Ῥήγιον
Rhḗgion
G4484 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A maritime city located in southern Italy, situated on the western shore of the strait separating the Italian Peninsula from Sicily. In the context of the New Testament and contemporary Greek usage, it refers specifically to the city of Rhegium, a prominent port, without broader semantic extensions.
Semantic Range
Rhegium (city in Italy), proper noun, port city near the Strait of Messina
Root / Etymology
Of Latin origin; borrowed from Latin 'Rhegium,' itself possibly deriving from Greek ῥήγνυμι (rhēgnymi, 'to break'), referencing the mythological separation (the 'breaking' apart) of Sicily from Italy. The term is a transliterated place name rather than a native Greek word.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Ῥήγιον appears in the New Testament at Acts 28:13 as the name of a specific city encountered by Paul during his journey. As a loanword from Latin, it does not reflect Greek morphological roots but represents the practice of adopting place names from other languages within Koine usage. The city's name in Greek usage likely referenced its strategic and geographical location near the strait (the modern city is Reggio di Calabria). The connection to Greek ῥήγνυμι illustrates an ancient attempt to etymologize the name based on local geography or myth. English translations typically retain the proper noun 'Rhegium,' which accurately reflects the original term and its limited reference in the biblical context.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
of Latin origin; Rhegium, a place in Italy:--Rhegium.
Root Family
Ῥήγιον (Rhēgion) — Rhegium, maritime city, proper place name
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4484-01 |
Ῥήγιον | region | N ACC N SG |
Rhegium | Rhegium | Rhegium | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4484-01 |
Acts 28:13 | Ῥήγιον | region | N ACC N SG |
Rhegium | Rhegium | Rhegium |