Strong's Lexicon
polis: City
Original Word:πόλις
Part of Speech:Noun, Feminine
Transliteration:polis
Pronunciation:POH-lis
Phonetic Spelling:(pol'-is)
Definition:City
Meaning:a city, the inhabitants of a city.
Word Origin:Derived from the Greek root word "πολέω" (poleo), meaning "to sell" or "to trade," reflecting the city's role as a center of commerce and community.
Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: -עִיר (ʿiyr) - Strong's Hebrew 5892, meaning "city" or "town."
Usage:In the New Testament, "polis" refers to a city or town, often highlighting its significance as a hub of population, culture, and governance. It is used to describe both literal cities and metaphorical cities, such as the "city of God" or the "heavenly city."
Cultural and Historical Background:In the Greco-Roman world, a "polis" was more than just a physical location; it was a center of political, economic, and social life. Cities were often fortified and served as administrative centers. They were places where people gathered for trade, worship, and community activities. The concept of the "polis" was integral to Greek identity and civic life, influencing the development of democracy and public discourse.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina prim. word
Definitiona city
NASB Translationcities (20), city (142).
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 4172: πόλιςπόλις,
πολισεως,
ἡ (
πέλομαι, to dwell (or rather denoting originally 'fullness,' 'throng'; allied with Latin
pleo, plebs, etc.; cf.
Curtius, p. 79 and § 374;
Vanicek, p. 499; (otherwise
Fick 1:138))) (from
Homer down), the
Sept. chiefly for
עִיר, besides for
קִרְיָה,
שַׁעַר (gate), etc.,
a city;
a. universally,Matthew 2:23;Mark 1:45;Luke 4:29;John 11:54;Acts 5:16, and very often in the historical books of the N. T.;κατάτήνπόλιν, through the city (A. V.in; seeκατά, II. 1 a.),Acts 24:12;κατάπόλιν,κατάπόλεις, seeκατά, II. 3a.α., p. 328a; opposed toκῶμαι,Matthew 9:35;Matthew 10:11;Luke 8:1;Luke 13:22; toκῶμαικαίἀγροί,Mark 6:56;ἡἰδίᾳπόλις, seeἴδιος, 1b., p. 297a;πόλις with the genitive of a personone's native city,Luke 2:4, 11;John 1:44(45); orthe city in which one lives,Matthew 22:7;Luke 4:29;Luke 10:11;Acts 16:20;Revelation 16:19; Jerusalem is called, on account of the temple erected there,πόλιςτοῦμεγάλουβασιλέως, i. e. in which the great King of Israel, Jehovah, has his abode,Matthew 5:35;Psalm 47:2 (), cf. Tobit 13:15; alsoἅγιαπόλις (seeἅγιος, 1 a., p. 7a) andἡἠγαπημένη, the beloved of God,Revelation 20:9. with the genitive of a gentile noun:Δαμασκηνῶν,2 Corinthians 11:32;Ἐφεσίων,Acts 19:35;τῶνἸουδαίων,Luke 23:51;τοῦἸσραήλ,Matthew 10:23;Σαμαρειτῶν,Matthew 10:5; with the genitive of a region:τῆςΓαλιλαίας,Luke 1:26;Luke 4:31;Ιουδα, of the tribe of Judah,Luke 1:39;Λυκαονίας,Acts 14:6;Κιλικίας,Acts 21:39;τῆςΣαμαρείας,John 4:5;Acts 8:5. As in classical Greek the proper name of the city is added — either in the nominative case, asπόλιςἸόππη,Acts 11:5; or in the genitive, asπόλιςΣοδομων,Γομορρας,2 Peter 2:6;Θυατείρων,Acts 16:14.b. used ofthe heavenly Jerusalem (seeἹεροσόλυμα, 2), i. e.α. the abode of the blessed, in heaven:Hebrews 11:10, 16; withΘεοῦζῶντος added,Hebrews 12:22;ἡμελλουσαπόλις,Hebrews 13:14.β. in the visions of the Apocalypse it is used of the visible capital of the heavenly kingdom, to come down to earth after the renovation of the world:Revelation 3:12;Revelation 21:14ff; 22:14;ἡπόλιςἡἅγια,Revelation 22:19; withἹερουσαλήμκαινή added,Revelation 21:2.
c.πόλις by metonymy, forthe inhabitants:Matthew 8:34;Acts 14:21;πᾶσαἡπόλις,Matthew 21:10;Acts 13:44;ἡπόλιςὅλῃ,Mark 1:33;Acts 21:30;πόλιςμερισθεῖσακαθ'ἑαυτῆς,Matthew 12:25.
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
city.Probably from the same aspolemos, or perhaps frompolus; a town (properly, with walls, of greater or less size) -- city.
see GREEKpolus
see GREEKpolemos
Forms and Transliterations
πολει πόλει πολεις πόλεις πόλεσι πόλεσί πολεσιν πόλεσιν πολεων πόλεων πόλεών πολεως πόλεως πόλεώς πολιν πόλιν πολις πόλις πολις΄ polei pólei poleis póleis poleon poleōn póleon póleōn poleos poleōs póleos póleōs polesin pólesin polin pólin polis pólisLinks
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