Greek · Strong's G1135
γυνή
gynḗ (goo-NAY)
noun, feminine
The Greek word γυνή (gunē) primarily means "woman" or "wife," encompassing both general and specific applications depending on context.
The Greek term γυνή (gunē) is a versatile noun with a broad semantic range, primarily referring to a female human being, an adult woman, or a wife. Its usage in the New Testament reflects the various roles and identities women held in ancient society. It can simply identify an individual as female, such as the woman at the well in John 4 or the women who followed Jesus. Beyond this general sense, γυνή frequently denotes a married woman, serving as the common word for "wife." This dual meaning requires careful contextual analysis to determine whether the text speaks of a woman in a general sense or specifically a wife within a marital relationship.
In some contexts, γυνή carries theological significance by highlighting the person and role of women in the early church and in salvation history. While some passages address societal roles and expectations for women, others underscore their faith, ministry, and spiritual equality in Christ. The term is found in narratives where women encounter Jesus, demonstrating faith and receiving healing or teaching. It also appears in the epistles, addressing the conduct and responsibilities of women within the Christian community and within marriage, reflecting both cultural norms and new spiritual principles.
The breadth of γυνή’s meaning means it can refer to a young woman, an older woman, a married woman, or an unmarried woman. The specific nuance is often determined by the surrounding words, grammatical construction, and the broader theological message of the biblical author. For example, when contrasted with "husband" (ἀνήρ, anēr), it clearly signifies "wife," but in other instances, it can be a general descriptor for adult females. This demonstrates the importance of considering the immediate text to accurately understand the intended meaning of γυνή.
Greek for wife — gunē in the New Testament
If you have searched “greek for wife,” the answer is γυνή (gunē, pronounced goo-NAY). It is the same word the New Testament uses for “woman.” Context — and usually a possessive pronoun or a verb of marrying — tells the reader whether gunē names a woman in general or a wife in particular. So when Paul writes “let every man have his own gunē” (1 Corinthians 7:2), the English “wife” is correct; when John writes “there came a Samaritan gunē to draw water” (John 4:7), the English “woman” fits.
This single-word range matters theologically. The Greek for wife is not a separate, lesser category from woman; marriage does not redefine a person, it places her in relationship. Ephesians 5:22-33 builds its whole vision of Christian marriage on this gunē — honoured, loved as Christ loved the church, never reduced to function or property. The same vocabulary that named Eve in the Septuagint of Genesis 2 names the bride of Christ in Revelation 19:7.
When you read the New Testament epistles, watching for gunē repays the effort. Paul's qualifications for elders (1 Timothy 3:2) speak of “the husband of one gunē” — a marital faithfulness, not a numerical rule about prior widowhood. Peter's call for wives to a “meek and quiet spirit” (1 Peter 3:4) addresses gunē as a beloved fellow-heir of the grace of life (1 Peter 3:7). The greek for wife, in short, is the greek for woman — and the Bible refuses to flatten either.
Common English renderings
- wife
- woman
- female
Key verses
"And behold, a woman, who had an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the border of his garment:"
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"Now as they went on their way, he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house."
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"If any man cometh unto me, and hateth not his own father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple."
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"but Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother’s wife, and for all the evil things which Herod had done,"
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"There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink."
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Related words
Answering the Text
The Greek word for 'wife' in the New Testament is γυνή (gunē), Strong's G1135. The same word also means 'woman.' Context — usually a possessive ('his gunē') or a verb of marriage — distinguishes the two senses.
Hebrew has two main words. 'Ishshah' (אִשָּׁה, H802) parallels Greek gunē — it means both 'woman' and 'wife' depending on context. 'Be'ulah' (בְּעוּלָה) means 'married woman' specifically. The Septuagint regularly renders ishshah with gunē, preserving the same useful ambiguity.
Because Greek does not distinguish the two with separate vocabulary. 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 is hard partly because of this — translators must decide verse by verse whether Paul means women in general or wives specifically. Most read the chapter as primarily about wives in the worship gathering, with broader implications for women.
The phrase in 1 Timothy 3:2 and Titus 1:6 literally reads 'a one-woman man.' It describes a man whose marital fidelity is undivided — emotionally, sexually, and in covenant. Most evangelical interpreters take it as ruling out polygamy and unrepentant adultery, not as automatically disqualifying widowers, divorcees, or unmarried men.
Ephesians 5:22-33, Colossians 3:18-19, and 1 Peter 3:1-7 frame marriage as mutual self-giving modeled on Christ and the church. The wife's submission and the husband's sacrificial love are set inside a wider call to 'submit one to another in the fear of God' (Ephesians 5:21). The vocabulary of gunē is honour-vocabulary, not subordination-vocabulary.
Where this word study leads next