek, δεισιδαιμονία (deisidaimonia) specifically means “superstition,” having lost the positive connotations it sometimes carried in ancient usage. This semantic narrowing reflects broader cultural shifts in which the concept of “superstition” became more clearly distinguished from “religion” proper—a distinction that was less clear-cut in the ancient world.

Remember This

Δεισιδαιμονία invites us into the sacred tension between reverent awe and fearful superstition, reminding us that true worship of Yahweh through Yeshua the Messiah liberates us from empty religious fear while deepening our reverent devotion.