Lexical Summary Augoustos: Augustus Original Word: Αὔγουστος Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Augustus. From Latin ("august"); Augustus, a title of the Roman emperor -- Augustus. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof Latin origin Definition Augustus, the name of a Rom. emperor NASB Translation Augustus (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 828: ΑὐγοῦστοςΑὐγοῦστος, Ἀυγυστου, ὁ, Augustus (cf. English Majesty; see σεβαστός, 2), the surname of Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus, the first Roman emperor: Luke 2:1. Topical Lexicon Historical Background Caesar Augustus—born Gaius Octavius, adopted by Julius Caesar, and ruling the Roman Empire from 27 BC to AD 14—stands as the most powerful civil authority named in the infancy accounts of Jesus Christ. His administrative reforms brought unprecedented stability, codified as the Pax Romana, and established a taxation system enforced by periodic censuses. Luke 2:1 situates the birth narrative within this historical setting: “In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world”. Under Augustus the empire’s borders were secure, roads were expanded, and common coinage and language facilitated travel and communication—conditions the apostolic church later leveraged for the rapid spread of the gospel. Significance in the Biblical Narrative 1. Geographic Relocation. The imperial census required Joseph and Mary to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem (Luke 2:4–5), directly enabling the fulfillment of Micah 5:2 that Messiah would be born in David’s city. Fulfillment of Prophecy and Divine Providence Galatians 4:4 declares, “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent His Son...”. The “fullness” includes the political unity, relative peace, and infrastructure Augustus provided. God sovereignly employed a secular edict to position the holy family precisely where prophecy required, illustrating Proverbs 21:1: “A king’s heart is like streams of water in the hand of the Lord; He directs it wherever He pleases”. Theological Reflections • Supremacy of God’s Kingdom: Augustus held absolute earthly authority, yet unknowingly served the redemptive plan of the eternal King (Psalm 2:1–6). Implications for Ministry and Discipleship 1. Engagement with Civil Authority. Romans 13:1–7 calls believers to respectful submission while Acts 5:29 affirms obedience to God above conflicting human mandates. Augustus exemplifies both realities: his decree is obeyed by Joseph and Mary, yet God’s higher purpose prevails. Related Biblical Themes • Census Events: Numbers 1; 2 Samuel 24; Revelation 7:4. In sum, Strong’s Greek 828 points not merely to a Roman emperor but to the larger doctrine of God’s meticulous sovereignty: Augustus’s single recorded action in Scripture serves as a divine catalyst, ushering the Messiah into the very town foretold by the prophets and setting the stage for the gospel to traverse the highways his empire built. Forms and Transliterations Αυγουστου Αὐγούστου Augoustou AugoústouLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |
    |