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Old & New Testament Greek Lexical Dictionary Greek Lexicon
Strong's #4245 - πρεσβύτερος
- Thayer
- Strong
- Mounce
- elder, of age,
- the elder of two people
- advanced in life, an elder, a senior
- forefathers
- a term of rank or office
- among the Jews
- members of the great council or Sanhedrin (because in early times the rulers of the people, judges, etc., were selected from elderly men)
- of those who in separate cities managed public affairs and administered justice
- among the Christians, those who presided over the assemblies (or churches) The NT uses the term bishop, elders, and presbyters interchangeably
- the twenty four members of the heavenly Sanhedrin or court seated on thrones around the throne of God
- among the Jews
- Book
- Word
- Parsing
Comparative of πρεσβυς presbus (elderly)
πρέσβῠς, Pi. P. 4.282, A. Ag. 530, εως or εος (v. infr. 11 ), ὁ, voc. πρέσβῠ E. Or. 476, Ar. Th. 146: —
old man (poet. for prose πρεσβύτης ), in this sense only used in nom., acc., and voc., ὁ π. Πόλυβος S. OT 941; Φοῖνιξ ὁ π. Id. Ph. 562; δριμὺς π. Ar. Av. 255 (lyr.); πατέρά πρές βυν S. Ph. 665; πρέσβυ Id. OT 1013, 1121; ὦ πρέσβυ E. l. c., Ar. l. c.; ὁ π. the elder, A. Ag. 184 (lyr.), 205 (lyr.), 530; cf. πρέσβα, πρέσβειρα, πρεσβηΐς, πρέσβις: pl. πρέσβεις, elders, three times in Trag., always voc. (v. infr. 111 ), A. Pers. 840, S. OT 1111, E. HF 247; for πρεσβῆ, πρεσβῆες, πρισγεῖες, v. cross πρεσβεύς: Comp. and Sup. are the only forms found in Hom., Comp. πρεσβύτερος, α, ον (late πρεσβυτερωτέρα PLond. 2.177.15 (i A. D.) ), elder, Il. 11.787, 15.204, Hdt. 2.2, etc.; πλεῖν ἢ 'νιαυτῷ by more than a year, Ar. Ra. 18; πρεσβυτέρα ἀριθμοῦ older than the fit number, Pi. Fr. 127; βουλαὶ πρεσβύτεραι thy counsels wise beyond thy years, Id. P. 2.65; γνώμη π. τῆς ἡλικίας D.H. 5.30; οἱ σοφοὶ καὶ π. Arist. EE 1215a23; of animals, Id. HA 546a7; ἵππος π. ἤδη ὤν rather old, PCair.Zen. 225.8 (iii B. C.); also δένδρα π. Thphr. CP 1.13.8; ἐπὶ τὸ π. ἰέναι become older, Pl. Lg. 631e; ἵνα μὴ π. ὢν ῥέμβωμαι in my old age, PCair. Zen. 447.9 (iii B. C.): Sup. πρεσβύτατος, η, ον, eldest, Il. 4.59, 11.740, Hes. Th. 234, etc.; π. γενεῇ Il. 6.24; as a term of respect, ἐγὼ παλαιότατός εἰμι σὺ δὲ π. Plu. Nic. 15; of animals, Arist. HA 546a4, al.: for the poet. forms πρέσβιστος, πρεσβίστατος, v. cross πρέσβιστος, and cf. πρεῖγυς.
2. Comp. and Sup., of things, more or most important, taking precedence, esp. πρεσβύτερόν τι (or οὐδὲν ) ἔχειν deem higher, more important, τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ πρεσβύτερα ἐποιεῦντο ἢ τὰ τῶν ἀνδρῶν Hdt. 5.63; οὐδὲν πρεσβύτερον νομίζω τᾶς σωφροσύνας E. Fr. 959 (lyr.); ἐμοὶ οὐδέν ἐστι πρεσβύτερον τοῦ . . Pl. Smp. 218d; πρεσβύτατον κρἰναί τι Th. 4.61; merely of magnitude, πρεσβύτερον κακοῦ κακόν one evil greater than another, S. OT 1365 (lyr.); χρεῶν πάντων πρεσβύτατα Pl. Lg. 717b . Adv., -τέρωσγυμναστικὴν μουσικῆς τετιμηκέναι Id. R. 548c, cf. Jul. Or. 4.132c .
II = cross πρεσβευτής, ambassador, in nom. sg. only cj. in A. Supp. 727 (v. πρέσβη ) and in Prov. ap. Sch. Il. 4.394 (v. πρέσβις (A)); gen. πρέσβεως Ar. Ach. 93 (at end of line); πρέσβεος Choerob. in Theod. 1.233: dual πρέσβει (written πρεσβε ) IG 12(1).977.45,57 (Carpathos, iv B. C. ): pl. πρέσβεις, Dor. un contr. πρέσβεες ib.14.952.11 (Acragas, iii B. C. ) (at first more freq. than πρεσβευταί (q. v.)), Ar. Ach. 61, IG 12.52.1, 22.1.20, al., D. 19.183; acc. πρέσβεις IG 12.46.24, Foed. ap. Th. 4.118, X. HG 4.8.13; gen. πρέσβεων, dat. πρέσβεσι, Ar. Ach. 76, 62, IG 22.1.7.
III at Sparta a political title, president, τῶν ἐφόρων ib.5(1).51.6, 552.11; νομοφυλάκων ib.555b19; βιδέων ib.556.6; συναρχίας ib.504.16; τῆς φυλῆς ib.564.3; [ σφαιρέων ] ib.675.5; gen. sg. πρέσβεως ib. 504.16, al.
2. Comp. πρεσβύτερος, elder, alderman, τῆς κώμης BGU 195.30 ( ii A. D., pl.), cf. POxy. 2121.4 (iii A. D.), etc.; ἐκρίθημεν ἐπί τε Νουμηνίου καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν π. PCair.Zen. 520.4 (iii B. C.), cf. UPZ 124.22, 36 (ii B. C.); τοῖς ἱερεῦσι καὶ ( both ) τοῖς π. καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις πᾶσι OGI 194.3 (Egypt, i B. C. ); οἱ π. τῶν ὀλυροκόπων ib.729 (Alexandria, iii B. C. ); π. τῶν γεωργῶν PTeb. 13.5 (ii B. C.); π. γέρδιοι IGRom. 1.1122 (Theadelphia, ii A. D. ); τέκτονες π. ib.1155 (Ptolemaïs Hermiu, i A. D. ): elder of the Jewish Sanhedrin, Ev.Matthew 16:21, etc.; later, elder of the Christian Church, presbyter, Acts 11:30, Acts 20:17, 1 Timothy 5:19, POxy. 1162.1 (iv A. D.), etc.; of the Apostles, 2 John 1:1; . wren, Arist. HA 609a17, 615a19, Hsch.; cf. σπέργυς. ( -βυ-, Cret. -γυ- (in πρεῖγυς ), cogn. with Skt. -gu in vanar-gú- 'one who lives or moves in the forest', Lith. žmogùs 'man' (lit. 'one who moves on the ground'); πρες- cogn. with Lat. prae, pris-tinus; the oldest sense of π. is 'going in front, taking precedence'.)
πρεσβύτερος, πρεσβυτέρα, πρεσβύτερον (comparitive of πρέσβυς) (from Homer down), elder; used:
1. of age;
a. where two persons are spoken of, the elder: ὁ υἱός ὁ πρεσβύτερος (Aelian v. h. 9, 42), Luke 15:25.
b. universally, advanced in life, an elder, a senior: opposed to νεανίσκοι, Acts 2:17; opposed to νεώτερος, 1 Timothy 5:1f (Genesis 18:11f; Wis. 8:10; Sir. 6:34 (33);
2. a term of rank or office; as such borne by,
a. among the Jews, α. members of the great council or Sanhedrin (because in early times the rulers of the people, judges, etc., were selected from the elderly men): Matthew 16:21; Matthew 26:47, 57, 59 Rec.;
b. among Christians, those who presided over the assemblies (or churches): Acts 11:30; Acts 14:23; Acts 15:2, 4, 6, 22; Acts 16:4; Acts 21:18; 1 Timothy 5:17, 19; Titus 1:5; 2 John 1:1; 3 John 1:1; 1 Peter 5:1, 5; with τῆς ἐκκλησίας added, Acts 20:17; James 5:14. That they did not differ at all from the (ἐπίσκοποι) bishops or overseers (as is acknowledged also by Jerome on Titus 1:5 (cf. Lightfoot's Commentary on Philippians, pp. 98f, 229f)) is evident from the fact that the two words are used indiscriminately, Acts 20:17, 28; Titus 1:5, 7, and that the duty of presbyters is described by the terms ἐπισκοπεῖν, 1 Peter 5:1f, and ἐπισκοπή, Clement of Rome, 1 Cor. 44, 1 [ET]; accordingly only two ecclesiastical officers, οἱ ἐπίσκοποι and οἱ διάκονοι, are distinguished in Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 3:1, 8. The title ἐπίσκοπος denotes the function, πρεσβύτερος the dignity; the former was borrowed from Greek institutions, the latter from the Jewish; cf. (Lightfoot, as above, pp. 95ff, 191ff); Ritschl, Die Entstehung der altkathol. Kirche, edition 2, p. 350ff; Hase, Protest. Polemik, edition 4, p. 98ff; (Hatch, Bampton Lects. for 1880, Lect. 3 and Harnack's Analecten appended to the German translation of the same (p. 229ff); also Harnack's note on Clement of Rome, 1 Cor. 1, 3 [ET] (cf. references at 44 at the beginning), and Hatch in Dict. of Christ. Antiq., under the word
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πρέσβυς , -εως , ὁ ,
poët. form of πρεσβύτης (q.v.),
[in LXX (= πρεσβευτής , an ambassador): Numbers 21:20 (21), al. (H4397), Isaiah 13:8; Isaiah 57:9 (H6735), 1 Maccabees 9:70, al.;]
an old man.
Compar.,
πρεσβύτερος , -α , -ον ,
[in LXX chiefly for H2204;]
1. of age, elder: ὁ νἱὸς ὁ Papyri, Luke 15:25; as subst., opp. to νεανίσκοι , Acts 2:17; to νεώτερος , 1 Timothy 5:1-2; of the religious leaders of the past, Matthew 15:2, Mark 7:3; Mark 7:5, Hebrews 11:2 (= οἱ πατέρες , Hebrews 1:1).
2. Of dignity, rank or office (as found in Papyri and Inscr. of civil and religious offices, including priesthood, in Asia Minor and in Egypt; v. Deiss., BS, 154 ff., 233 If.; LAE, 373);
(a) among Jews: Matthew 16:21; Matthew 26:47; Matthew 26:57; Matthew 27:3; Matthew 27:12; Matthew 27:20; Matthew 27:41; Matthew 28:12, Mark 8:31; Mark 11:27; Mark 14:43; Mark 14:53; Mark 15:1, Luke 7:3; Luke 9:22; Luke 20:1; Luke 22:52, John 8:9, Acts 4:5; Acts 4:8; Acts 4:23; Acts 6:12; Acts 23:14; Acts 24:1; τ . Ἰουνδαίων , Acts 25:15; τ . λαοῦ , Matthew 21:23; Matthew 26:3; Matthew 27:1;
(b) among Christians: Acts 11:30; Acts 14:23; Acts 15:2; Acts 15:4; Acts 15:6; Acts 15:22-23; Acts 16:4; Acts 21:18, 1 Timothy 5:17; 1 Timothy 5:19, Titus 1:5, 2 John 1:1, 3 John 1:1, 1 Peter 5:1; 1 Peter 5:5; τ . ἐκκλησίας , Acts 20:17, James 5:14;
(c) in the visions of the Apocalypse: Revelation 4:4; Revelation 4:10; Revelation 5:5-6; Revelation 5:8; Revelation 5:11; Revelation 5:14; Revelation 7:11; Revelation 7:13; Revelation 11:16; Revelation 14:3; Revelation 19:4.
(On the NT use of this word and its relation to ἐπίσκοπος (q.v.), cf. Lft., Phi., 93 ff., 189 ff.; CGT, Past. Epp., lvi ff.) †
πρεσβύτερος , see πρέσβυς .
Copyright © 1922 by G. Abbott-Smith, D.D., D.C.L.. T & T Clarke, London.
In Acts 17:4, the only occurrence of this verb in the NT, προσεκληρώθησαν is best understood with a pass, meaning answering to its pass, form, ";were allotted to"; : cf. OGIS 257.5 (B.C. 109) Σελευκεῖς τοὺς ἐν Πιερίαι τῆς ἱερᾶς καὶ ἀσύλου [ἐξ ἀρχῆς ] μὲν τῷ πατρὶ ἡμῶν προσκληρωθέντας, with Dittenherger’s note. See also P Par 63viii. 18 (B.C. 164) ἔδει μὲν οὖν δημοδικῇ παιδήᾳ προσκεκληρωμένον καὶ μεμνημένον τῆς ἐκ παιδὸς πρός τε τὸν ἡμέτερον πατέρα κτλ.
Copyright © 1914, 1929, 1930 by James Hope Moulton and George Milligan. Hodder and Stoughton, London.
Derivative Copyright © 2015 by Allan Loder.
