G4747 — στοιχεῖον (stoicheion)¶

Core Data¶

Strong's: G4747
Original: στοιχεῖον
Transliteration: stoicheîon
Pronunciation: stoy-khi'-on
Part of Speech: Neuter noun
Root: Base of στοῖχος (stoichos) — something orderly, a row or rank
Occurrences: 7 in NT (7 unique verses, 4 books)
First Occurrence: Gal 4:3 — "Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world"
Hapax Legomenon: No

Lexicon Definition¶

-on; neuter of a presumed derivative of the base of stoichos; something orderly in arrangement, i.e. (by implication) a serial (basal, fundamental, initial) constituent (literally), proposition (figuratively).

Louw-Nida Semantic Domains¶

Domain 2.1: Elements (natural substances — physical components of the universe)
Domain 12.2: Supernatural Powers (elemental spirits or cosmic forces)
Domain 58.3: Basic Principles or Features Defining the Nature of Something
Other words in 58.3: ἀρχή (G746)

Domain Neighbors (58.3 — Basic Principles)¶

Strong's	Lemma	Total vv	Primary KJV Translation(s)
G746	ἀρχή	40	the beginning, beginning

Translation Distribution (KJV)¶

Translation	Count	%
elements	2	28.6%
the elements	2	28.6%
rudiments	2	28.6%
principles	1	14.3%

Distribution by Book¶

Book	Count	Per 100 Verses
2 Peter	2	3.3
Colossians	2	2.1
Galatians	2	1.3
Hebrews	1	0.3

Exclusively Pauline epistles plus 2 Peter. Absent from the Gospels, Acts, and all other epistles. The Pauline usage (Galatians, Colossians) centers on "elements/rudiments of the world" as something believers have been freed from; 2 Peter uses it for physical dissolution of the cosmos; Hebrews uses it for basic doctrinal instruction.

Morphological Note¶

All 7 NT occurrences appear in the plural (στοιχεῖα / στοιχείων). The singular is never used in the NT. Case distribution: accusative plural 4× (Gal 4:3, 4:9; Col 2:8; Heb 5:12), genitive plural 1× (Col 2:20), nominative plural 2× (2Pe 3:10, 3:12).

Semantic Categories¶

1. Elemental Principles / Rudimentary Teaching¶

Basic, elementary instruction — the ABCs of a subject. - Heb 5:12 — "ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk" - Here stoicheia = foundational doctrinal elements, contrasted with mature teaching ("strong meat")

2. Elemental Forces of the World (Cosmic/Spiritual)¶

The "elements of the world" from which believers were in bondage — regulatory cosmic or spiritual powers governing pre-Christian existence. - Gal 4:3 — "when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world" - Gal 4:9 — "how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?" - Described as "weak and beggarly" — something believers should not return to - Col 2:8 — "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ" - Contrasted with Christ — paired with "philosophy," "vain deceit," and "tradition of men" - Col 2:20 — "if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances" - Dying with Christ frees from stoicheia; linked to subjection to ordinances (δογματίζω G1379)

3. Physical Elements of the Cosmos¶

The material components of the physical universe, subject to eschatological destruction. - 2Pe 3:10 — "the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up" - 2Pe 3:12 — "the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat" - Physical sense: the material substances composing the created order, destroyed by fire at the Day of the Lord

Common Collocations¶

Word	Strong's	Co-occurrences	Typical Pattern
κόσμος (kosmos)	G2889	3× (43%)	"elements/rudiments of the world" (Gal 4:3; Col 2:8, 2:20)
θεός (theos)	G2316	3× (43%)	God as the one who liberates from stoicheia (Gal 4:9; 2Pe 3:12) or whose oracles have stoicheia (Heb 5:12)
οὐρανός (ouranos)	G3772	2× (29%)	"heavens … elements" in cosmic dissolution (2Pe 3:10, 3:12)
λύω (lyo)	G3089	2× (29%)	"elements shall be dissolved" (2Pe 3:10, 3:12)
καυσόω (kausoo)	G2741	2× (29%)	"elements melt with fervent heat" (2Pe 3:10, 3:12)
Χριστός (Christos)	G5547	2× (29%)	Christ as the alternative to stoicheia bondage (Col 2:8, 2:20)

Word Family / Cognates¶

G4748 στοιχέω (stoicheo) — to march in rank, walk orderly (verb; 5× NT — Rom 4:12; Gal 5:25, 6:16; Phil 3:16; Acts 21:24)
G4946 Συρακοῦσαι (Syrakousai) — unrelated despite shared base

Easily Confused Words¶

Word	Strong's	Shared Translation	Key Difference
ἀρχή (arche)	G746	"principles" (Heb 6:1)	arche = beginning/first principle as starting point; stoicheion = elementary component in a series

Hebrew Source (via LXX)¶

No Hebrew source words mapped to G4747 in the LXX alignment data. This is consistent with stoicheion being a distinctly Hellenistic philosophical term without direct Hebrew equivalent.