4575. sebastos

Lexicon

sebastos: Revered, Venerable, August

Original Word: σεβαστός
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: sebastos
Pronunciation: seb-as-TOS
Phonetic Spelling: (seb-as-tos')
Definition: Revered, Venerable, August
Meaning: (official Greek equivalent of Augustus), venerated, august, a title of the Roman emperors; hence secondarily: Augustan, imperial.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

Augustus

From sebazomai; venerable (august), i.e. (as noun) a title of the Roman Emperor, or (as adjective) imperial -- Augustus(-').

see GREEK sebazomai

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from sebazomai
Definition
reverend, august, hence Augustus, a Rom. emperor
NASB Translation
Augustan (1), Emperor (1), Emperor's (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 4575: σεβαστός

σεβαστός, σεβαστη, Σεβαστόν (σεβάζομαι);

1. reverend, venerable.

2. ὁ σεβαστός, Latinaugustus, the title of the Roman emperors: Acts 25:21, 25 (Strabo, Lucian, Herodian, Dio Cassius, others); adjective σεβαστός, σεβαστη, Σεβαστόν, Augustan, i. e. taking its name from the emperor; a title of honor which used to be given to certain legions, or cohorts, or battalions, for valor (ala augusta ob virtutem appellata. Corpus inscriptions Latin vii. n. 340, 341, 344): σπείρης Σεβαστῆς, the Augustan (Imperial) cohort, Acts 27:1 (λεγεών σεβαστη, Ptolemy, 2, 3, 30; 2, 9, 18; 4, 3, 30). The subject is fully treated by Schürer in the Zeitsehr. für wissensch. Theol. for 1875, p. 413ff

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: Derived from the Greek verb σέβομαι (sebomai), meaning "to revere" or "to worship."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: There is no direct Hebrew equivalent for σεβαστός in the Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, as the concept of reverence and honor is expressed through various terms in Hebrew, depending on the context. However, related concepts can be found in Hebrew words such as כָּבוֹד (kabod, Strong's H3519), meaning "glory" or "honor," which conveys a similar sense of respect and esteem.

Usage: In the New Testament, σεβαστός is used to describe individuals or entities that are held in high esteem or honor. It is a term that conveys a sense of dignity and respect.

Context: The Greek term σεβαστός appears in the New Testament in contexts that emphasize honor and reverence. It is notably used in Acts 25:21 and Acts 25:25, where it refers to the Roman Emperor. In these passages, the term is translated as "Augustus," a title used for Roman emperors, signifying their esteemed and revered status. The use of σεβαστός in these contexts underscores the authority and respect attributed to the emperor, reflecting the socio-political realities of the Roman Empire during the time of the early church.

In Acts 25:21 (BSB), the Apostle Paul appeals to Caesar, stating, "But when Paul appealed to be held over for the decision of the Emperor, I ordered that he be kept under guard until I could send him to Caesar." Here, the term σεβαστός is translated as "Emperor," indicating the high regard in which the Roman ruler was held.

Similarly, in Acts 25:25 (BSB), the text reads, "But I found he had done nothing worthy of death, and since he has now appealed to the Emperor, I decided to send him." Again, σεβαστός is used to denote the emperor, highlighting the respect and authority associated with the position.

The use of σεβαστός in these passages reflects the early Christian community's interaction with Roman authority and the legal system. It also illustrates the broader cultural context in which titles of reverence were ascribed to political leaders, a practice that was common in the Greco-Roman world.

Forms and Transliterations

Σεβαστης Σεβαστῆς Σεβαστον Σεβαστὸν Σεβαστου Σεβαστοῦ Sebastes Sebastês Sebastēs Sebastē̂s Sebaston Sebastòn Sebastou Sebastoû

Englishman's Concordance

Acts 25:21 Adj-GMS
GRK: τὴν τοῦ Σεβαστοῦ διάγνωσιν ἐκέλευσα
NAS: in custody for the Emperor's decision,
KJV: the hearing of Augustus, I commanded
INT: the of the emporer decision I commanded

Acts 25:25 Adj-AMS
GRK: ἐπικαλεσαμένου τὸν Σεβαστὸν ἔκρινα πέμπειν
NAS: appealed to the Emperor, I decided
KJV: to Augustus, I have determined
INT: having appealed to the emporer I determined to send

Acts 27:1 Adj-GFS
GRK: Ἰουλίῳ σπείρης Σεβαστῆς
NAS: to a centurion of the Augustan cohort
KJV: Julius, a centurion of Augustus' band.
INT: Julius of the cohort of Augustus

Strong's Greek 4575
3 Occurrences

Σεβαστῆς — 1 Occ.
Σεβαστὸν — 1 Occ.
Σεβαστοῦ — 1 Occ.