preached+christ

ἀρχή, ῆς, ἡ (Hom.+)

① the commencement of someth. as an action, process, or state of being, beginning, i.e. a point of time at the beginning of a duration.

ⓐ gener. (opp. τέλος; cp. Diod S 16, 1, 1 ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς μέχρι τοῦ τέλους; Ael. Aristid. 30, 24 K.=10 p. 123 D.: ἐξ ἀ. εἰς τέλος; Appian, Bell. Civ. 5, 9, §36; Wsd 7:18) B 1:6; IEph 14:1; IMg 13:1; IRo 1:2, cp. vs. 1. W. gen. foll. (OGI 458, 10 life) ἡμέρας ὀγδόης B 15:8; ἡμερῶν (2 Km 14:26) Hb 7:3; τῶν σημείων first of the signs J 2:11 (ἀ. τοῦ ἡμετέρου δόγματος Orig., C. Cels. 2, 4, 20; cp. Isocr., Paneg. 10:38 Blass ἀλλʼ ἀρχὴν μὲν ταύτην ἐποιήσατο τ. εὐεργεσιῶν, τροφὴν τοῖς δεομένοις εὑρεῖν=but [Athens] made this the starting point of her benefactions: to provide basic needs for livelihood; Pr 8:22; Jos., Ant. 8, 229 ἀ. κακῶν); ὠδίνων Mt 24:8; Mk 13:8; κακῶν ISm 7:2. As the beginning, i.e. initial account, in a book (Ion of Chios [V B.C.] 392 Fgm. 24 Jac. [=Leurini no. 114] ἀρχὴ τοῦ λόγου; Polystrat. p. 28; Diod S 17, 1, 1 ἡ βύβλος τὴν ἀ. ἔσχε ἀπὸ …; Ael. Aristid. 23, 2 K.=42 p. 768 D.: ἐπʼ ἀρχῇ τοῦ συγγράμματος; Diog. L. 3, 37 ἡ ἀρχὴ τῆς Πολιτείας; cp. Sb 7696, 53; 58 [250 A.D.]) ἀ. τοῦ εὐαγγελίου Ἰ. Χ. Beginning of the gospel of J. C. Mk 1:1 (cp. Hos 1:2 ἀ. λόγου κυρίου πρὸς Ὡσηέ; s. RHarris, Exp. 8th ser., 1919, 113–19; 1920, 142–50; 334–50; FDaubanton, NThSt 2, 1919, 168–70; AvanVeldhuizen, ibid., 171–75; EEidem, Ingressen til Mkevangeliet: FBuhl Festschr. 1925, 35–49; NFreese, StKr 104, ’32, 429–38; AWikgren, JBL 61, ’42, 11–20 [ἀρχή=summary]; LKeck, NTS 12, ’65/66, 352–70). ἀ. τῆς ὑποστάσεως original commitment Hb 3:14. ἀρχὴν ἔχειν w. gen. of the inf. begin to be someth. IEph 3:1. ἀρχὴν λαμβάνειν begin (Polyb.; Aelian, VH 2, 28; 12, 53; Diog. L., Prooem. 3, 4; Sext. Emp., Phys. 1, 366; Philo, Mos. 1, 81) λαλεῖσθαι to be proclaimed at first Hb 2:3; cp. IEph 19:3.—W. prep. ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς from the beginning (Paus. 3, 18, 2; SIG 741, 20; UPZ 160, 15 [119 B.C.]; BGU 1141, 44; JosAs 23:4; Jos., Ant. 8, 350; 9, 30) J 6:64 v.l.; 15:27; 1J 2:7, 24; 3:11; 2J 5f; Ac 26:4; MPol 17:1; Hs 9, 11, 9; Dg 12:3. οἱ ἀπʼ ἀ. αὐτόπται those who fr. the beginning were eyewitnesses Lk 1:2. Also ἐξ ἀρχῆς (Diod. Sic. 18, 41, 7; Appian, Bell. Civ. 5, 45 [189]; SIG 547, 9; 634, 4; UPZ 185 II 5; PGen 7, 8; BGU 1118, 21; Jos., Bell. 7, 358) J 6:64; 16:4; 1 Cl 19:2; Pol 7:2; Dg 2:1. πάλιν ἐξ ἀ. (Ael. Aristid. 21, 10 K.=22 p. 443 D.; SIG 972, 174) again fr. the beginning (=afresh, anew; a common expr., Renehan ’75, 42) B 16:8. ἐν ἀρχῇ (Diod S 19, 110, 5; Palaeph. p. 2, 3; OGI 56, 57; PPetr II, 37, 2b verso, 4; PTebt 762, 9; POxy 1151, 15; BGU 954, 26; ViHab 14 [p. 87, 4 Sch.]) at the beginning, at first Ac 11:15; AcPlCor 2:4. ἐν ἀ. τοῦ εὐαγγελίου when the gospel was first preached Phil 4:15; sim., word for word, w. ref. to beg. of 1 Cor: 1 Cl 47:2.—τὴν ἀ. J 8:25, as nearly all the Gk. fathers understood it, is emphatically used adverbially=ὅλως at all (Plut., Mor. 115b; Dio Chrys. 10 [11], 12; 14 [31], 5; 133; Lucian, Eunuch. 6 al.; Ps.-Lucian, Salt. 3; POxy 472, 17 [c. 130 A.D.]; Philo, Spec. Leg. 3, 121; Jos., Ant. 1, 100; 15, 235 al.; as a rule in neg. clauses, but the negation can inhere in the sense: 48th letter of Apollonius of Tyana [Philostrat. I 356, 17]; Philo, Abrah. 116, Decal. 89; Ps.-Clem., Hom. 6, 11; without art. ApcSed 10:3; cp. Hs 2:5 cj. by W., endorsed by Joly; s. Field, Notes, 93f) τὴν ἀ. ὅτι καὶ λαλῶ ὑμῖν (how is it) that I even speak to you at all? But s. B-D-F §300, 2. More prob. the mng. is somewhat as follows: What I said to you from the first (so NT in Basic English; sim. REB et al.; cp. τὴν ἀρχήν ‘at the beginning’ Thu 2, 74, 2; s. also RFunk, HTR 51, ’58, 95–100; B-D-F §300, 2, but appeal to P⁶⁶ is specious, s. EMiller, TZ 36, ’80, 261).

ⓑ beginning, origin in the abs. sense (ἀ. τῆς τῶν πάντων ὑποστάσεως Orig. C. Cels. 6, 65, 4) ἀ. πάντων χαλεπῶν Pol 4:1; ἀ. κακῶν ISm 7:2 (cp. 1 Ti 6:10, which has ῥίζα for ἀ., and s. e.g. Ps 110:10; Sir 10:13); ἀ. κόσμου B 15:8; ἀ. πάντων PtK 2, p. 13, 21. ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς fr. the very beginning (Is 43:13; Wsd 9:8; 12:11; Sir 24:9 al.; PsSol 8:31; GrBar 17:2) Mt 19:4, 8; J 8:44; 1J 1:1 (of the Hist. beg. of Christianity: HWendt, D. Johannesbriefe u. d. joh. Christent. 1925, 31f; HWindisch, Hdb. ad loc.; difft. HConzelmann, RBultmann Festschr., ’54, 194–201); 3:8; 2 Th 2:13; ὁ ἀπʼ ἀ. 1J 2:13f; Dg 11:4; οἱ ἀπʼ ἀ. those at the very beginning, the first people 12:3; τὰ ἀπʼ ἀ. γενόμενα 1 Cl 31:1; ἀπʼ ἀ. κτίσεως Mk 10:6; 13:19; 2 Pt 3:4 (on ἀ. κτίσεως cp. En 15:9); ἀπʼ ἀ. κόσμου Mt 24:21. Also ἐξ ἀ. (X., Mem. 1, 4, 5; Ael. Aristid. 43, 9 K.=1 p. 3 D. [of the existence of Zeus]; TestAbr A 15 p. 96, 11 [Stone p. 40]; B 4 p. 109, 7 [St. p. 66]; Ath., R. 16, p. 67, 18; Philo, Aet. M. 42, Spec. Leg. 1, 300; Did., Gen. 50, 1) Dg 8:11; ἐν ἀ. in the beginning (Simplicius in Epict. p. 104, 2; Did., Gen. 29, 25 al.) J 1:1f; ἐν ἀ. τῆς κτίσεως B 15:3. κατʼ ἀρχάς in the beg. Hb 1:10 (Ps 101:26; cp. Hdt. 3, 153 et al.; Diod S; Plut.; Philo, Leg. All. 3, 92, Det. Pot. Insid. 118; Ps 118:152; Just., D. 2, 3).

② one with whom a process begins, beginning fig., of pers. (Gen 49:3 Ῥουβὴν σὺ ἀρχὴ τέκνων μου; Dt 21:17): of Christ Col 1:18. W. τέλος of God or Christ Rv 1:8 v.l.; 21:6; 22:13 (Hymn to Selene 35 ἀ. καὶ τέλος εἶ: Orphica p. 294, likew. PGM 4, 2836; 13, 362; 687; Philo, Plant. 93; Jos., Ant. 8, 280; others in Rtzst., Poim. 270ff and cp. SIG 1125, 7–11 Αἰών, … ἀρχὴν μεσότητα τέλος οὐκ ἔχων, expressed from the perspective of historical beginning).

③ the first cause, the beginning (philos. t.t. ODittrich, D. Systeme d. Moral I 1923, 360a, 369a;—Ael. Aristid. 43, 9 K.=1 p. 3 D.: ἀρχὴ ἁπάντων Ζεύς τε καὶ ἐκ Διὸς πάντα; Jos., C. Ap. 2, 190 God as ἀρχὴ κ. μέσα κ. τέλος τῶν πάντων [contrast SIG 1125, 10f]) of Christ ἡ ἀ. τῆς κτίσεως Rv 3:14; but the mng. beginning=‘first created’ is linguistically probable (s. above 1b and Job 40:19; also CBurney, Christ as the Ἀρχή of Creation: JTS 27, 1926, 160–77). [ὁ γὰ]ρ π̣̄ρ̣̄ (=πατὴρ) [ἀρ]|χή ἐ[ς]τ̣[ιν τῶν μ]ελλόν|των for the Father is the source of all who are to come into being in contrast to the προπάτωρ, who is without a beginning Ox 1081, 38f (SJCh 91, 1 ἀρχή; on the context, s. WTill, TU 60/5, ’55 p. 57).

④ a point at which two surfaces or lines meet, corner (from the perspective of an observer the object appears to begin at that point), pl. corners of a sheet Ac 10:11; 11:5 (cp. Hdt. 4, 60; Diod S 1, 35, 10).

⑤ a basis for further understanding, beginning τὰ στοιχεῖα τῆς ἀ. elementary principles Hb 5:12 (perh. w. an element of gentle satire: ‘the discrete items or ABC’s that compose the very beginning [of divine instructions]’; cp. MKiley, SBLSP 25, ’86, 236–45, esp. 239f). ὁ τῆς ἀ. τοῦ Χ. λόγος elementary Christian teaching 6:1.

⑥ an authority figure who initiates activity or process, ruler, authority (Aeschyl., Thu. et al.; ins; pap, e.g. PHal 1, 226 μαρτυρείτω ἐπὶ τῇ ἀρχῇ καὶ ἐπὶ τῷ δικαστηρίῳ; Gen 40:13, 21; 41:13; 2 Macc 4:10, 50 al., s. Magie 26; so as a loanw. in rabb. ἀ. = νόμιμος ἐπιστασία Did., Gen. 60, 9) w. ἐξουσία Lk 20:20; pl. (Oenomaus in Eus., PE 6, 7, 26 ἀρχαὶ κ. ἐξουσίαι; 4 Macc 8:7; Jos., Ant. 4, 220) Lk 12:11; Tit 3:1; MPol 10:2 (αἱ ἀρχαί can also be the officials as persons, as those who took part in the funeral procession of Sulla: Appian, Bell. Civ. 1, 106 §497.—The same mng. 2, 106 §442; 2, 118 §498 al. Likewise Diod S 34+35 Fgm. 2, 31).—Also of angelic or transcendent powers, since they were thought of as having a political organization (Damascius, Princ. 96 R.) Ro 8:38; 1 Cor 15:24; Eph 1:21; 3:10; 6:12; Col 1:16; 2:10, 15; AcPl Ha 1, 7. Cp. TestJob 49, 2; Just., D. 120, 6 end.

⑦ the sphere of one’s official activity, rule, office (Diod S 3, 53, 1; Appian, Bell. Civ. 1, 13 §57; Jos., C. Ap. 2, 177, Ant. 19, 273), or better domain, sphere of influence (Diod S 17, 24, 2; Appian, Syr. 23 §111; Arrian, Anab. 6, 29, 1; Polyaen. 8:55; Procop. Soph., Ep. 139) of angels Jd 6. Papias (4 v.l. for ἄρχω).—S. the lit. on ἄγγελος and HSchlier, Mächte u. Gewalten im NT: ThBl 9, 1930, 289–97.—144–50 (‘Archai’). EDNT. DELG s.v. ἄρχω D. M-M. TW. Sv.

κτίσις, εως, ἡ (s. prec. and two next entries; Pind.+).

① act of creation, creation (Iren. 1, 17, 1 [Harv. I 164, 11]; Hippol., Ref. 6, 33 κ. τοῦ κόσμου; 6, 55, 1; Did., Gen. 24, 4): ἀπὸ κτίσεως κόσμου since the creation of the world Ro 1:20 (cp. PsSol 8, 7; ApcSed 8:10; Jos., Bell. 4, 533). The Son of God was σύμβουλος τῷ πατρὶ τῆς κτίσεως αὐτοῦ counselor to the Father in his creative work Hs 9, 12, 2.

② the result of a creative act, that which is created (EpArist 136; 139; TestReub 2:9).

ⓐ of individual things or beings created, creature (Tob 8:5, 15) created thing τὶς κ. ἑτέρα any other creature Ro 8:39. οὐκ ἔστιν κ. ἀφανὴς ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ no creature is hidden from (God’s) sight Hb 4:13. πᾶν γένος τῆς κ. τοῦ κυρίου every kind of creature that the Lord made Hs 9, 1, 8; πᾶσα κ. every created thing (cp. Jdth 9:12) MPol 14:1. Of Christ πρωτότοκος πάσης κ. Col 1:15. Of the name of God ἀρχέγονον πάσης κ. 1 Cl 59:3. τὸ εὐαγγέλιον … τὸ κηρυχθὲν ἐν πάσῃ κτίσει the gospel … which has been preached to every creature (here limited to human beings) Col 1:23.—Pl. (En 18:1) δοξάζειν τὰς κτίσεις τοῦ θεοῦ praise the created works of God Hv 1, 1, 3.—The Christian is described by Paul as καινὴ κ. a new creature 2 Cor 5:17, and the state of being in the new faith by the same words as a new creation Gal 6:15 (cp. Jos., Ant. 18, 373 καιναὶ κτίσεις). S. on ἐκλογή end.

ⓑ the sum total of everything created, creation, world (ApcMos 32; SibOr 5, 152; ὁρωμένη κ. Did., Gen. 1 B, 6; 13 A, 2) ἡ κ. αὐτοῦ Hv 1, 3, 4. ἐν ἀρχῇ τῆς κ. at the beginning of the world B 15:3; ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς κ. from the beginning of the world Mk 13:19; 2 Pt 3:4. Likew. Mk 10:6; πᾶσα ἡ κ. the whole creation (Jdth 16:14; Ps 104:21 v.l.; TestAbr A 13 p. 92, 7 [Stone p. 32], B 12 p. 116, 31 [St. p. 80]; TestLevi 4:1; TestNapht 2:3; ParJer 9:6; PGM 12, 85) Hv 3, 4, 1; m 12, 4, 2; Hs 5, 6, 5; 9, 14, 5; 9, 23, 4; 9, 25, 1. The whole world is full of God’s glory 1 Cl 34:6. ἀόργητος ὑπάρχει πρὸς πᾶσαν τὴν κτίσιν αὐτοῦ 19:3. ὁ υἱὸς τ. θεοῦ πάσης τ. κτίσεως αὐτοῦ προγενέστερός ἐστιν the Son of God is older than all his creation Hs 9, 12, 2. πᾶσα ἡ κ. limited to humankind Mk 16:15; Hm 7:5. Also ἡ κτίσις τῶν ἀνθρώπων D 16:5.—αὕτη ἡ κ. this world (earthly in contrast to heavenly) Hb 9:11.—κ. the creation, what was created in contrast to the Creator (Wsd 16:24) Ro 1:25 (EpArist 139 θεὸν σεβόμενοι παρʼ ὅλην τὴν κτίσιν).—Of Christ ἡ ἀρχὴ τῆς κτίσεως τοῦ θεοῦ Rv 3:14 (s. ἀρχή 3).—The mng. of κτ. is in dispute in Ro 8:19–22, though the pass. is usu. taken to mean the waiting of the whole creation below the human level (animate and inanimate—so, e.g., OCullmann, Christ and Time [tr. FFilson] ’50, 103).—HBiedermann, D. Erlösg. der Schöpfung beim Ap. Pls. ’40.

③ system of established authority that is the result of some founding action, governance system, authority system. Corresponding to 1, κτίσις is also the act by which an authoritative or governmental body is created (ins in CB I/2, 468 no. 305 [I A.D.]: founding of the Gerousia [Senate]. Somewhat comparable, of the founding of a city: Scymnus Chius vs. 89 κτίσεις πόλεων). But then, in accordance with 2, it is prob. also the result of the act, the institution or authority itself 1 Pt 2:13 (Diod S 11, 60, 2 has κτίστης as the title of a high official. Cp. νομοθεσία in both meanings: 1. lawgiving, legislation; 2. the result of an action, i.e. law.) To a Hellene a well-ordered society was primary (s. Aristot., Pol. 1, 1, 1, 1252). It was understood that the function of government was to maintain such a society, and the moral objective described in vs. 14 is in keeping with this goal.—BBrinkman, ‘Creation’ and ‘Creature’ I, Bijdragen (Nijmegen) 18, ’57, 129–39, also 359–74; GLampe, The NT Doctrine of κτίσις, SJT 17, ’64, 449–62.—DELG s.v. κτίζω. M-M. TW. Sv.

ναί particle denoting affirmation, agreement, or emphasis (Hom.+; POxy 1413, 7 al. in pap; LXX, TestSol, TestAbr; JosAs17:1 cod. A; ApcSed 3:2; ApcMos 17:1; EpArist 201 ναί, βασιλεῦ; Jos., Ant. 17, 169; Just.) yes, certainly, indeed, it’s true that

ⓐ in answer to a question

α. asked by another pers., yes (Ael. Aristid. 34 p. 663 D.; Lucian, Dial. Deor. 4, 1 al.; Alexander Numenianus [time of Hadrian]: Rhet. Gr. ed. LSpengel III 1856 p. 24f: the answer to a question should be ναὶ ἢ οὔ; Ammonius Phil., In Int. p. 199, 21 ἀποκρίν. τὸ ναὶ ἢ τὸ οὔ; Sb 7696, 57 [250 A.D.]) Mt 9:28; 13:51; 17:25; 21:16; J 11:27; 21:15f; Ac 5:8; 22:27; GPt 10:42; Hs 9, 11, 8; GJs 19:1 codd.; AcPl Ha 5, 2 (restored).

β. asked by one who answers: yes, indeed ναὶ λέγω ὑμῖν Mt 11:9; Lk 7:26 gives an affirmative answer to the question directed to the crowd, thereby confirming the correctness of the crowd’s opinion; the people are ‘on the right track’, but need further instruction.—If the question is put in negative form, the answer may be of course Ro 3:29 (cp. after negative assertion TestAbr A 17 p. 99, 9 [Stone p. 46]; ApcMos 17).

ⓑ in declarations of agreement to the statements of others: certainly, indeed, quite so (Gen 42:21; Epict. 2, 7, 9 ναί, κύριε; Diod S 13, 26, 1 ναί, ἀλλά=indeed, but; Lucian, Jupp. Tr. 6 and 9 ναί. ἀλλὰ …) ναί, κύριε• καὶ γάρ certainly, Lord (or sir); and yet Mt 15:27; Mk 7:28 v.l. (but it may also mean an urgent repetition of the request: B-D-F §441, 1; AFridrichsen, ConNeot 1, ’36, 10–13; Athen. Tafel Elderkin 2 [III A.D.]: Hesperia 6, ’37, 383ff, ln. 7 a fervent invocation in prayer: ναὶ κύριε Τυφώς, ἐκδίκησον … καὶ βοήθησον αὐτῷ; PGM 1, 216 ναί, κύριε; cp. 36, 227); Hv 3, 3, 1; 4, 3, 1; m 6, 1, 1. Prob. Rv 14:13; 16:7; 22:20b v.l. belong here.

ⓒ in emphatic repetition of one’s own statement yes (indeed) Mt 11:26; Lk 10:21; 11:51. ναὶ λέγω ὑμῖν, τοῦτον φοβήθητε yes, indeed, that’s the one to fear, I tell you 12:5.— Phlm 20; 14:1. The repetition can consist in the fact that one request preceded and a similar one follows ναὶ ἐρωτῶ καὶ σέ yes, and I ask you Phil 4:3.—1 Cl 60:3.

ⓓ in solemn assurance (Herodas 1, 86 ναὶ Δήμητρα = by Demeter) ναὶ ἔρχομαι ταχύ surely I am coming soon Rv 22:20. ναί, ἀμήν so it is to be, assuredly so 1:7.

ⓔ In wordplay ναί is used w. οὔ: ἤτω ὑμῶν τὸ ναὶ ναί, καὶ τὸ οὒ οὔ let your ‘yes’ be yes, and your ‘no’ no i.e., the absolute dependability of your statements should make an oath unnecessary Js 5:12. But Mt 5:37 reads ἔστω ὁ λόγος ὑμῶν ναὶ ναί, οὒ οὔ i.e., a clear ‘yes’, a clear ‘no’ and nothing more (ναί doubled also Archilochus [VII B.C.] 99 Diehl³; Alciphron 4, 13, 8; Theodor. Prodr. 8, 321 Hercher; PGM 1, 90; PMinear, NovT 13, ’71, 1–13). Yet many (B-D-F §432, 1; Wlh., EKlostermann, M‘Neile on Mt 5:37; CTorrey, The Four Gospels ’33, 291; ELittmann, ZNW 34, ’35, 23f) assume that Mt 5:37 has the same sense as Js 5:12; the Koridethi gosp. (ms. Θ) assimilates the text of the Mt pass. to the one in Js.—Paul denies that, in forming his plans, he has proceeded in such a way ἵνα ᾖ παρʼ ἐμοὶ τὸ ναὶ ναὶ καὶ τὸ οὒ οὔ that my ‘yes’ should at the same time be ‘no’ 2 Cor 1:17; cp. vs. 18. This is just as impossible as that in the gospel ναὶ καὶ οὔ ‘yes’ and ‘no’ are preached at the same time vs. 19a. Rather, in Jesus Christ there is only ‘yes’ vs. 19b to all the promises of God vs. 20.—EKutsch, Eure Rede aber sei ja ja, nein nein: EvTh ’60, 206–18.—DELG. M-M.

ἔρημος, ον (s. prec. and next entry; Hom.+; on the accent s. B-D-F §13; Mlt-H. 58).

① as adj. pert. to being in a state of isolation, isolated, desolate, deserted

ⓐ of an area isolated, unfrequented, abandoned, empty, desolate τόπος (Diod S 15, 49, 1 ἐν ἐ. τόπῳ; Plut., Numa 61 [4, 1]; Arrian, Ind. 22, 4; OGI 580, 7; En 18:12; TestAbr B 12 p. 116, 24 [Stone p. 80]; ParJer; AscIs 2:8; Philo, Spec. Leg. 4, 141; Jos., C. Ap. 1, 308; Just., A I, 53, 9 χώραν ἔ.) Mt 14:13, 15; Mk 1:35, 45; 6:31f, 35; Lk 4:42; 9:10 v.l., 12. οἶκος (Artem. 2, 33 p. 130, 10; Philo, Spec. Leg. 2, 133; Jos., Vi. 376) Mt 23:38. ἔπαυλις Ac 1:20. ὁδός lonely 8:26 (Arrian, Anab. 3, 3, 3 ἐρήμη ἡ ὁδός; 3, 21, 7; s. on Γάζα). χωρίον Papias (3).

ⓑ of pers. desolate, deserted (Trag., Thu.; JosAs 12:11 ‘orphaned’; Just., D. 69, 4; τοῖς ἐ. γνώσεως θεοῦ) a childless woman (Chariton 3, 5, 5) Gal 4:27; 2 Cl 2:1 (both Is 54:1; cp. Philo, Exsecr. 158). ἔ. ἀπὸ τ. θεοῦ deserted by God 2:3 (cp. Appian, Bell. Civ. 4, 30 §130 ἔ. ἐκ παραπομπῆς=deserted by his escort).

② as subst. ἡ ἔ. (Hdt. 3, 102 al.; LXX; En 10:4; TestAbr B 12 p. 116, 26; 28 [Stone p. 80]; ParJer 7:20; Jos., C. Ap. 1, 89; sc. χώρα) an uninhabited region or locality, desert, grassland, wilderness (in contrast to cultivated and inhabited country) Mt 24:26; Rv 12:6, 14; 17:3. Pl. lonely places (cp. PTebt 61a, 151 [118 B.C.]; PsSol 5:9) Lk 1:80; 5:16; 8:29. Steppe, grassland as pasture 15:4. Of the Judean wilderness, the stony, barren eastern declivity of the Judean mountains toward the Dead Sea and lower Jordan Valley (1 Macc 2:29; 5:24, 28; 2 Macc 5:27) Mt 3:1 (ἡ ἔ. τῆς Ἰουδαίας); 4:1; 11:7; Mk 1:4 12f; Lk 3:2; 4:1; 7:24; J 11:54. Here also belong the reff. to Is 40:3 (cp. 1QS 8, 12–14 w. ref. to Is 40:3 and s. HRüger, ZNW 60, ’69, 142–44; GNebe, ibid. 63, ’72, 283–89): Mt 3:3; Mk 1:3; Lk 3:4; J 1:23; GJs 16:2ab v.l. (s. ἐρημία). Gathering-place of an aroused band of Judean patriots Ac 21:38 (on the language cp. Jos., Bell. 7, 438; on the Egyptian, Bell. 2, 261f ἐκ τῆς ἐρημίας, Ant. 20, 169; Schürer I 463, 33; 464). Of the Arabian desert (LXX; Just.) ἡ ἔ. τοῦ ὄρους Σινᾶ (Ex 19:1f; cp. vs. 3 al.) Ac 7:30; cp. J 3:14; 6:31, 49; Ac 7:36, 38, 42 (Am 5:25),44; 13:18; 1 Cor 10:5; Hb 3:8 (Ps 94:8), 17; AcPl Ha 8, 16. As the place where the prophets Eldad and Modat preached Hv 2, 3, 4.—AJonsen, Die bibl. Wüste, diss. Würzb. 1923; UMauser, Christ in the Wilderness (Mk) ’63; RFunk, JBL 78, ’59, 205–14.—DELG s.v. ἐρῆμος (the accented form in Hom. et al.). M-M. TW. Sv.