παροικία
paroikía
G3940 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
The condition or period of living as a resident alien or foreigner in a place not one's native land; a sojourn away from one's homeland. Contextually, sometimes emphasizes impermanence or marginal status of the community or individual; may connote temporary residence, exile, or the experience of being an outsider in a community, as opposed to full citizenship or rooted belonging.
Semantic Range
period of foreign residence, condition of being a resident alien, sojourning, exile, temporary dwelling away from one's homeland, marginalized residency; by extension, metaphorical sojourn (especially in later Jewish and Christian contexts)
Root / Etymology
From πάροικος (paroikos, 'sojourner, stranger, foreign resident'), itself from παρά ('beside, alongside') + οἶκος ('house, dwelling'). Thus, 'one who dwells beside (but not in) the house' or in a place as a non-native. The suffix -ία denotes a state or condition, forming an abstract noun.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical Greek, παροικία is rare, mostly denoting the act or state of being a non-citizen resident. In the Hellenistic and especially Koine periods, it becomes more common, often denoting temporary or foreign residence (cf. Philo, LXX, NT). In the Septuagint, used to render Hebrew terms related to sojourning (e.g., גֵּר, ger), typically describing the Israelites' period of 'sojourning' in Egypt or their marginalization among nations. In the New Testament, especially in 1 Peter 1:17 and 2:11, it carries theological resonance, describing the believer's earthly life as a temporary sojourn, paralleling the experience of Israelites as resident aliens. English translations often render as 'sojourning,' 'sojourning place,' or 'exile,' but may flatten the sense of marginalization or legal outsider status present in ancient contexts. Contrasts with πολίτευμα ('citizenship') in that παροικία emphasizes lack of full integration, while the former implies rights and belonging.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from πάροικος; foreign residence:--sojourning, X as strangers.
Root Family
παροικ- (paroikía) — to reside beside, to dwell as a foreigner, to sojourn
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| G3941 | πάροικος | resident aliens |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3940-01 |
παροικίᾳ | paroikia | N DAT F SG |
sojourn | in foreign residence | sojourn | 1 |
G3940-02 |
παροικίας | paroikias | N GEN F SG |
sojourning | of the sojourning | sojourning | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3940-01 |
Acts 13:17 | παροικίᾳ | paroikia | N DAT F SG |
sojourn | in foreign residence | sojourn |
G3940-02 |
1 Peter 1:17 | παροικίας | paroikias | N GEN F SG |
sojourning | of the sojourning | sojourning |