4244. presbuterion

Lexicon

presbuterion: Council of elders, eldership

Original Word: πρεσβυτέριον
Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter
Transliteration: presbuterion
Pronunciation: pres-boo-ter'-ee-on
Phonetic Spelling: (pres-boo-ter'-ee-on)
Definition: Council of elders, eldership
Meaning: an assembly of elders, the Sanhedrin, officers of the church assembly, presbytery.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

presbytery, body of elders

Neuter of a presumed derivative of presbuteros; the order of elders, i.e. (specially), Israelite Sanhedrin or Christian "presbytery" -- (estate of) elder(-s), presbytery.

see GREEK presbuteros

HELPS Word-studies

Cognate: 4244 presbytérion – properly, a council (group) of elders; a team of elder-overseers serving a local church who lead (feed, shepherd) the people of the Lord (cf. 1 Tim 4:14).

1 Tim 4:14: “Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery” (NASU) (4244 /presbytérion).

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from presbuteros
Definition
a body of elders
NASB Translation
council of the elders (1), council of elders (1), presbytery (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 4244: πρεσβυτέριον

πρεσβυτέριον, πρεσβυτερίου, τό (πρεσβύτερος, which see), body of elders, presbytery, senate, council: of the Jewish elders (see συνέδριον, 2), Luke 22:66; Acts 22:5; (cf. Daniel, Theod. at the beginning); of the elders of any body (church) of Christians, 1 Timothy 4:14 (ecclesiastical writings (cf. references under the word πρεσβύτερος, 2 b.)).

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: Derived from πρεσβύτερος (presbyteros), meaning "elder."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: The concept of a council of elders in the Hebrew tradition is closely related to the Hebrew term זָקֵן (zaqen), Strong's Hebrew 2205, which also means "elder." This term is used throughout the Old Testament to describe leaders and advisors within the Israelite community, such as in Exodus 3:16, where God instructs Moses to gather the elders of Israel.

Usage: The word πρεσβυτέριον is used in the New Testament to denote a group or council of elders, particularly in Jewish and early Christian contexts. It appears in the context of leadership and governance within the religious community.

Context: The term πρεσβυτέριον is found in the New Testament, specifically in the context of religious leadership and governance. In Luke 22:66, it is used to describe the assembly of elders, chief priests, and scribes who gathered to question Jesus: "At daybreak, the council of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and scribes, assembled, and they led Him away to their council chamber, saying..." (BSB). This assembly, known as the Sanhedrin, was the highest Jewish council and court in Jerusalem, responsible for religious and legal matters.

In the early Christian church, the concept of a council of elders was adopted as a model for church leadership. The elders, or presbyters, were responsible for teaching, pastoral care, and governance within the Christian community. This structure is evident in passages such as Acts 15, where the apostles and elders in Jerusalem convened to discuss important doctrinal issues.

The role of the πρεσβυτέριον in the early church highlights the continuity between Jewish traditions and the emerging Christian ecclesiastical structure. The elders were seen as spiritual leaders, entrusted with maintaining doctrinal purity and providing guidance to the congregation.

Forms and Transliterations

πρεσβείς πρέσβεις πρέσβυς πρεσβυτεριον πρεσβυτέριον πρεσβυτεριου πρεσβυτερίου presbuterion presbuteriou presbyterion presbytérion presbyteriou presbyteríou

Englishman's Concordance

Luke 22:66 N-NNS
GRK: συνήχθη τὸ πρεσβυτέριον τοῦ λαοῦ
NAS: it was day, the Council of elders of the people
KJV: day, the elders of the people
INT: were gathered together the elderhood of the people

Acts 22:5 N-NNS
GRK: πᾶν τὸ πρεσβυτέριον παρ' ὧν
NAS: and all the Council of the elders can testify.
KJV: all the estate of the elders: from
INT: all the elderhood from whom

1 Timothy 4:14 N-GNS
GRK: χειρῶν τοῦ πρεσβυτερίου
NAS: on of hands by the presbytery.
KJV: of the hands of the presbytery.
INT: hands of the elderhood

Strong's Greek 4244
3 Occurrences

πρεσβυτέριον — 2 Occ.
πρεσβυτερίου — 1 Occ.