πολίτης
politēs
citizen
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
ExploredThe Greek word politikēs (Strong's number: G4177), meaning "citizen," is rooted in the concept of belonging to a city-state or community. As a transliteration of the lemma πολίτης, this word is primarily used in formal or official contexts, emphasizing the idea of membership or allegiance. In the four biblical occurrences, politikēs is used to describe individuals living within a specific community or city-state, highlighting their connection to that particular group. This usage underscores the concept of civic identity and the responsibilities that come with it. Given its limited occurrences in the Bible, politikēs does not convey a specific theological or abstract meaning but rather a concrete, sociopolitical reality, emphasizing the importance of community and belonging in ancient Greek culture.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
4 total occurrences across the text
He went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed pigs.
Luke 19:14But his citizens hated him, and sent an envoy after him, saying, ‘We don’t want this man to reign over us.’
Acts 21:39But Paul said, “I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no insignificant city. I beg you, allow me to speak to the people.”
Hebrews 8:11They will not teach every man his fellow citizen, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for all will know me, from their least to their greatest.