πολίτευμα
políteuma
G4175 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A body of citizens; the status or condition of being a member of a political community or commonwealth; in abstract, citizenship, civic status, or civic life. In Hellenistic contexts, often denotes membership or participation in a civic body. In figurative or metaphorical usage, can signify belonging to a spiritual or non-earthly commonwealth, as in certain New Testament passages.
Semantic Range
civic body, community of citizens, citizenship, civic status, condition or rights of membership in a polity; metaphorical sense of belonging to a spiritual or supra-terrestrial polity or community
Root / Etymology
From πολιτεύομαι ('to live as a citizen, conduct oneself as a member of the state'), itself from πόλις ('city, city-state'). Root refers to affairs of the city or civic life.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical Greek, πολίτευμα is relatively rare but refers to a body of citizens or the constitution of a city. By the Hellenistic period, it often suggests both the organized community of citizens and the privileges or rights associated with citizenship. In Philippians 3:20, the term acquires a metaphorical sense, referring to the citizens' association (the 'commonwealth' or 'civic status') in the 'heavenly' realm rather than an earthly city-state. English translation traditions sometimes render it as 'conversation,' reflecting an older English sense of the word ('manner of life' or 'mode of living'), which may obscure the civic or communal aspect implied in the Greek. The underlying concept is more closely related to belonging or allegiance to a political or communal entity than to individual behavior or discourse.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from πολιτεύομαι; a community, i.e. (abstractly) citizenship (figuratively):--conversation.
Root Family
πολιτευ- (políteuma) — to be a citizen, to conduct civic life, to participate in civic affairs
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4175-01 |
πολίτευμα | politeuma | N NOM N SG |
citizenship | civic commonwealth | civic commonwealth | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4175-01 |
Philippians 3:20 | πολίτευμα | politeuma | N NOM N SG |
citizenship | civic commonwealth | civic commonwealth |