state+further

νόμος, ου, ὁ (νέμω; [Zenodotus reads ν. in Od. 1, 3] Hes.+; loanw. in rabb.—On the history of the word MPohlenz, Nomos: Philol 97, ’48, 135–42; GShipp, Nomos ‘Law’ ’78; MOstwald, Nomos and the Beginnings of Athenian Democracy ’69). The primary mng. relates to that which is conceived as standard or generally recognized rules of civilized conduct esp. as sanctioned by tradition (Pind., Fgm. 152, 1=169 Schr. νόμος ὁ πάντων βασιλεύς; cp. SEG XVII, 755, 16: Domitian is concerned about oppressive practices hardening into ‘custom’; MGigante, ΝΟΜΟΣ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΥΣ [Richerche filologiche 1] ’56). The synonym ἔθος (cp. συνήθεια) denotes that which is habitual or customary, especially in reference to personal behavior. In addition to rules that take hold through tradition, the state or other legislating body may enact ordinances that are recognized by all concerned and in turn become legal tradition. A special semantic problem for modern readers encountering the term ν. is the general tendency to confine the usage of the term ‘law’ to codified statutes. Such limitation has led to much fruitless debate in the history of NT interpretation.—HRemus, Sciences Religieuses/Studies in Religion 13, ’84, 5–18; ASegal, Torah and Nomos in Recent Scholarly Discussion, ibid., 19–27.

① a procedure or practice that has taken hold, a custom, rule, principle, norm (Alcman [VII B.C.], Fgm. 93 D² of the tune that the bird sings; Ocellus [II B.C.] c. 49 Harder [1926] τῆς φύσεως νόμος; Appian, Basil. 1 §2 πολέμου ν., Bell. Civ. 5, 44 §186 ἐκ τοῦδε τοῦ σοῦ νόμου=under this rule of yours that governs action; Polyaenus 5, 5, 3 ν. πόμπης; 7, 11, 6 ν. φιλίας; Sextus 123 τοῦ βίου νόμος; Just., A II, 2, 4 παρὰ τὸν τῆς φύσεως ν.; Ath. 3, 1 νόμῳ φύσεως; 13, 1 θυσιῶν νόμῳ)

ⓐ gener. κατὰ νόμον ἐντολῆς σαρκίνης in accordance w. the rule of an external commandment Hb 7:16. εὑρίσκω τὸν νόμον I observe an established procedure or principle or system Ro 7:21 (ν. as ‘principle’, i.e. an unwritten rightness of things Soph., Ant. 908). According to Bauer, Paul uses the expression νόμος (which dominates this context) in cases in which he prob. would have preferred another word. But it is also prob. that Paul purposely engages in wordplay to heighten the predicament of those who do not rely on the gospel of liberation from legal constraint: the Apostle speaks of a principle that obligates one to observe a code of conduct that any sensible pers. would recognize as sound and valid ὁ νόμος τ. νοός μου vs. 23b (s. νοῦς 1a). Engaged in a bitter struggle w. this νόμος there is a ἕτερος νόμος which, in contrast to the νοῦς, dwells ἐν τοῖς μέλεσίν μου in my (physical) members vs. 23a, and hence is a νόμος τῆς ἁμαρτίας vs. 23c and 25b or a νόμος τ. ἁμαρτίας καὶ τ. θανάτου 8:2b. This sense prepares the way for the specific perspective

ⓑ of life under the lordship of Jesus Christ as a ‘new law’ or ‘system’ of conduct that constitutes an unwritten tradition ὁ καινὸς ν. τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ 2:6; in brief ν. Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ IMg 2 (cp. Just., D. 11, 4; 43, 1; Mel., P. 7, 46). Beginnings of this terminology as early as Paul: ὁ ν. τοῦ Χριστοῦ =the standard set by Christ Gal 6:2 (as vs. 3 intimates, Christ permitted himself to be reduced to nothing, thereby setting the standard for not thinking oneself to be someth.). The gospel is a νόμος πίστεως a law or system requiring faith Ro 3:27b (FGerhard, TZ 10, ’54, 401–17) or ὁ ν. τοῦ πνεύματος τῆς ζωῆς ἐν Χρ. Ἰ. the law of the spirit (=the spirit-code) of life in Chr. J. 8:2a. In the same sense Js speaks of a ν. βασιλικός (s. βασιλικός) 2:8 or ν. ἐλευθερίας vs. 12 (λόγος ἐλ. P⁷⁴), ν. τέλειος ὁ τῆς ἐλευθερίας 1:25 (association w. 1QS 10:6, 8, 11 made by EStauffer, TLZ 77, ’52, 527–32, is rejected by SNötscher, Biblica 34, ’53, 193f. On the theme of spontaneous moral achievement cp. Pind., Fgm. 152 [169 Schr.] 1f νόμος ὁ πάντων βασιλεὺς | θνατῶν τε καὶ ἀθανάτων | ἄγει δικαιῶν τὸ βιαιότατον| ὑπερτάτᾳ χειρί=custom is lord of all, of mortals and immortals both, and with strong hand directs the utmost power of the just. Plut., Mor. 780c interprets Pindar’s use of νόμος: ‘not written externally in books or on some wooden tablets, but as lively reason functioning within him’ ἔμψυχος ὢν ἐν αὐτῷ λόγῳ; Aristot., EN 4, 8, 10 οἷον ν. ὢν ἑαυτῷ; Diod S 1, 94, 1 ν. ἔγγραπτος; cp. also Ovid, Met. 1, 90 sponte sua sine lege fidem rectumque colebat; Mayor, comm. ‘Notes’ 73.—RHirzel, ΑΓΡΑΦΟΣ ΝΟΜΟΣ 1903.). Some would put ὁ νόμος Js 2:9 here (s. LAllevi, Scuola Cattol. 67, ’39, 529–42), but s. 2b below.—Hermas too, who in part interprets Israel’s legal tradition as referring to Christians, sees the gospel, exhibited in Christ’s life and words, as the ultimate expression of God’s will or ‘law’. He says of Christ δοὺς αὐτοῖς (i.e. the believers) τὸν ν., ὅν ἔλαβε παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ Hs 5, 6, 3, cp. Hs 8, 3, 3. Or he sees in the υἱὸς θεοῦ κηρυχθεὶς εἰς τὰ πέρατα τῆς γῆς, i.e. the preaching about the Son of God to the ends of the earth, the νόμος θεοῦ ὁ δοθεὶς εἰς ὅλον. τ. κόσμον 8, 3, 2. Similarly to be understood are τηρεῖν τὸν ν. 8, 3, 4. ὑπὲρ τοῦ ν. παθεῖν 8, 3, 6. ὑπὲρ τοῦ ν. θλίβεσθαι 8, 3, 7. ἀρνησάμενοι τὸν νόμον ibid. βλασφημεῖν τὸν ν. 8, 6, 2.

② constitutional or statutory legal system, law

ⓐ gener.: by what kind of law? Ro 3:27. ν. τῆς πόλεως the law of the city enforced by the ruler of the city (ν. ἐν ταῖς πόλεσι γραπτός Orig., C. Cels. 5, 37, 2); the penalty for breaking it is banishment Hs 1:5f. τοῖς ν. χρῆσθαι observe the laws 1:3; πείθεσθαι τοῖς ὡρισμένοις ν. obey the established laws Dg 5:10; νικᾶν τοὺς ν. ibid. (νικάω 3). Ro 7:1f, as well as the gnomic saying Ro 4:15b and 5:13b, have been thought by some (e.g. BWeiss, Jülicher) to refer to Roman law, but more likely the Mosaic law is meant (s. 3 below).

ⓑ specifically: of the law that Moses received from God and is the standard according to which membership in the people of Israel is determined (Diod S 1, 94, 1; 2: the lawgiver Mneves receives the law from Hermes, Minos from Zeus, Lycurgus from Apollo, Zarathustra from the ἀγαθὸς δαίμων, Zalmoxis from Hestia; παρὰ δὲ τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις, Μωϋσῆς receives the law from the Ἰαὼ ἐπικαλούμενος θεός) ὁ ν. Μωϋσέως Lk 2:22; J 7:23; Ac 15:5. ν. Μωϋσέως Ac 13:38; Hb 10:28. Also ὁ ν. κυρίου Lk 2:23f, 39; GJs 14:1. ὁ ν. τοῦ θεοῦ (Theoph. Ant. 2, 14 [p. 136, 4]) Mt 15:6 v.l.; Ro 8:7 (cp. Tat. 7, 2; 32, 1; Ath. 3:2). ὁ ν. ἡμῶν, ὑμῶν, αὐτῶν etc. J 18:31; 19:7b v.l.; Ac 25:8. κατὰ τὸν ἡμέτερον ν. 24:6 v.l. (cp. Jos., Ant. 7, 131). ὁ πατρῷος ν. 22:3. τὸν ν. τῶν ἐντολῶν Eph 2:15. Since the context of Ac 23:29 ἐγκαλούμενον περὶ ζητημάτων τοῦ νόμου αὐτῶν points to the intimate connection between belief, cult, and communal solidarity in Judean tradition, the term νόμος is best rendered with an hendiadys: (charged in matters) relating to their belief and custom; cp. ν. ὁ καθʼ ὑμᾶς 18:15. Ro 9:31 (CRhyne, Νόμος Δικαιοσύνης and the meaning of Ro 10:4: CBQ 47, ’85, 486–99).—Abs., without further qualification ὁ ν. Mt 22:36; 23:23; Lk 2:27; J 1:17; Ac 6:13; 7:53; 21:20, 28; Ro 2:15 (τὸ ἔργον τοῦ νόμου the work of the law [=the moral product that the Mosaic code requires] is written in the heart; difft. Diod S 1, 94, 1 ν. ἔγγραπτος, s. 1b, above), 18, 20, 23b, 26; 4:15a, 16; 7:1b, 4–7, 12, 14, 16; 8:3f; 1 Cor 15:56; Gal 3:12f, 17, 19, 21a, 24; 5:3, 14; 1 Ti 1:8 (GRudberg, ConNeot 7, ’42, 15); Hb 7:19 (s. Windisch, Hdb. exc. ad loc.), 28a; 10:1; cp. Js 2:9 (s. 1b above); μετὰ τὸν ν. Hb 7:28b; οἱ ἐν τῷ ν. Ro 3:19; κατὰ τὸν ν. according to the (Mosaic) law (Jos., Ant. 14, 173; 15, 51 al.; Just., D. 10, 1) J 19:7b; Ac 22:12; 23:3; Hb 7:5; 9:22. παρὰ τ. νόμον contrary to the law (Jos., Ant. 17, 151, C. Ap. 2, 219; Ath. 1, 3 παρὰ πάντα ν.) Ac 18:13.—νόμος without the art. in the same sense (on the attempt, beginning w. Origen, In Ep. ad Ro 3:7 ed. Lomm. VI 201, to establish a difference in mng. betw. Paul’s use of ὁ νόμος and νόμος s. B-D-F §258, 2; Rob. 796; Mlt-Turner 177; Grafe [s. 3b below] 7–11) Ro 2:13ab, 17, 23a, * 25a; 3:31ab; 5:13, 20; 7:1a (s. above); Gal 2:19b; 5:23 (JRobb, ET 56, ’45, 279f compares κατὰ δὲ τῶν τοιούτων οὐκ ἔστι νόμος Aristot., Pol. 1284a). δικαίῳ νόμος οὐ κεῖται, ἀνόμοις δὲ … 1 Ti 1:9. Cp. ἑαυτοῖς εἰσιν νόμος Ro 2:14 (in Pla., Pol. and in Stoic thought the wise person needed no commandment [Stoic. III 519], the bad one did; MPohlenz, Stoa ’48/49 I 133; II 75). Used w. prepositions: ἐκ ν. Ro 4:14; Gal 3:18, 21c (v.l. ἐν ν.); Phil 3:9 (ἐκ νόμου can also mean corresponding to or in conformity with the law: PRev 15, 11 ἐκ τῶν νόμων); cp. ἐκ τοῦ νόμου Ro 10:5. διὰ νόμου Ro 2:12b; 3:20b; 4:13; 7:7b; Gal 2:19a, 21; ἐν ν. (ἐν τῷ ν. Iren. 3, 11, 8 [Harv. II 49, 9]) Ro 2:12a, 23; Gal 3:11, 21c v.l.; 5:4; Phil 3:6. κατὰ νόμον 3:5; Hb 8:4; 10:8 (make an offering κατὰ νόμον as Arrian, Anab. 2, 26, 4; 5, 8, 2); χωρὶς ν. Ro 3:21a; 7:8f; ἄχρι ν. 5:13a. ὑπὸ νόμον 6:14f; 1 Cor 9:20; Gal 3:23; 4:4f, 21a; 5:18 (cp. Just., D. 45, 3 οἱ ὑπὸ τὸν ν.).—Dependent on an anarthrous noun παραβάτης νόμου a law-breaker Ro 2:25b ( 27b w. art.); Js 2:11. ποιητὴς ν. one who keeps the law 4:11d (w. art. Ro 2:13b). τέλος ν. the end of the law Ro 10:4 (RBultmann and HSchlier, Christus des Ges. Ende ’40). πλήρωμα ν. fulfilment of the law 13:10. ν. μετάθεσις a change in the law Hb 7:12. ἔργα ν. Ro 3:20a, 28; 9:32 v.l.; Gal 2:16; 3:2, 5, 10a.—(ὁ) ν. (τοῦ) θεοῦ Ro 7:22, 25a; 8:7 because it was given by God and accords w. his will. Lasting Mt 5:18; Lk 16:17 (cp. Bar 4:1; PsSol 10:4; Philo, Mos. 2, 14; Jos., C. Ap. 2, 277).—Used w. verbs, w. or without the art.: ν. ἔχειν J 19:7a; Ro 2:14 (ApcSed 14:5). πληροῦν ν. fulfill the law Ro 13:8; pass. Gal 5:14 (Mel., P. 42, 291). πληροῦν τὸ δικαίωμα τοῦ ν. fulfill the requirement of the law Ro 8:4. φυλάσσειν τὸν ν. observe the law Ac 21:24; Gal 6:13. τὰ δικαιώματα τοῦ ν. φυλάσσειν observe the precepts of the law Ro 2:26; διώκειν ν. δικαιοσύνης 9:31a; πράσσειν ν. 2:25a. ποιεῖν τὸν ν. J 7:19b; Gal 5:3; Ro 2:14b, s. below; τὸν ν. τηρεῖν Js 2:10. τὸν ν. τελεῖν Ro 2:27. φθάνειν εἰς ν. 9:31b. κατὰ ν. Ἰουδαϊσμὸν ζῆν IMg 8:1 v.l. is prob. a textual error (Pearson, Lghtf., Funk, Bihlmeyer, Hilgenfeld; Zahn, Ign. v. Ant. 1873 p. 354, 1 [difft. in Zahn’s edition] all omit νόμον as a gloss and are supported by the Latin versions; s. Hdb. ad loc.). τὰ τοῦ ν. ποιεῖν carry out the requirements of the law Ro 2:14b (ApcSed 14:5; FFlückiger, TZ 8, ’52, 17–42). καταλαλεῖν νόμου, κρίνειν ν. Js 4:11abc. ἐδόθη ν. Gal 3:21a.—Pl. διδοὺς νόμους μου εἰς τὴν διάνοιαν αὐτῶν Hb 8:10; cp. 10:16 (both Jer 38:33).—Of an individual stipulation of the law ὁ νόμος τοῦ ἀνδρός the law insofar as it concerns the husband (Aristot., Fgm. 184 R. νόμοι ἀνδρὸς καὶ γαμετῆς.—SIG 1198, 14 κατὰ τὸν νόμον τῶν ἐρανιστῶν; Num 9:12 ὁ ν. τοῦ πάσχα; Philo, Sobr. 49 ὁ ν. τῆς λέπρας) Ro 7:2b; cp. 7:3 and δέδεται νόμῳ vs. 2a (on the imagery Straub 94f); 1 Cor 7:39 v.l.—The law is personified, as it were (Demosth. 43, 59; Aeschin. 1, 18; Herm. Wr. 12, 4 [the law of punishment]; IMagnMai 92a, 11 ὁ ν. συντάσσει; b, 16 ὁ ν. ἀγορεύει; Jos., Ant. 3, 274) J 7:51; Ro 3:19.

③ a collection of holy writings precious to God’s people, sacred ordinance

ⓐ in the strict sense the law=the Pentateuch, the work of Moses the lawgiver (Diod S 40, 3, 6 προσγέγραπται τοῖς νόμοις ἐπὶ τελευτῆς ὅτι Μωσῆς ἀκούσας τοῦ θεοῦ τάδε λέγει τ. Ἰουδαίοις=at the end of the laws this is appended: this is what Moses heard from God and is telling to the Jews. ὁ διὰ τοῦ ν. μεταξὺ καθαρῶν καὶ ἀκαθάρτων διαστείλας θεός Iren. 3, 12, 7 [Harv. II 60, 3]; cp. Hippol., Ref. 7, 34, 1) τὸ βιβλίον τοῦ νόμου Gal 3:10b (cp. Dt 27:26). Also simply ὁ νόμος (Jos., Bell. 7, 162 ὁ ν. or 2, 229 ὁ ἱερὸς ν. of the holy book in a concrete sense) Mt 12:5 (Num 28:9f is meant); J 8:5; 1 Cor 9:8 (cp. Dt 25:4); 14:34 (cp. Gen 3:16); Gal 4:21b (the story of Abraham); Hb 9:19. ὁ ν. ὁ ὑμέτερος J 8:17 (cp. Jos., Bell. 5, 402; Tat. 40, 1 κατὰ τοὺς ἡμετέρους ν.). ἐν Μωϋσέως νόμῳ γέγραπται 1 Cor 9:9. καθὼς γέγραπται ἐν νόμῳ κυρίου Lk 2:23 (γέγραπται ἐν νόμῳ as Athen. 6, 27, 23c; IMagnMai 52, 35 [III B.C.]; Mel., P. 11, 71; cp. Just., D. 8, 4 τὰ ἐν τῷ ν. γεγραμμένα); cp. vs. 24. ἔγραψεν Μωϋσῆς ἐν τῷ νόμῳ J 1:45 (cp. Cercidas [III B.C.], Fgm. 1, 18f Diehl² [=Coll. Alex. p. 204, 29=Knox p. 196] καὶ τοῦθʼ Ὅμηρος εἶπεν ἐν Ἰλιάδι).—The Sacred Scriptures (OT) referred to as a whole in the phrase ὁ ν. καὶ οἱ προφῆται (Orig., C. Cels. 2, 6, 4; cp. Hippol., Ref. 8, 19, 1) the law (הַתּוֹרָה) and the prophets (הַנְּבִיאִים) Mt 5:17; 7:12; 11:13; 22:40; Lk 16:16; Ac 13:15; 24:14; 28:23; Ro 3:21b; cp. Dg 11:6; J 1:45. τὰ γεγραμμένα ἐν τῷ ν. Μωϋσέως καὶ τοῖς προφήταις καὶ ψαλμοῖς Lk 24:44.

ⓑ In a wider sense=Holy Scripture gener., on the principle that the most authoritative part gives its name to the whole (ὁ ν. ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ Theoph. Ant. 1, 11 [p. 82, 15]): J 10:34 (Ps 81:6); 12:34 (Ps 109:4; Is 9:6; Da 7:14); 15:25 (Ps 34:19; 68:5); 1 Cor 14:21 (Is 28:11f); Ro 3:19 (preceded by a cluster of quotations fr. Psalms and prophets).—Mt 5:18; Lk 10:26; 16:17; J 7:49.—JHänel, Der Schriftbegriff Jesu 1919; OMichel, Pls u. s. Bibel 1929; SWesterholm, Studies in Religion 15, ’86, 327–36.—JMeinhold, Jesus u. das AT 1896; MKähler, Jesus u. das AT² 1896; AKlöpper, Z. Stellung Jesu gegenüber d. Mos. Gesetz, Mt 5:17–48: ZWT 39, 1896, 1–23; EKlostermann, Jesu Stellung z. AT 1904; AvHarnack, Hat Jesus das atl. Gesetz abgeschafft?: Aus Wissenschaft u. Leben II 1911, 225–36, SBBerlAk 1912, 184–207; KBenz, D. Stellung Jesu zum atl. Gesetz 1914; MGoguel, RHPR 7, 1927, 160ff; BBacon, Jesus and the Law: JBL 47, 1928, 203–31; BBranscomb, Jes. and the Law of Moses 1930; WKümmel, Jes. u. d. jüd. Traditionsged.: ZNW 33, ’34, 105–30; JHempel, D. synopt. Jesus u. d. AT: ZAW 56, ’38, 1–34.—Lk-Ac: JJervell, HTR 64, ’71, 21–36.—EGrafe, D. paulin. Lehre vom Gesetz² 1893; HCremer, D. paulin. Rechtfertigungslehre 1896, 84ff; 363ff; FSieffert, D. Entwicklungslinie d. paul. Gesetzeslehre: BWeiss Festschr. 1897, 332–57; WSlaten, The Qualitative Use of νόμος in the Pauline Ep.: AJT 23, 1919, 213ff; HMosbech, Pls’ Laere om Loven: TT 4/3, 1922, 108–37; 177–221; EBurton, ICC, Gal 1921, 443–60; PFeine, Theol. des NT⁶ ’34, 208–15 (lit.); PBenoit, La Loi et la Croix d’après S. Paul (Ro 7:7–8:4): RB 47, ’38, 481–509; CMaurer, D. Gesetzeslehre des Pls ’41; PBläser, D. Gesetz b. Pls ’41; BReicke, JBL 70, ’51, 259–76; GBornkamm, Das Ende d. Gesetzes ’63; HRaisänen, Paul and the Law² ’87; PRichardson/SWesterholm, et al., Law in Religious Communities in the Rom. Period, ’91 (Torah and Nomos); MNobile, La Torà al tempo di Paolo, alcune ri-flessioni: Atti del IV simposio di Tarso su S. Paolo Apostolo, ed. LPadovese ’96, 93–106 (lit. 93f, n. 1).—Dodd 25–41.—B. 1358; 1419; 1421. DELG s.v. νέμω Ic. Schmidt, Syn. I 333–47. M-M. EDNT. TW. Sv.

οἰκονομία, ας, ἡ (οἰκονομέω; X., Pla.+; ins., pap; Is 22:19, 21; TestJob, ParJer, Philo, Joseph.)

① responsibility of management, management of a household, direction, office (X., Oec. 1, 1; Herodian 6, 1, 1; Jos., Ant. 2, 89; PTebt 27, 21 [114 B.C.]; PLond III, 904, 25 p. 125 [104 A.D.]; Orig., C. Cels. 8, 57, 22).

ⓐ lit., of the work of an οἰκονόμος ‘estate manager’ Lk 16:2–4 (this passage shows that it is not always poss. to draw a sharp distinction betw. the office itself and the activities associated w. it).—WPöhlmann, Der verlorene Sohn u. das Haus ’93.

ⓑ Paul applies the idea of administration to the office of an apostle οἰκονομίαν πεπίστευμαι I have been entrusted with a commission/task 1 Cor 9:17 (cp. Theoph. Ant. 1, 11 [p. 82, 8]); ἀνθρωπίνων οἰκονομίαν μυστηρίων πεπίστευνται they have been entrusted with the administration of merely human mysteries Dg 7:1. Of a supervisor (bishop): ὸ̔ν πέμπει ὁ οἰκοδεσπότης εἰς ἰδίαν οἰκ. (οἰκ. ἰδίου οἴκου) the one whom the master of the house sent to administer his own household IEph 6:1. This is prob. also the place for κατὰ τὴν οἰκ. τοῦ θεοῦ τὴν δοθεῖσάν μοι εἰς ὑμᾶς according to the divine office which has been granted to me for you Col 1:25, as well as ἠκούσατε τὴν οἰκονομίαν τ. χάριτος τ. θεοῦ τῆς δοθείσης μοι εἰς ὑμᾶς you have heard of the administration of God’s grace that was granted to me for you Eph 3:2 (on the other hand, this latter vs. may be parallel to the usage in vs. 9; s. 2b below).

② state of being arranged, arrangement, order, plan (X., Cyr. 5, 3, 25; Polyb. 4, 67, 9; 10, 16, 2; Diod S 1, 81, 3)

ⓐ ἡ τῆς σαρκὸς οἰκονομία of the arrangement or structure of the parts of the body beneath the skin; they are laid bare by scourging MPol 2:2.—(Iren. 5, 3, 2 [Harv. II, 326, 3]).

ⓑ of God’s unique plan private plan, plan of salvation, i.e. arrangements for redemption of humans (in the pap of arrangements and directions of authorities: UPZ 162 IX, 2 [117 B.C.]; CPR 11, 26, and in PGM [e.g. 4, 293] of the measures by which one wishes to attain some goal by extrahuman help.—Just., D. 31, 1 τοῦ πάθους … οἰκ.; Hippol., Did.) ἡ οἰκ. τοῦ μυστηρίου the plan of the mystery Eph 3:9 (v.l. κοινωνία; on the thought cp. vs. 2 and s. JReumann, NovT 3, ’59, 282–92.—Just., D. 134, 2 οἰκονομίαι … μυστηρίων). Also in the linguistically difficult passage 1:10 οἰκ. certainly refers to the plan of salvation which God is bringing to reality through Christ, in the fullness of the times. κατʼ οἰκονομίαν θεοῦ according to God’s plan of redemption IEph 18:2 (cp. Ath. 21, 4 κατὰ θείαν οἰκ.—Pl.: Iren. 1, 10, 1 [Harv. I 90, 8]) προσδηλώσω ὑμῖν ἧς ἠρξάμην οἰκονομίας εἰς τὸν καινὸν ἄνθρωπον Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν I will explain to you further the divine plan which I began (to discuss), with reference to the new human being Jesus Christ IEph 20:1. AcPl Ha 3, 23 of God’s marvelous plan = way of doing things; 6, 26 ο̣ἰ̣κο̣ν̣[ομίαν πληρῶσω κτλ.] (so that I might carry out God’s) plan for me; pl. 5, 27 [ὡς καὶ ἐκεῖ τὰς τοῦ κυρίου οἰκο]νομίας πληρῶσε (=πληρῶσαι) [Paul has gone off to carry out God’s] purpose [also there] (in Macedonia) (apparently a ref. to the various missionary assignments given by God to Paul; for the formulation cp. τὴν οἰκ. τελέσας Orig., C. Cels. 2, 65, 4).

ⓒ also of God’s arrangements in nature pl. αἱ οἰκ. θεοῦ Dg 4:5 (cp. Tat. 12, 2; 18, 2 ὕλης οἰκ.; Did., Gen. 92, 6 πάντα ὑπὸ τὴν αὐτοῦ οἰκ. ἐστίν.—Of the order in creation Theoph. Ant. 2, 12 [p. 130, 2]).

③ program of instruction, training (in the way of salvation); this mng. (found also Clem. Alex., Paed. 1, 8, 69, 3; 70, 1 p. 130 St.) seems to fit best in 1 Ti 1:4, where it is said of the erroneous teachings of certain persons ἐκζητήσεις παρέχουσιν μᾶλλον ἢ οἰκονομίαν θεοῦ τὴν ἐν πίστει they promote useless speculations rather than divine training that is in faith (οἰκοδομήν and οἰκοδομίαν [q.v.] as vv.ll. are simply ‘corrections’ to alleviate the difficulty). If οἰκ. is to be taken in the sense of 1b above, the thought of the verse would be somewhat as follows: ‘endless speculative inquiry merely brings about contention instead of the realization of God’s purpose which has to do with faith.’—OLillger, Das patristische Wort, diss. Erlangen ’55; JReumann, The Use of ΟΙΚΟΝΟΜΙΑ and Related Terms etc., diss. U. of Pennsylvania ’57.—DELG s.v. νέμω. M-M. EDNT. TW. Spicq. Sv.

πίπτω (Hom.+) impf. ἔπιπτον; fut. πεσοῦμαι (B-D-F §77; Rob. 356); 2 aor. ἔπεσον and ἔπεσα (B-D-F §81, 3; W-S. §13, 13; Mlt-H. 208; W-H., app. p. 164; Tdf., Prol. p. 123); pf. 2 sg. πέπτωκας Rv 2:5 (πέπτωκες v.l.; B-D-F §83, 2; W-S. §13, 16; Mlt-H 221), 3 pl. πέπτωκαν Rv 18:3 v.l. (W-S. §13, 15; Mlt-H. 221)

① to move w. relative rapidity in a downward direction, fall, the passive of the idea conveyed in βάλλω.

ⓐ fall (down) from a higher point, w. the ‘point from which’ designated by ἀπό (Hom. et al.) ἀπὸ τῆς τραπέζης from the table Mt 15:27; Lk 16:21. ἀπὸ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ Mt 24:29. ἀπὸ τῆς κεφαλῆς Ac 27:34 v.l. (of the falling out of hair, as Synes., Calvit. 1, p. 63b). The direction or destination of the fall is expressed by an adv. ἀπὸ τοῦ τριστέγου κάτω down from the third story Ac 20:9. ἀπὸ τοῦ κεράμου χαμαί from the roof to the ground Hm 11:20. ἔκ τινος from someth.: ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ (Sallust. 4 p. 8, 19; Job 1:16; 3 Km 18:38.—SibOr 5, 72 ἐξ ἄστρων) Mk 13:25; of lightning (Ps.-Plut., Vi. Hom. 111 εἰ ἐκπίπτοι ἡ ἀστράπη; Ps.-Clem., Hom. 9, 5; 6) Lk 10:18 (Lycophron, vs. 363 of the image of Athena ἐξ οὐρανοῦ πεσοῦσα. Cp. σατάν; be thrown is also possible here); Rv 8:10a; the destination is added ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ εἰς τὴν γῆν 9:1 (Ps.-Callisth. 2, 10, 10 ἐξ οὐρανοῦ εἰς τὸ ἔδαφος πεπτωκότες). W. only the destination given ἐν μέσῳ τῶν ἀκανθῶν among the thorns Lk 8:7. ἐπί τι on someth. Rv 8:10b. ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν (Aeschyl., Ag. 1019; Am 3:5; JosAs 16:16) Mt 10:29 (with the patristic v.l. εἰς παγίδα cp. Am 3:5 and Aesop, Fab. 193 P.=340 H./284 Ch./207 H-H. of a bird: ἐμπίπτειν εἰς τοὺς βρόχους); 13:8; Hm 11:21 (here the ‘place from which’ is designated by an adv.: ἄνωθεν).—ἐπὶ τὰ πετρώδη Mt 13:5; cp. Mk 4:5 (ἐπί 4bγ). ἐπὶ τὰς ἀκάνθας Mt 13:7 (ἐπί 4bδ). A pers. falls down ἐπὶ τὸν λίθον on the stone Mt 21:44a; Lk 20:18a. Conversely the stone falls on a pers. Mt 21:44b; Lk 20:18b. Likew. ἐπί τινα 23:30; Rv 6:16 (cp. on both Hos 10:8).—In imagery ὁ ἥλιος π. ἐπί τινα the (heat of the) sun falls upon someone Rv 7:16 (Maximus Tyr. 4, 1a ἡλίου φῶς πίπτον εἰς γῆν; Alex. Aphr., An. Mant. p. 146, 9 Br. τὸ φῶς ἐπὶ πάντα πίπτει). ὁ κλῆρος π. ἐπί τινα (κλῆρος 1) Ac 1:26. come (upon) ἐπί τινα someone ἀχλὺς καὶ σκότος Ac 13:11. Rv 11:11 v.l. (φόβος 2a).—εἴς τι (Hes., Op. 620) εἰς τὴν γῆν (Phlegon: 257 Fgm. 36, 1, 5 Jac. πίπτειν εἰς τὴν γῆν) Mk 4:8; Lk 8:8; J 12:24; Rv 6:13; 1 Cl 24:5. εἰς τὴν ὁδόν Hv 3, 7, 1. εἰς βόθυνον Mt 15:14; cp. Lk 14:5. εἰς τὰς ἀκάνθας Mk 4:7; Lk 8:14. εἰς τὸ πῦρ Hv 3, 7, 2. παρά τι on someth. παρὰ τὴν ὁδόν (Iambl. Erot. p. 222, 22) Mt 13:4; Mk 4:4; Lk 8:5. ἐγγύς τινος near someth. ἐγγὺς (τῶν) ὑδάτων Hv 3, 2, 9; 3, 7, 3.

ⓑ of someth. that, until recently, has been standing (upright) fall (down), fall to pieces

α. of persons

א. fall to the ground, fall down (violently) εἰς τὸ πῦρ καὶ εἰς τὸ ὕδωρ Mt 17:15 (but HZimmern, Die Keilinschriften u. d. AT³ 1903, 366; 363f, and JWeiss ad loc. take the falling into fire and water to mean fever and chills). ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς (SibOr 4, 110; 5, 100) Mk 9:20 (π. under the infl. of a hostile spirit; sim. Jos., Ant. 8, 47). ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν (SibOr 4, 110 v.l.) Ac 9:4; cp. 22:7 (s. ἔδαφος). χαμαί (Job 1:20; Philo, Agr. 74) J 18:6. ἔπεσα πρὸς τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ ὡς νεκρός Rv 1:17.—Abs. fall down GPt 5:18 v.l. Fall dead (Paradox. Vat. 37 Keller πίπτει; Mel., P. 26, 184 πρηνὴς δὲ ἔπιπτε σιγῶν) Ac 5:5, 10; 1 Cor 10:8 (cp. Ex 32:28); Hb 3:17 (Num 14:29). Specifically fall in battle (Ael. Aristid. 46 p. 233 D.; Appian, Hann. 56 §236; Jos., Vi. 341; 354) Lk 21:24 (cp. στόμα 4 and Sir 28:18; 4 [6] Esdr [POxy 1010, 3–11 σὺ ἐν ῥομφαίᾳ πεσῇ … πεσοῦνται ἐν μαχαίρῃ]).

ב. fall down, throw oneself to the ground as a sign of devotion or humility, before high-ranking persons or divine beings, esp. when one approaches w. a petition (LXX; TestAbr A 18 p. 100, 29 [Stone p. 48]; JosAs 14:4; ApcSed 14:2), abs. Mt 2:11; 4:9; 18:26, 29; Rv 5:14; 19:4; 22:8 (in all these places [except Mt 18:29] π. is closely connected w. προσκυνεῖν [as Jos., Ant. 10, 213 after Da 3:5 and ApcMos 27]. Sim. in many of the places already mentioned). W. var. words added (Jos., Ant. 10, 11 πεσὼν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον τ. θεὸν ἱκέτευε; Gen 17:3, 17; Num 14:5) ἐπὶ πρόσωπον (αὐτοῦ, αὐτῶν) Mt 17:6; 26:39; Lk 5:12; 17:16 (ἐπὶ πρόσωπον παρὰ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ); 1 Cor 14:25; ἐπὶ τὰ πρόσωπα αὐτῶν Rv 7:11; 11:16; ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς Mk 14:35. Further, the one to whom devotion is given can be added in var. ways: ἐνώπιόν τινος (cp. 2 Km 3:34) Rv 4:10; 5:8; 7:11. ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ποδῶν τινος 19:10. εἰς τοὺς πόδας τινός (Diog. L. 2, 79) Mt 18:29 v.l.; J 11:32 v.l. ἐπὶ τοὺς πόδας Ac 10:25 (v.l. adds αὐτοῦ). παρὰ τοὺς πόδας τινός Lk 8:41; 17:16 (s. above). πρὸς τοὺς πόδας τινός Mk 5:22; J 11:32; Ac 10:25 D; Hv 3, 2, 3.

β. of things, esp. structures fall, fall to pieces, collapse, go down (Appian, Iber. 54 §228; Jos., C. Ap. 1, 192, Ant. 16, 18) of the σκηνὴ Δαυίδ (σκηνή end) Ac 15:16 (Am 9:11). Of a house fall (in) (Diod S 11, 63, 2 τῶν οἰκιῶν πιπτουσῶν; Dio Chrys. 6, 61; 30 [47], 25; Aristeas Hist.: 725 Fgm. 1, 3 Jac. [in Eus., PE 9, 25, 3]; Job 1:19) Mt 7:25, 27; Lk 6:49 v.l. (Diod S 15, 12, 2 τῶν οἰκιῶν πιπτουσῶν because of the influx of the ποταμός). τὰ τείχη Ἰεριχὼ ἔπεσαν Hb 11:30 (cp. Josh 6:5, 20.—Appian, Bell. Civ. 1, 112 §524; Ael. Aristid. 25, 42 K.=43 p. 813 D.: τὰ τείχη π.). ἐφʼ οὓς ἔπεσεν ὁ πύργος upon whom the tower fell Lk 13:4 (of a πύργος X., Hell. 5, 2, 5; Arrian, Anab. 6, 7, 5; Polyaenus 6, 50; Jos., Bell. 5, 292; SibOr 11, 12.—π. ἐπί τινα Job 1:19). οἶκος ἐπὶ οἶκον πίπτει house falls upon house 11:17 (Jülicher, Gleichn. 221f). Of a city (Oenomaus in Eus., PE 5, 25, 6) Ox 1, 18f (=GTh 32); cp. Rv 11:13; 16:19.—Fig. become invalid, come to an end, fail (Pla., Euthyphr. 14d; Philostrat., Ep. 9) Lk 16:17 (cp. Josh 23:14 v.l.; Ruth 3:18); 1 Cor 13:8.

② to experience loss of status or condition, fall, be destroyed, in ext. sense of 1.

ⓐ fall, be destroyed ἔπεσεν, ἔπεσεν Βαβυλών (Β. as symbol of humans in opposition to God and God’s people; cp. Is 21:9; Jer 28:8.; Just., D. 49, 8.—Repetition of the verb for emphasis as Sappho, Fgm. 131 D.² οὔκετι ἴξω … οὔκετι ἴξω [Campbell 114 p. 138: οὐκέτι ἤξω … οὐκέτι ἤξω]; Aristoph., Equ. 247; M. Ant. 5, 7; Ps.-Libanius, Char. Ep. p. 33, 5 ἐρῶ, ἐρῶ. This is to remove all possibility of doubt, as Theod. Prodr. 5, 66 εἶδον, εἶδον=‘I have really seen’; Theocr. 14, 24 ἔστι Λύκος, Λύκος ἐστί=it really is a wolf; in Rv w. focus on lamentation, s. reff. Schwyzer II 60) Rv 14:8; 18:2.

ⓑ fall in a transcendent or moral sense, be completely ruined (Polyb. 1, 35, 5; Diod S 13, 37, 5; Pr 11:28; Sir 1:30; 2:7; TestGad 4:3)=fall from a state of grace Ro 11:11 (fig. w. πταίω [q.v. 1]), 22; Hb 4:11 (perh. w. ref. to the final judgment). Also in a less severe sense= go astray morally τοὺς πεπτωκότας ἔγειρον 1 Cl 59:4.—In wordplay ‘stand and fall’ (cp. Pr 24:16) Ro 14:4; 1 Cor 10:12; 2 Cl 2:6. μνημόνευε πόθεν πέπτωκες remember (the heights) from which you have fallen Rv 2:5.

ⓒ ὑπὸ κρίσιν π. fall under condemnation Js 5:12 (on π. ὑπό τι cp. Diod S 4, 17, 5 π. ὑπʼ ἐξουσίαν [Just., D. 105, 4]; Herodian 1, 4, 2; 2 Km 22:39; Tat. 8, 2 ὑπὸ τὴν εἱμαρμένην; Hippol., Ref. 4, 3, 5 ὑπὸ τὴν ἐπίσκεψιν fall under scrutiny; Did., Gen. 211, 5 ὑπὸ κατάραν; Theoph. Ant. 2, 25 [p. 162, 12] ὑπὸ θάνατον).

ⓓ π. … εἰς νόσον καὶ ἔσχατον κίνδυνον in sickness and extreme peril AcPl Ha 4, 15.

ⓔ fall, perish (Philo, Aet. M. 128) πίπτοντος τοῦ Ἰσραήλ B 12:5. οἱ πέντε ἔπεσαν five have perished, disappeared, passed from the scene Rv 17:10 (cp. also π.=‘die’ Job 14:10).—B. 671. DELG. M-M. TW. Spicq.

πόλις, εως, ἡ (Hom.+. Gener. a population center in contrast to a relatively uninhabited or rural area. In the Gr-Rom. world the term gener. implied strong political associations, esp. in the sense ‘city-state’).

① population center of varying size, city, town, lit. Mt 5:14; Lk 10:8, 10. Pl. Mt 11:20; Lk 5:12; 19:17, 19. ἡ πόλις the city or the town designated in the context Mt 8:33; 21:17f; 26:18; Mk 11:19; 14:13, 16; Lk 4:29a; 7:12ab; J 4:8, 28, 30; Ac 8:9; 14:4; Rv 11:13; B 16:5; AcPl Ha 4, 18; 5, 17. Likew. αἱ πόλεις Ac 16:4. ἡ πόλις the city can also be the capital city, the main city (Mayser II/2 p. 28; Jos., C. Ap. 2, 125) Ac 8:5; cp. Mk 5:14 (s. vs. 1); Lk 8:27 (s. vs. 26). ἡ πόλις ἐκείνη Mt 10:14f; Lk 9:5; 10:12; 18:3; J 4:39; Ac 8:8; Hs 9, 12, 5b. ἡ πόλ. αὕτη Mt 10:23a; Ac 4:27; 18:10; 22:3; Hs 1:3. ἔν τινι πόλει in a certain city Lk 18:2; cp. Hs 9, 12, 5a. εἰς τήνδε τὴν πόλιν Js 4:13 (s. ὅδε 2). πᾶσα πόλις Lk 10:1. αἱ πόλεις πᾶσαι Mt 9:35; Ac 8:40; cp. Mk 6:33.—πόλις (πόλεις) beside κώμη (κῶμαι) Mt 9:35; 10:11; Lk 8:1; 13:22. W. κῶμαι and ἀγροί Mk 6:56. ἡ πόλις καὶ οἱ ἀγροί 5:14; Lk 8:34. W. τόπος 10:1. In contrast to the open plain or the desert, where no cities are found Mt 14:13; Mk 1:45; 2 Cor 11:26; to the interior of a building Ac 12:10.—Used w. the gen.: to denote the region in which it is located πόλ. τῆς Γαλιλαίας Lk 1:26; 4:31. πόλ. Ἰούδα (Ἰούδας 1c) 1:39. Cp. J 4:5; Ac 14:6; 21:39; to denote the inhabitants (Diod S 34 and 35 Fgm. 23 ἡ τῶν Γαλατῶν πόλις; Jos., Ant. 1, 200) ἡ πόλ. Δαμασκηνῶν 2 Cor 11:32. π. Σαμαριτῶν Mt 10:5; Lk 9:52 v.l. Cp. 23:51; Ac 19:35; EpilMosq 4; AcPl Ox 6, 20 (=Aa I 242, 1). αἱ πόλεις τοῦ Ἰσραήλ the cities in which the people of Israel live Mt 10:23b (Ἰσραήλ 2).—Rv 16:19b. ἡ πόλ. αὐτῶν Mt 22:7; Lk 4:29b.—2:39. Also w. the gen. sg. πόλ. Δαυίδ city of David 2:4b, 11; ἡ ἑαυτοῦ πολ. the person’s own town (=ancestral locale; but 2:39 Nazareth = their place of residence) 2:3.—J 1:44. Also ἡ ἰδία πόλ. (s. ἴδιος 1b) Mt 9:1; Lk 2:3 v.l.; Hs 1:2b (in imagery, s. 2 below). Pl. 1 Cl 55:1. The πόλεις ἴδιαι of the Christians Dg 5:2 are those inhabited by them alone; they are contrasted w. πόλεις Ἑλληνίδες Greek cities (cp. SIG 761, 15 [48/47 B.C.]; 909, 2), π. βάρβαροι Dg 5:4.—π. μεγάλαι great cities 1 Cl 6:4; AcPl Ha 2, 25f. In Rv ἡ πόλ. ἡ. μεγάλη (Tat. 19, 1; 29, 1 Rome) is almost always ‘Babylon’ (s. Βαβυλών) 16:19a; 17:18; 18:16, 18f, 21; ἡ πόλις ἡ μεγάλη, Βαβυλὼν ἡ πόλις ἡ ἰσχυρά 18:10. On the other hand ἡ πόλ. ἡ μεγάλη 11:8 is clearly Jerusalem (as SibOr 5, 154; 226). Elsewh. Jerus. is called ἡ πόλ. ἡ ἠγαπημένη 20:9 (cp. ApcSed 8:3 πρῶτον ἠγάπησας … εἰς τὰς πόλεις τὴν Ἰερουσαλήμ); ἡ ἁγία πόλ. Mt 4:5; 27:53; Rv 11:2 (ἅγιος 1aα); πόλ. τοῦ μεγάλου βασιλέως the city of the Great King Mt 5:35 (βασιλεύς 2b). εἰς πόλιν ἄρχουσαν ὀπύσεως in the city that sponsors fornication ApcPt Rainer 4, 1 (Ja. p. 278; s. also ὄπυσις).—The name of the town or city that goes w. πόλις stands either in the epexegetic gen. (Aeschyl. et al.; also Demetr.: 722 Fgm. 1, 8 Jac. πόλιν Σικίμων) πόλεις Σοδόμων καὶ Γομόρρας 2 Pt 2:6 or in the case in which πόλις itself is found, ἐν πόλει Ἰόππῃ Ac 11:5; πόλις Λασαία 27:8. From the construction πόλεως Θυατίρων Ac 16:14 no determination of the nom. of Θυ-can be made: either πόλις Θυατίρων or πόλις Θυάτιρα (B-D-R §167, 3). W. indecl. place names Lk 2:4a, 39. πόλις λεγομένη or καλουμένη w. the name following Mt 2:23; Lk 7:11; 9:10. Cp. J 11:54.—ἀπὸ πόλεως εἰς πόλιν (Aesop, Fab. 228 P./421 H./354 Ch./H-H. 256 μεταβαίνουσιν ἀπὸ πόλεως εἰς πόλιν) Mt 23:34. κατὰ τὴν πόλιν anywhere in the city Ac 24:12. Cp. Lk 8:39 (κατά B1a). κατὰ πόλιν from city to city IRo 9:3; pl. Lk 13:22; in every city (Appian, Bell. Civ. 1. 39 §177) Ac 15:21, 36 (κατὰ πόλιν πᾶσαν); 20:23; Tit 1:5 (Diod S 5, 78, 2 Crete has, indeed, ‘not a few’ cities). Cp. Lk 8:1, 4 (κατά B1d). αἱ ἔξω πόλεις Ac 26:11 (ἔξω 1aβ). αἱ πέριξ πόλεις 5:16 (s. πέριξ). αἱ περὶ αὐτὰς (i.e. Sodom and Gomorrah) πόλεις Jd 7. πρὸ τ. πόλεως (Jos., Bell. 1, 234, Ant. 10, 44) Ac 14:13.

② the (heavenly) city = the New Jerusalem (Bousset, Rel.³ 283ff; RKnopf, GHeinrici Festschr. 14, 213–19; McQueen, Exp. 9th ser., 2, 1924, 220–26; FDijkema, NThT 15, 1926, 25–43) Hb 11:10, 16 (cp. TestJob 18:8; TestAbr A 2 p. 78, 30 [Stone p. 4] ἀπὸ τῆς μεγάλης πόλεως ἔρχομαι [of Michael]). πόλ. θεοῦ ζῶντος 12:22 (SibOr 5, 250 θεοῦ π. of Jerus.). ἡ μέλλουσα (opp. οὐ … μένουσα πόλις) 13:14. Esp. in Rv: ἡ πόλις ἡ ἁγία Ἰερουσαλὴμ (καινή) 21:2, 10 (CBouma, GereformTT 36, ’36, 91–98). Further vss. 14–16, 18f, 21, 23; 22:14, 19; also 3:12. (Cp. Lucian’s description of the wonder-city in Ver. Hist. 2, 11f: ἡ πόλις πᾶσα χρυσῆ, τὸ τεῖχος σμαράγδινον. πύλαι … ἑπτά, πᾶσαι μονόξυλοι κινναμώμιναι … γῆ ἐλεφαντίνη … ναοὶ βηρύλλου λίθου … βωμοὶ … ἀμεθύστινοι … ποταμὸς μύρου τοῦ καλλίστου … οἶκοι ὑάλινοι … οὐδὲ νὺξ οὐδὲ ἡμέρα.) On the topic s. JMorwood, Aeneas, Augustus, and the Theme of the City: Greece and Rome new ser. 38, ’91, 212–23.—Hs 1:1, 2.

③ inhabitants of a city, city abstr. for concrete (X., Cyr. 1, 4, 25; Herodian 3, 2, 7; Jos., Ant. 5, 357) Lk 4:43; Ac 14:21; 16:20 (cp. Jos., Bell. 7, 41; DWhitehead, MusHelv 53/1, ’96, 1–11 [on identification of citizens and place cp. Thu. 2, 2, 1; X., Hell. 2, 2, 9]). πᾶσα ἡ πόλις (Diod S 18, 70, 2; Appian, Numid. 1) Mt 8:34; 21:10 (w. λέγουσα foll.); Ac 13:44; ὅλη ἡ π. (Diod S 10, 3, 2) Mk 1:33; Ac 21:30. πόλις μερισθεῖσα καθʼ ἑαυτῆς Mt 12:25. ἐθριαμβεύετο ὑπὸ τῆς πόλεως (Paul) was derided by the city AcPl Ha 4, 13 (s. θριαμβεύω 5). HConn, Lucan Perspective and the City: Missiology 13, ’85, 409–28 (Lk-Ac contains half of the 160+ occurrences of π. in the NT).—B. 1308. Schmidt, Syn. II 495–507. DELG. M-M. EDNT. TW.

πρεσβύτερος, α, ον (Hom.+; comp. of πρέσβυς)

① pert. to being relatively advanced in age, older, old

ⓐ of an individual person older of two ὁ υἱὸς ὁ πρ. (cp. Aelian, VH 9, 42; TestJob 15:2 τῷ ἀδελφῷ τῷ πρεσβυτέρῳ; JosAs; Just., A II, 6, 1) Lk 15:25; of Manasseh (w. Ephraim) B 13:5. In contrast to the younger generation οἱ πρεσβύτεροι the older ones J 8:9. Opp. οἱ νεανίσκοι Ac 2:17 (Jo 3:1). Opp. νεώτεροι (s. νεός 3aβ) 1 Ti 5:1 (similar advice, containing a contrast betw. πρ. and νεώτ., from ins and lit. in MDibelius, Hdb. ad loc.); 1 Pt 5:5 (though here the πρεσβύτεροι are not only the older people, but at the same time, the ‘elders’; s. 2bβ). The same double mng. is found for πρεσβύτεροι in 1 Cl 1:3 beside νέοι, while in 3:3; 21:6, beside the same word, the concept of being old is the dominant one (as Jos., C. Ap. 2, 206). On the disputed pass. Hv 3, 1, 8 (οἱ νεανίσκοι … οἱ πρεσβύτεροι) cp. MDibelius, Hdb. ad loc.—Fem. πρεσβυτέρα old(er) woman (opp. νεωτέρα, as Gen 19:31) 1 Ti 5:2.—With no ref. to younger persons, w. complete disappearance of the comparative aspect: πρεσβύτερος an old man (Jos., Ant. 13, 226; 292 [as a witness of events in the past, as Ps.-Pla., Virt. 3, 377b; 4, 377c]) Hv 3, 12, 2; cp. 3, 11, 3. The personified church is called λίαν πρεσβυτέρα very old 3, 10, 3; cp. 3, 11, 2. She appears as ἡ πρ. the elderly woman 2, 1, 3; 3, 1, 2; 3, 10, 6; 9 and has τὰς τρίχας πρεσβυτέρας the hair of an old woman 3, 10, 4; 5; 3, 12, 1.

ⓑ of a period of time (Petosiris, Fgm. 3 and 4 mention οἱ πρεσβύτεροι and οἱ νεώτεροι. In both instances the context shows that the reference is to astrologers from earlier and more recent times) οἱ πρεσβύτεροι the men of old, our ancestors Hb 11:2. ἡ παράδοσις τῶν πρεσβυτέρων the tradition of the ancients (cp. Iambl., Vi. Pyth. 35, 253 τῶν π. συγγράμματα) Mt 15:2; Mk 7:3, 5 (ELohse, D. Ordination im Spätjudentum u. NT, ’51, 50–56: scholars).

② an official (cp. Lat. senator), elder, presbyter

ⓐ among the Jews (the congregation of a synagogue in Jerusalem used πρεσβύτεροι to denote its officers before 70 A.D.: SEG VIII, 170, 9; cp. Dssm., LO 378–80 [LAE 439–41]).

α. for members of local councils in individual cities (cp. Josh 20:4; Ruth 4:2; 2 Esdr 10:14; Jdth 8:10; 10:6) Lk 7:3; 1 Cl 55:4.—Schürer II, 185.

β. for members of a group in the Sanhedrin (Schürer II, 206–8; JJeremias, Jerusalem z. Zt. Jesu II B 1: Die gesellschaftl. Oberschicht 1929, 88ff). They are mentioned together w. (the) other groups: ἀρχιερεῖς (Ac 4:5 has ἄρχοντες for this), γραμματεῖς, πρεσβύτεροι (the order is not always the same) Mt 16:21; 26:3 v.l.; 27:41; Mk 8:31; 11:27; 14:43, 53; 15:1; Lk 9:22; 20:1.—Only ἀρχιερεῖς (Ac 4:8 has for this ἄρχοντες τοῦ λαοῦ) and πρεσβύτεροι (τοῦ λαοῦ: cp. Ex 19:7; Num 11:16b, 24; 1 Macc 7:33; 12:35; Just., D. 40, 4 al.) Mt 21:23; 26:3, 47, 59 v.l.; 27:1, 3, 12, 20; 28:(11), 12; Lk 22:52 (here, as an exception, οἱ στρατηγοὶ τοῦ ἱεροῦ); Ac 4:23; 23:14; 25:15; cp. 24:1. Also οἱ πρεσβύτεροι καὶ οἱ ἱερεῖς GPt 7:25 (for this combination cp. Jos., Ant. 11, 83; 12, 406).—Only πρεσβύτεροι and γραμματεῖς Mt 26:57; Ac 6:12.—The use of πρεσβύτερος as a title among the Jews of the Diaspora appears quite late, except for the allusions in the LXX (cp. Schürer III/1, 102; MAMA III [Cilicia], 344; 448 [cp. ZNW 31, ’32, 313f]. Whether πρεσβύτερος is to be understood in the older Roman inscriptions [CIJ 378] as a title [so CIJ p. lxxxvi], remains doubtful).

ⓑ among the Christians (for their use of the word as a title one must bear in mind not only the Jewish custom, but also its use as a t.t. among the ἔθνη, in connection w. associations of the ‘old ones’ [FPoland, Geschichte des griech. Vereinswesens 1909, 98ff] and to designate civic as well as religious officials [Dssm., B 153ff=BS 154–57, NB 60ff=BS 233–35, also LO 315, 5; HHausschildt, ZNW 4, 1903, 235ff; MStrack, ibid. 213ff; HLietzmann, ZWT 55, 1914, 116–32 [=Kl. Schr. I ’58, 156–69]; MDibelius, exc. on 1 Ti 5:17ff; RAlastair-Campbell, The Elders, Seniority within Earliest Christianity ’94.].—BGU 16, 6 [159 A.D.] πρεσβύτεροι ἱερεῖς θεοῦ Σοκνοπαίου; 347, 6; PVindBosw 1, 31 [87 A.D.].—As honorary title: Iren. 4, 26, 5 [Harv. II 238, 3]. The Engl. word ‘priest’ comes fr. πρεσβύτερος via Lat. presbyter; later Christian usage is largely, if not entirely, responsible for this development; s. OED s.v. ‘priest’ B).

α. Ac 11:30; 14:23; 15:2, 4, 6, 22f; 16:4 (in all the places in Ac 15 and 16 mention is made of οἱ ἀπόστολοι καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι in the Jerusalem church); 20:17; 21:18; 1 Ti 5:17, 19 (Nicol. Dam.: 90 Fgm. 103a Jac. νεωτέρῳ πρεσβυτέρου καταμαρτυρεῖν οὐκ ἔξεστι); Tit 1:5; Js 5:14; 1 Pt 5:1, 5 (s. 1a above); 1 Cl 44:5; 47:6; 54:2; 57:1. WWrede, Untersuchungen zum 1 Cl 1891, 8ff.—Acc. to 2 Cl 17:3, 5 exhortation and preaching in the church services were among their duties.—In Ign. the πρεσβύτεροι come after the bishop, to whom they are subordinate IMg 2; 3:1; 6:1, or betw. the bishop and the deacons IPhld inscr.; 10:2; IPol 6:1, or the higher rank of the bishop in comparison to them is made plain in some other way ITr 3:1; 12:2 (s. πρεσβυτέριον b; cp. Hippol., Ref. 9, 12, 22).—Polycarp—an ἐπίσκοπος, accord. to the title of the Ep. bearing his name—groups himself w. πρεσβύτεροι in Pol inscr., and further takes the presence of presbyters in Philippi for granted (beside deacons, though no ἐπίσκοπος is mentioned; cp. Hdb. on Pol inscr.) Pol 5:3.

β. Just how we are to understand the words ὁ πρεσβύτερος, applied to himself by the author of the two smallest Johannine letters 2J 1; 3J 1, remains in doubt. But in any case it is meant to indicate a position of great dignity the elder.—HWindisch, exc. on 3J, end; ESchwartz, Über den Tod der Söhne Zebedaei 1904, 47; 51; HWendt, ZNW 23, 1924, 19; EKäsemann, ZTK 48, ’51, 292–311; DWatson, NTS 35, ’89, 104–30, rhetorical analysis of 2J.—ὁ πρ. and οἱ πρ. are mentioned by Papias in these much-discussed passages: 2:3, 4, 5, 7, 14, 15. For some of the lit. s. the note on JKleist’s transl. ’48, p. 207 n. 18.

γ. In Rv there are 24 elders sitting on thrones about the throne of God; they form a heavenly council of elders (cp. Is 24:23) 4:4, 10; 5:5–14; 7:11, 13; 11:16; 14:3; 19:4. The elders have been understood as glorified human beings of some kind or astral deities (or angels) (for the var. views s. RCharles, ICC Rv I 128–33; JMichl, D. 24 Ältesten in d. Apk. d. hl. J. ’38); the number 24 has been referred to the following: the 24 priestly classes of the Jews (1 Ch 24:7–18; Jos., Ant. 7, 365–67) whose heads were called ‘elders’ (Yoma 1, 5; Tamid 1, 1; Middoth 1, 8); the 24 stars which, according to Babylonian belief, stood half on the north and half on the south of the zodiac (Diod S 2, 31, 4; POsl 4, 19: HGunkel, Z. religionsgesch. Verständnis des NT 1903, 42f; Boll 35f); the 24 hours of the day, represented as old men w. shining garments and w. crowns (acc. to the Test. of Adam [ed. CBezold, TNöldeke Festschr. 1906, 893–912]: JWellhausen, Analyse der Offb. Joh. 1907, p. 9, 1; NMorosof, Offb. Joh. 1912, 32); the 24 Yazatas in the state of the gods in heaven, acc. to Persian thought (Bousset). It is certainly an open question whether, or how far, the writer of Rv had any of these things in mind.—On the presbyters, and esp. on the question how ἐπίσκοπος and πρεσβύτερος were originally related to each other (a question which is raised particularly in the pastorals; cp. MDibelius, Hdb. exc. after 1 Ti 3:7 section 2 [w. lit.] and before 5:17), s. the lit. s.v. ἐπίσκοπος.—BEaston, Pastoral Epistles ’47, 188–97; WMichaelis, Das Ältestenamt ’53; GBornkamm, πρεσβύτερος; RCampbell, The Elders ’94.—B. 1472. DELG s.v. πρέσβυς. M-M. EDNT. TW.

προκόπτω (Eur., Hdt. et al.) in our lit. only intr. (Polyb. et al.; ins, pap; Ps 44:5 Sym.; TestJud 21:8; Philo, Joseph., Just.) impf. προέκοπτον; fut. προκόψω; 1 aor. προέκοψα.

① to move forward to a final stage, of time be advanced, be far gone (Chariton 2, 3, 9; Appian, Bell. Civ. 2, 78 §325 ἡ ἡμέρα προύκοπτεν; Just., D. 56, 16) ἡ νὺξ προέκοψεν (Jos., Bell. 4, 298) Ro 13:12.

② to move forward to an improved state, progress, advance in what is good or in what is bad τινί in someth. (Diod S 11, 87, 5; SIG 708, 18 [II B.C.] ἡλικίᾳ προκόπτων; Philo, Sacr. Abel. 7) Lk 2:52 v.l. Also ἔν τινι (Diod S 17, 69, 4; Epict. 2, 17, 4; Lucian, Hermot. 63; M. Ant. 1, 17, 8; Vett. Val. 60, 15; 19) Lk 2:52. ἐν τῷ Ἰουδαϊσμῷ Gal 1:14. ἐν ταῖς ἐντολαῖς 2 Cl 17:3; ἐπὶ πλεῖον πρ. (Diod S 14, 98, 3) make further progress 2 Ti 3:9; w. gen. foll. (Ael. Aristid. 46 p. 405 D. τ. σοφίας) ἐπὶ πλεῖον πρ. ἀσεβείας 2:16 (cp. Jos., Ant. 20, 205). πρ. ἐπὶ τὸ χεῖρον go on from bad to worse 3:13 (Paroem. Gr.: Zenob. 3, 82 τῶν ἐπὶ τὸ χεῖρον προκοπτόντων; Jos., Bell. 6, 1 τὰ πάθη προύκοπτεν καθʼ ἡμέραν ἐπὶ τὸ χεῖρον, Ant. 4, 59; 18, 340; TestJud 21:8 v.l. ἐπὶ τὸ κακόν; schol. on Soph., El. 875 p. 142 ἐπὶ τὸ βέλτιον).—M-M. TW. Spicq.

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.

ἁρπαγμός, οῦ, ὁ (rare in nonbibl. Gk.; not found at all in the Gk. transl. of the OT; in our lit. only in Phil 2:6).

① a violent seizure of property, robbery (s. ἁρπάζω; Plut., Mor. 12a; Vett. Val. 122, 1; Phryn., Appar. Soph.: Anecd. Gr. I 36. Also Plut., Mor. 644a ἁρπασμός), which is next to impossible in Phil 2:6 (W-S. §28, 3: the state of being equal w. God cannot be equated w. the act of robbery).

② As equal to ἅρπαγμα, someth. to which one can claim or assert title by gripping or grasping, someth. claimed w. change fr. abstr. to concr. (as θερισμός Rv 14:15, cp. J 4:35; ἱματισμός J 19:24). This mng. cannot be quoted fr. non-Christian lit., but is grammatically justifiable (Kühner-Bl. II p. 272; RLipsius, Hand-Comment. ad loc.). Christian exx. are Eus., In Luc. 6 (AMai, Nova Patrum Bibliotheca IV 165), where Peter regards death on the cross as ἁρπαγμός ‘a prize to be grasped eagerly’, and Cyrill. Alex., De Ador. 1, 25 (MPG, LXVIII 172c), Lot does not regard the angels’ demand (Gen 19:15ff) as a ἁρπαγμός ‘prize’.—Acc. to FVokes, on Phil 2:5–11 in Studia Evangelica 2, ’64, 670–75, forms in-μα may approach-μος forms in mng., but not vice versa, cp. πορισμός 1 Ti 6:5 (for rejoinder s. RMartin, Carmen Christi ’67, 137).

ⓐ If ἁρπαγμός approaches ἅρπαγμα in mng., it can be taken ‘sensu malo’ to mean booty, (a) grab (so for ἅρπαγμα LXX), and only the context and an understanding of Paul’s thought in general can decide whether it means holding fast to someth. already obtained (ἁ.=‘res rapta’; so the Gk fathers, s. Lampe, s.v. B 1) or the appropriation to oneself of someth. that is sought after (ἁ.=‘res rapienda’).

ⓑ But a good sense is also poss., a piece of good fortune, windfall, prize, gain (Heliod., 7, 11, 7; 7, 20, 2 [=ἕρμαιον]; 8, 7, 1; Plut., Mor. 330d; Nägeli 43f)=ἕρμαιον (Isid. Pelus., Ep. 4, 22); again it remains an open question whether the windfall has already been seized and is waiting to be used, or whether it has not yet been appropriated. In favor of the former is the contrast between Adam (implied as a dramatic foil) and his anxiety about death and equality w. God and Jesus’ majestic freedom from such anxiety, with culmination in the ultimate vindication of Jesus, whose destiny contrasts with Adam’s implied fate: οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγήσατο τὸ εἶναι ἴσα θεῷ did not consider equality w. God a prize to be tenaciously grasped. (Cp. the fortunes of Zeus: Diod S 3, 61, 4–6.)

③ Another, and less probable, mng. is (mystical) rapture, s. ἁρπάζω 2b and LHammerich, An Ancient Misunderstanding (Phil. 2:6 ‘robbery’), ’66, who would translate the phrase ‘considered that to be like God was no rapture’; a similar view was expressed by PFlorensky (1915), quoted in Dictionnaire de la Bible, Suppl. V, ’57, col. 24 s.v. kénose.—LSaint-Paul, RB n.s. 8, 1911, 550ff (pretext, opportunity); WJaeger, Her. 50, 1915, 537–53 (w. further support, RHoover, HTR 64, ’71, 95–119); AJülicher, ZNW 17, 1916, 1–17; PSchmidt, PM 20, 1916, 171–86; HSchumacher, Christus in s. Präexistenz u. Kenose nach Phil 2:5–8, I 1914, II 1921; FLoofs, StKr 100, 1927/28, 1–102; ELohmeyer, Kyrios Jesus: SBHeidAk 1927/28, 4 Abh.; WFoerster, ZNW 29, 1930, 115–28; FKattenbusch, StKr 104, ’32, 373–420; EBarnikol, Mensch u. Messias ’32, Philipper 2, ’32; KBornhäuser, NKZ 44, ’33, 428–34; 453–62; SMowinckel, NorTT 40, ’39, 208–11; AStephenson, CBQ 1, ’39, 301–8; AFeuillet, Vivre et Penser, Sér. 2, ’42, 61f; AFridrichsen: AKaritz Festschr. ’46, 197ff; HAlmqvist, Plut. u. d. NT, ’46, 117f; JHering, D. bibl. Grundlagen des Christl. Humanismus ’46, 31f; AEhrhardt, JTS 46, ’45, 49–51 (cp. Plut., Mor. 330d; Diod S 3, 61, 6); EKäsemann, ZTK 47, ’50, 313–60; HKruse, Verbum Domini 27, ’49, 355–60; 29, ’51, 206–14; LBouyer, RSR 39, ’51, 281–88; DGriffiths, ET 69, ’57/58, 237–39; RMartin, Carmen Christi (Phil 2:5–11) ’67, esp. 134–64; 320–39 (lit.). NWright, JTS 37, ’86, 321–52; SVollenweider, NTS 45, ’99, 413–33 (surveys of debate).—S. also s.v. κενόω 1b.—EDNT. DELG s.v. ἁρπάζω. M-M. TW. Sv.