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Ἀβιληνή

Abilēnḗ

G9 noun

SILEX Entry

Root uncertain region, district, territory

Definition

A district or region northwest of Damascus in Coele-Syria, specifically known from the Hellenistic and Roman periods. The main sense is the geographic region called Abilēnē, with reference to its territorial extent and political administration. It is notable as a toponym, denoting the area governed by Lysanias during the early Roman imperial era.

Semantic Range

territorial district; region or locality (esp. in Roman Syria); specifically Abilēnē, the district northwest of Damascus ruled by tetrarchs under Roman authority

Root / Etymology

Uncertain; possibly derived from Semitic (Hebrew אָבֵל, 'meadow' or 'stream'), as found in several biblical place names (e.g., Abel-beth-maacah), though direct lineage to its Greek form is not conclusively established.

Historical & Contextual Notes

The term Ἀβιληνή appears only in Luke 3:1 within the New Testament, situating it to the north of Judea as a tetrarchy during the time of the early Roman Empire. Classical and later sources (such as Josephus, Ant. 18.5.1) also mention Abilēnē, consistently as a district or territory in Coele-Syria, sometimes under the control of Lysanias or other local rulers. In Greek usage, it is never a personal or ethnonym, only a geographic designation. The Greek form transliterates a Semitic regional name, and its appearance in the New Testament reflects Luke's attention to accurately situating events within known political geography. Standard English translations render the term as 'Abilene', matching its role as a proper place name. The connection to the Hebrew 'Abel' for 'meadow' is plausible but not etymologically certain; other Greek terms for region or city (such as χώρα or πόλις) were not used here, highlighting the importance of local non-Greek toponymy in administrative titles.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

of foreign origin (compare אָבֵל); Abilene, a region of Syria:--Abilene.

Root Family

Ἀβιληνή (Abilēnē) — region, district, territory

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
G9-01 Ἀβειληνῆς abeilenes N GEN F SG Abilene of Abilene 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
G9-01 Luke 3:1 Ἀβειληνῆς abeilenes N GEN F SG Abilene of Abilene
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