Strong's Lexicon presbuteros: elder, older, presbyter Original Word: πρεσβύτερος Word Origin: Comparative of presbus (an old man) Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: - H2205 (zaqen): Often translated as "elder" in the Old Testament, referring to older men or leaders within the community. - H7868 (saba): Another term for elder, emphasizing age and experience. Usage: The term "presbuteros" is used in the New Testament to denote someone who is older, often in terms of age, but more significantly, it refers to a person holding a position of authority or leadership within a community. In the context of the early Christian church, "presbuteros" is commonly translated as "elder" and refers to leaders who are responsible for teaching, governance, and spiritual oversight. The term is also used in a more general sense to refer to older individuals deserving of respect. Cultural and Historical Background: In Jewish culture, elders were respected leaders within the community, often serving as judges or advisors. This concept carried over into the early Christian church, where elders were appointed to oversee congregations. The role of an elder was both spiritual and administrative, requiring wisdom, maturity, and a strong faith. The early church adopted this structure to ensure sound teaching and pastoral care, reflecting the Jewish synagogue model. HELPS Word-studies 4245 presbýteros – properly, a mature man having seasoned judgment (experience); an elder. The NT specifies elders are men. (The feminine singular, presbytera, never occurs in the Bible.) [The feminine plural, presbyteras, occurs in 1 Tim 5:2. It refers to aged women, i.e. not women with an official church office or title.] NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina cptv. of presbus (an old man) Definition elder NASB Translation elder (3), elders (57), men of old (1), old men (1), older (1), older man (1), older ones (1), older women (1), women (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4245: πρεσβύτεροςπρεσβύτερος, 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 Comparative of presbus (elderly); older; as noun, a senior; specially, an Israelite Sanhedrist (also figuratively, member of the celestial council) or Christian "presbyter" -- elder(-est), old. Englishman's Concordance Matthew 15:2 Adj-GMPGRK: παράδοσιν τῶν πρεσβυτέρων οὐ γὰρ NAS: break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash KJV: the tradition of the elders? for INT: tradition of the elders not for Matthew 16:21 Adj-GMP Matthew 21:23 Adj-NMP Matthew 26:3 Adj-NMP Matthew 26:47 Adj-GMP Matthew 26:57 Adj-NMP Matthew 27:1 Adj-NMP Matthew 27:3 Adj-DMP Matthew 27:12 Adj-GMP Matthew 27:20 Adj-NMP Matthew 27:41 Adj-GMP Matthew 28:12 Adj-GMP Mark 7:3 Adj-GMP Mark 7:5 Adj-GMP Mark 8:31 Adj-GMP Mark 11:27 Adj-NMP Mark 14:43 Adj-GMP Mark 14:53 Adj-NMP Mark 15:1 Adj-GMP Luke 7:3 Adj-AMP Luke 9:22 Adj-GMP Luke 15:25 Adj-NMS Luke 20:1 Adj-DMP Luke 22:52 Adj-AMP John 8:9 Adj-GMP Strong's Greek 4245 |
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