Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible Online

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Nymph Νύμφη
(726 words)

I. Name

Nymphai are minor Greek gods, who appear once in the NT as a theophoric element (Col. 4.15). Greek nymphē means ‘young girl’, ‘bride’ and ‘clitoris’ (Winkler 1988:181–184), but its etymology is obscure (Chantraine 1980).

II. Identity

In the Iliad (6.420 etc.) the Nymphs are the daughters of Zeus, the divine father par excellence, and this is the most common genealogy, although their connection with water (below) led to many rivers also being seen as their father (Herter & Heichelheim 1936:1529–1530).…

Cite this page
J. N. Bremmer, “Nymph Νύμφη”, in: Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible Online, Edited by: Karel van der Toorn, Bob Becking, Pieter W. van der Horst. Consulted online on 20 March 2023 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2589-7802_DDDO_DDDO_Nymph>



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