θύρα,
θύρας,
ἡ (from
θύω to rush in, properly, that through which a rush is made; hence, German Thür (English
door;
Curtius, § 319)) (from
Homer down), the
Sept. for
דֶּלֶת and
פֶּתַח, sometimes also for
שַׁעַר;
a (house) door; (in plural equivalent to Latin
fores,
folding doors; cf.
Winers Grammar, 176 (166);
Buttmann, 24 (21); cf.
πύλη);
a. properly:
κλείειν, etc.
τήν θύραν,
Matthew 6:6;
Luke 13:25; passive,
Matthew 25:10;
Luke 11:7;
John 20:19,
26;
Acts 21:30;
ἀνοίγειν,
Acts 5:19; passive
Acts 16:26f;
κρούειν,
Acts 12:13;
διά τῆς θυρης,
John 10:1f;
πρός τήν θύραν,
Mark 1:33;
Mark 11:4 (
Tr WH omit
τήν; cf.
Winer's Grammar, 123 (116));
Acts 3:2;
τά πρός τήν θύραν the vestibule (so
Buttmann, § 125, 9; others the space or parts at (near) the door),
Mark 2:2;
πρός τῇ θύρα John 18:16;
ἐπί τῇ θύρα,
Acts 5:9;
πρό τῆς θύρας,
Acts 12:6;
ἐπί τῶν θυρῶν,
Acts 5:23 (
R G πρό).
b. θύρα is used of any opening like a door,
an entrance, way or passage into:
ἡ θύρα τοῦ μνημείου, of the tomb,
Matthew 27:60;
Matthew 28:2 R G;
Mark 15:46;
Mark 16:3, (
Homer, Odyssey 9, 243; 12, 256; others).
c. in parable and metaphorically, we find
α. ἡ θύρα τῶν προβάτων, the door through which the sheep go out and in, the name of him who brings salvation to those who follow his guidance,
John 10:7,
9; cf. Christ. From Fritzsche in Fritzschiorum opuscc., p. 20ff; (in
Ignatius ad Philad. 9 [ET] Christ is called
ἡ θύρα τοῦ πατρός,
δἰ ἧς ἐισερχονται Ἀβραάμ...
καί οἱ προφῆται; cf. Harnack on
Clement of Rome, 1 Cor. 48, 3f [ET]).
β. 'an open door' is used of the
opportunity of doing something:
τῆς πίστεως, of getting faith,
Acts 14:27; open to a teacher, i. e. the opportunity of teaching others,
2 Corinthians 2:12;
Colossians 4:3; by a bold combination of metaphor and literal language, the phrase
θύρα μεγάλη καί ἐνεργής (
A. V. a great door and effectual) is used of a large opportunity of teaching a great multitude the way of salvation, and one encouraging the hope of the most successful results:
1 Corinthians 16:9.
γ. the door of the kingdom of heaven (likened to a palace) denotes the conditions which must be complied with in order to be received into the kingdom of God:
Luke 13:24 (for
Rec. πύλης); power of entering, access into, God's eternal kingdom,
Revelation 3:8 cf.
Revelation 3:7 (but others besides; add here
Revelation 4:1).
δ. he whose advent is just at hand is said
ἐπί θύραις εἶναι,
Matthew 24:33;
Mark 13:29, and
πρό θυρῶν ἑστηκεναι,
James 5:9.
ε. ἑστηκώς ἐπί τήν θύραν καί κρούων is said of Christ seeking entrance into souls, and they who comply with his entreaty are said
ἀνοίγειν τήν θύραν,
Revelation 3:20.
THAYER’S GREEK LEXICON, Electronic Database.
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BLB Scripture Index of Thayer's