4759

Lexicon

stratia: Army, host

Original Word: στρατιά
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: stratia
Pronunciation: strah-tee-AH
Phonetic Spelling: (strat-op-ed-ar'-khace)
Definition: Army, host
Meaning: commander of the Roman emperor's body-guard.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

captain of the guard.

From stratopedon and archo; a ruler of an army, i.e. (specially), a Praetorian praefect -- captain of the guard.

see GREEK stratopedon

see GREEK archo

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 4759: στρατοπεδάρχης

στρατοπεδάρχης, στρατοπεδαρχου, ὁ (στρατόπεδον and ἄρχω) (cf. Buttmann, 73 (64));

a. the commander of a camp and army, a military tribune: Dionysius Halicarnassus 10, 36; Lucian, hist. conscr. 22; (Josephus, b. j. 2, 19, 4).

b. Praetorian prefect, commander of the praetorian cohorts, i. e. captain of the Roman emperor's bodyguard: Acts 28:16 (L T Tr WH omit the clause, see Abbot in B. D., American edition, under the word, Captain of the Guard). There were two praetorian prefects, to whose custody prisoners sent bound to the emperor were consigned: Josephus, Antiquities 18, 6, 6; Pliny, epistles 10, 65 (57). (See B. D. American edition as above; Lightfoot on Philippi, p. 7f.)

STRONGS NT 4759a: στρατοπεδαρχος [στρατοπεδαρχος, στρατοπεδαρχου, ὁ: see the preceding word. The dative στρατοπεδάρχῳ is the reading of some manuscripts (cf. WH rejected marginal reading) in Acts 28:16; cf. ἑκατοντάρχης, at the beginning]

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: Derived from στρατός (stratos), meaning "army" or "encamped host."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: The Hebrew equivalent often associated with στρατιά is צָבָא (tsaba, Strong's Hebrew 6635), which similarly refers to an army, host, or organized group, particularly in the context of heavenly or angelic hosts. This term is frequently used in the Old Testament to describe the "hosts of heaven" or the "armies of Israel," highlighting the continuity of this concept throughout the biblical canon.

Usage: The term στρατιά is used in the New Testament to describe both earthly and heavenly armies. It appears in contexts that highlight the organized and powerful nature of these groups, whether they are human military forces or divine angelic hosts.

Context: The Greek word στρατιά (stratia) is primarily used in the New Testament to denote a large, organized group, often with a military connotation. In Luke 2:13, the term is used to describe the "heavenly host" that appeared to the shepherds at the birth of Jesus: "And suddenly there appeared with the angel a great multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying..." (BSB). This usage underscores the celestial and divine nature of the group, emphasizing their role as messengers and worshippers of God.

The concept of στρατιά extends beyond earthly armies to include the vast, organized forces of heaven. This reflects the biblical theme of spiritual warfare and the cosmic struggle between good and evil. The heavenly host is often depicted as an army under God's command, ready to execute His will and bring about His purposes on earth.

In the broader biblical narrative, the imagery of στρατιά serves to remind believers of the spiritual realities that exist beyond the physical world. It calls attention to the power and majesty of God's kingdom, which is supported by an innumerable company of angels. This understanding provides comfort and assurance to the faithful, knowing that they are not alone in their spiritual battles but are supported by a divine army.

Forms and Transliterations

εστρατοπεδευκότα εστρατοπέδευσαν εστρατοπεδεύσατε εστρατοπέδευσεν στρατοπεδαρχη στρατοπεδάρχη στρατοπεδάρχῃ στρατοπεδεία στρατοπεδευσάτωσαν στρατοπεδεύσεις στρατοπεδεύσωσι stratopedarche stratopedarchē stratopedárchei stratopedárchēi

Englishman's Concordance

Acts 28:16 Noun-DMS
GRK: δεσμίους τῷ στρατοπεδάρχῃ ἐπετράπη τῷ
KJV: the prisoners to the captain of the guard: but
INT: prisoners to the captain of the guard was allowed

Strong's Greek 4759
1 Occurrence

στρατοπεδάρχῃ — 1 Occ.