Strong's Lexicon eparchia: Province Original Word: ἐπαρχία Word Origin: Derived from ἔπαρχος (eparchos), meaning "a governor" or "a ruler." Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: While there is no direct Hebrew equivalent for "eparchia," the concept of a province can be related to terms like מְדִינָה (medinah), which also means a district or province, as seen in the Old Testament (e.g., Esther 1:1). Usage: The term "eparchia" refers to a province or a district under the jurisdiction of a governor. In the context of the New Testament, it denotes a region that is administratively governed, often under the larger Roman Empire's control. The word is used to describe areas that were politically and administratively organized. Cultural and Historical Background: During the time of the New Testament, the Roman Empire was divided into several provinces, each governed by a Roman official. These provinces were crucial for maintaining order, collecting taxes, and implementing Roman law and culture. The concept of a province was well understood by the early Christians, as many of the regions mentioned in the New Testament were Roman provinces. This administrative division facilitated the spread of the Gospel, as the Roman roads and governance provided a relatively stable environment for travel and communication. Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 1885: ἐπάρχειοςἐπάρχειος, ἐπαρχειον, "belonging to an ἔπαρχος or prefect"; ἐπάρχειος namely, ἐξουσία, equivalent to ἡ ἐπαρχίᾳ (see the following word), a perfecture, province: Acts 25:1 T WH marginal reading So ἡ ἐπαρχιος, Eusebius, h. e. 2, 10, 3 (with the variant ἐπαρχειον); 2, 26, 2; 3, 33, 3; de mart. Pal. 8, 1; 13, 11. STRONGS NT 1885: ἐπαρχίᾳἐπαρχίᾳ ἐπαρχεία T WH (see εἰ, ἰ)), ἐπαρχίας, ἡ (from ἔπαρχος i. e. ὁ ἐπ' ἀρχή ὤν the one in command, prefect, governor), prefecture; i. e. 1. the office of ἔπαρχος or prefect. 2. the region subject to a prefect; a province of the Roman empire, either a larger province, or an appendage to a larger province, as Palestine was to that of Syria (cf. Schürer, Zeitgesch., p. 144ff): Acts 23:34; Acts 25:1 (see the preceding word); (Polybius, Diodorus, Plutarch, Dio Cass.). Cf. Krebs, Observations, etc., p. 256ff; Fischer, De vitiis Lexicons of the N. T., p. 432ff; (BB. DD. (especially Kitto) under the word From a compound of epi and archo (meaning a governor of a district, "eparch"); a special region of government, i.e. A Roman pr?Fecture -- province. see GREEK epi see GREEK archo Englishman's Concordance Acts 23:34 N-GFSGRK: ἐκ ποίας ἐπαρχείας ἐστὶν καὶ NAS: from what province he was, and when he learned KJV: of what province he was. And INT: of what province he is and Acts 25:1 N-DFS Strong's Greek 1885 |
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