Lexical Summary Aithiops: Ethiopian Original Word: Αἰθίοψ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Ethiopian. From aitho (to scorch) and ops (the face, from optanomai); an ?Thiopian (as a blackamoor) -- Ethiopian. see GREEK optanomai NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom aithó (to burn) and ops (an eye, face) Definition Ethiopian NASB Translation Ethiopian (1), Ethiopians (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 128: ΑἰθίοψΑἰθίοψ, (οπος, ὁ (αἴθω, to burn, and ὤψ (ὄψ), the face; swarthy), Ethiopian (Hebrew כּוּשִׁי): Acts 8:27, here the reference is to upper Ethiopia, called Habesh or Abyssinia, a country of Africa adjoining Egypt and including the island Meroe; (see Dillmann in Schenkel i. 285ff; Alex.'s Kitto or McClintock and Strong's Cyclopaedia under the word Topical Lexicon Definition and Scope Strong’s Greek 128 designates an individual from Ethiopia—biblically identified with the region of Cush, south of Egypt. In Scripture the term carries both an ethnic and geographic sense, denoting peoples living along the Upper Nile and across the Horn of Africa. Occurrences in the New Testament Acts 8:27 contains both uses of the word, describing the anonymous court official whom Philip meets on the desert road from Jerusalem to Gaza. The Berean Standard Bible records: “So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. He had gone to Jerusalem to worship” (Acts 8:27). Here the word identifies the first clearly Gentile convert whose individual account is narrated after Pentecost, emphasizing the widening scope of the gospel beyond Judea and Samaria. Old Testament Background Ethiopia (Cush) appears repeatedly in earlier revelation, foreshadowing God’s plan to include this distant nation among His people: These passages create prophetic expectancy that finds fulfillment when the gospel reaches the Ethiopian in Acts. Historical and Geographic Setting In Greco-Roman parlance “Ethiopia” often referred to Nubia, especially the kingdom of Meroë, whose monarchs bore the dynastic title Candace. The eunuch serves as treasurer for such a queen mother, evidencing the region’s administrative sophistication and long-standing ties with Judaism. Jewish colonies existed on the Nile since at least the sixth century B.C., facilitating pilgrimages like the one described in Acts 8:27. The Ethiopian Eunuch and the Expansion of the Gospel Philip’s Spirit-directed encounter demonstrates several watershed truths: 1. The gospel reaches those previously considered “far off” (Ephesians 2:13). Tradition holds that the eunuch carried the message of Christ back to his homeland, spawning one of the earliest national churches. Whether or not this can be historically verified, Luke’s account makes clear that the saving work of Christ is destined for every people group, fulfilling Isaiah 56:3-5 in welcoming eunuchs into the house of God. Theological Implications • Universality of Salvation: From the start, Acts portrays the kingdom transcending ethnic boundaries (Acts 1:8). Applications for Ministry Today 1. Pursue cross-cultural witness, trusting the Holy Spirit to orchestrate strategic meetings. Related Scriptures for Further Study Genesis 10:6; Numbers 12:1; 2 Chronicles 14:9-13; Psalm 87:4; Isaiah 45:14; Jeremiah 13:23; Ezekiel 30:4-9. Forms and Transliterations Αιθιοπων Αἰθιόπων Αιθιοψ Αἰθίοψ αίθριον αιθρίου αιλ αιλάμ αιλαμμώθ αιλαμμών αιλαμώθ αιλαύ αιλευ αιλεύ Aithiopon Aithiopōn Aithiópon Aithiópōn Aithiops AithíopsLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Acts 8:27 N-NMSGRK: ἰδοὺ ἀνὴρ Αἰθίοψ εὐνοῦχος δυνάστης NAS: up and went; and there was an Ethiopian eunuch, KJV: a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch INT: Behold a man an Ethiopian a eunuch one in power Acts 8:27 N-GMP Strong's Greek 128 |
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