πολιτεία
politeía
G4174 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Status of being a citizen; membership or participation in a civic body. By extension, the concept includes the rights, privileges, or responsibilities associated with civic life, and also the organized community or state itself (body politic). In some contexts, refers to the structure or constitution of a city-state or the common rights enjoyed by citizens, especially as distinguished from non-citizens or resident foreigners.
Semantic Range
citizenship, the rights of citizens, participation in political community, body politic, constitution or civic organization, a self-governing city or state, the community of citizens, national identity or membership
Root / Etymology
From the stem πολιτ- (polit-), related to πολίτης (citizen), itself formed from πόλις (city, city-state). The term expresses qualities or phenomena bound to the life of the πόλις and its members (citizens).
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical Greek, πολιτεία is a broad and important term with various meanings: (1) the condition or rights of citizenship, (2) the collective ‘citizenry’ or political body, (3) the constitution or system of government. In major works—from Plato’s 'Republic' (whose title is 'Πολιτεία') to Aristotle's 'Politics'—it refers both to the ideal of civic organization and actual forms of governance. In Hellenistic and Roman periods, it often designated a self-governing civic community within an imperial context (cf. Josephus, Philo). In the Septuagint, it is rare but can translate terms related to national identity, community, or rights (cf. 2 Macc 4:11, “citizenship” of Antioch). In the New Testament (Eph 2:12), πολιτεία denotes membership in the 'commonwealth' or political community (i.e., the organized body of the Israelites or the civic people of God). Standard English translations ('commonwealth,' 'citizenship') may not reflect the full classical sense, which includes both the legal status and the social-political reality of civic membership. Both abstract and concrete nuances are present, but the term does not simply indicate 'freedom' as in the Strong's gloss; it always implies organized collective existence.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from πολίτης ("polity"); citizenship; concretely, a community:--commonwealth, freedom.
Root Family
πολιτεία (politeia) — citizenship, civic life, organized community
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4174-01 |
πολιτείαν | politeian | N ACC F SG |
citizenship | citizenship | citizenship | 1 |
G4174-02 |
πολιτείας | politeias | N GEN F SG |
citizenship | of citizenship | citizenship | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4174-01 |
Acts 22:28 | πολιτείαν | politeian | N ACC F SG |
citizenship | citizenship | citizenship |
G4174-02 |
Ephesians 2:12 | πολιτείας | politeias | N GEN F SG |
citizenship | of citizenship | citizenship |