Ταρσεύς
Tarseús
G5018 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A native or inhabitant of Tarsus. Refers specifically to someone originating from the city of Tarsus in Cilicia. The term identifies geographic origin rather than ethnicity, religious affinity, or citizenship status, and is used to distinguish Tarsian origin from other regional identities.
Semantic Range
native of Tarsus, inhabitant of Tarsus, person from Tarsus
Root / Etymology
Derived from Ταρσός (Tarsos), the proper name of the city Tarsus, with a Greek adjectival ending -εύς indicating a person from or associated with a place.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Ταρσεύς is attested in Koine Greek as a gentilicial adjective, based on place of origin, rather than as a term denoting ethnicity or socio-political identity. In New Testament contexts (Acts 21:39), it expressly describes Paul as being 'a Tarsian from Cilicia,' emphasizing geographic origin as opposed to citizenship or ancestral tribe. The term does not imply Judean, Israelite, or Roman citizenship, and later English Bible translations render the term as 'of Tarsus,' using the city as the primary identifier. Ταρσός was a major Hellenistic, then Roman, city in southern Anatolia, known as a center of learning and commerce, but Ταρσεύς carries none of these connotations unless clarified by context. The suffix -εύς is a standard Greek formation for demonyms. The semantic range is geographically precise, limited to identifying a person as a native or inhabitant of Tarsus, and does not take on broader religious or ethnic connotations in either the New Testament or Hellenistic literature.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from Ταρσός; a Tarsean, i.e. native of Tarsus:--of Tarsus.
Root Family
Ταρσεύς (Tarseus) — native of Tarsus, inhabitant of Tarsus, person from Tarsus
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G5018-01 |
Ταρσέα | tarsea | N ACC M SG |
of Tarsus | a Tarsian | a Tarsian | 1 |
G5018-02 |
Ταρσεὺς | tarseus | N NOM M SG |
of Tarsus | Tarsian | Tarsian | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G5018-01 |
Acts 9:11 | Ταρσέα | tarsea | N ACC M SG |
of Tarsus | a Tarsian | a Tarsian |
G5018-02 |
Acts 21:39 | Ταρσεὺς | tarseus | N NOM M SG |
of Tarsus | Tarsian | Tarsian |