791. asteios

Lexicon

asteios: Comely, fair, elegant

Original Word: ἀστεῖος
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: asteios
Pronunciation: as-ti'-os
Phonetic Spelling: (as-ti'-os)
Definition: Comely, fair, elegant
Meaning: (lit: belonging to the city; then: witty, clever), elegant, pretty, fair, fine, beautiful.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

handsome, fair.

From astu (a city); urbane, i.e. (by implication) handsome -- fair.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from astu (a city)
Definition
of the town, by impl. courteous, elegant
NASB Translation
beautiful (1), lovely (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 791: ἀστεῖος

ἀστεῖος, ἀστεῖον (ἄστυ a city);

1. of the city; of polished manners (opposed to ἄγροικος rustic), genteel (from Xenophon, and Plato down).

2. elegant (of body), comely, fair (Judith 11:23; Aristaenet. 1, 4, 1 and 19, 8): of Moses (Exodus 2:2), Hebrews 11:23; with τῷ Θεῷ added, unto God, God being judge, i. e. truly fair, Acts 7:20; cf. Winers Grammar, § 31, 4 a., p. 212 (199); (248 (232)); Buttmann, 179 (156); (Philo, vit. Moys. i., § 3, says of Moses γεννηθείς ὁ παῖς εὐθύς ὄψιν ἐνεφηνεν ἀστειοτεραν ἤ κατ' ἰδιωτην). (Cf. Trench, § cvi.)

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: Derived from the Greek word ἄστυ (asty), meaning "city" or "town."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: • The Greek term ἀστεῖος corresponds to the Hebrew word טוֹב (tov), Strong's Hebrew 2896, which is often translated as "good," "pleasant," or "beautiful." This connection is seen in the Septuagint, where ἀστεῖος is used to translate Hebrew terms that convey beauty or goodness, particularly in the context of describing individuals who are favored or chosen by God.

In summary, ἀστεῖος is a term that conveys physical beauty and charm, often with an implication of divine favor or purpose. Its use in the New Testament highlights the significance of Moses' appearance and the faith of his parents, reflecting a broader biblical theme of God's providential care and selection of individuals for His purposes.

Usage: • The word ἀστεῖος is used in the New Testament to describe someone who is physically attractive or charming. It appears in contexts where the physical appearance or the pleasing nature of a person is highlighted.

Context: • The term ἀστεῖος is found in the New Testament in Acts 7:20, where it is used to describe Moses as a child: "At that time Moses was born, and he was beautiful in the sight of God." (BSB). This description emphasizes Moses' physical attractiveness and perhaps his favorable disposition, which is noted as being significant in the eyes of God. The use of ἀστεῖος in this context underscores the divine favor and special purpose that Moses had from birth. The term is also used in Hebrews 11:23, where it is again applied to Moses, highlighting the faith of his parents who saw that he was "no ordinary child" (BSB). This suggests that his appearance was not only pleasing but also indicative of his unique role in God's plan.

Forms and Transliterations

αστεία αστειον αστείον ἀστεῖον αστειος αστείος ἀστεῖος asteion asteîon asteios asteîos

Englishman's Concordance

Acts 7:20 Adj-NMS
GRK: καὶ ἦν ἀστεῖος τῷ θεῷ
NAS: was born; and he was lovely in the sight
KJV: was exceeding fair, and nourished up
INT: and was beautiful to God

Hebrews 11:23 Adj-ANS
GRK: διότι εἶδον ἀστεῖον τὸ παιδίον
NAS: they saw he was a beautiful child;
KJV: they saw [he was] a proper child;
INT: because they saw beautiful the little child

Strong's Greek 791
2 Occurrences

ἀστεῖον — 1 Occ.
ἀστεῖος — 1 Occ.