Strong's Lexicon
léstés: Robber, bandit, brigand
Original Word:λῃστής
Part of Speech:Noun, Masculine
Transliteration:léstés
Pronunciation:lay-STACE
Phonetic Spelling:(lace-tace')
Definition:Robber, bandit, brigand
Meaning: a robber, brigand, bandit.
Word Origin:Derived from the Greek verb λῃστεύω (lēsteuō), meaning "to plunder" or "to rob."
Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries:The Hebrew equivalent often associated with "léstés" is פָּרִיץ (parits), meaning "violent one" or "robber," as seen in passages like Ezekiel 7:22.
Usage:The term "léstés" refers to a person who engages in robbery or banditry, often with violence or threat. In the New Testament, it is used to describe individuals who steal through force or intimidation, distinguishing them from common thieves (κλέπτης, kleptēs) who may act more covertly.
Cultural and Historical Background:In the first-century Roman world, banditry was a common problem, especially in rural and less-policed areas. Bandits, or "léstés," often operated in groups, attacking travelers and caravans. The Roman authorities dealt harshly with such criminals, often sentencing them to crucifixion, a punishment reserved for the most serious offenses. This context helps explain why "léstés" is used in the New Testament to describe those crucified alongside Jesus.
HELPS Word-studies
3027lēstḗs – a thief ("robber"), stealingout in the open (typically withviolence).3027/lēstḗs ("a bandit, briard") is a thiefwho also plunders and pillages – an unscrupulous marauder (malefactor), exploiting the vulnerable without hesitating to use violence.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom léis (booty)
Definitiona robber
NASB Translationrobber (5), robbers (6), robbers' (4).
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 3027: λῃστήςλῃστής,
ληστου,
ὁ (for
ληιστής from
ληίζομαι, to plunder, and this from Ionic and epic
ληίς, for which the Attics use
λεῖα, booty) (from
Sophocles and
Herodotus down),
a robber; a plunderer, freebooter, brigand:
Matthew 26:55;
Mark 14:48;
Luke 22:52;
John 10:1;
John 18:40; plural,
Matthew 21:13;
Matthew 27:38, 44;
Mark 11:17;
Mark 15:27;
Luke 10:30, 36;
Luke 19:46;
John 10:8;
2 Corinthians 11:26. (Not to be confounded with
κλέπτηςthief, one who takes property by stealth (although the distinction is obscured in
A. V.); cf.
Trench, § xliv.)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
robber, thief.From leizomai (to plunder); a brigand -- robber, thief.
Forms and Transliterations
λησται λησταί λῃσταί λῃσταὶ λησταις λησταίς λῃσταῖς ληστας ληστάς λῃστάς ληστην ληστήν λῃστὴν ληστης ληστής λῃστής ληστων ληστών λῃστῶν leistaí leistaì lēistaí lēistaì leistaîs lēistaîs leistás lēistás leistḕn lēistḕn leistḗs lēistḗs leistôn lēistō̂n lestai lēstai lestais lēstais lestas lēstas lesten lēstēn lestes lēstēs leston lēstōnLinks
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