Original Word: πολίτης
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: polités
Pronunciation: po-LEE-tace
Phonetic Spelling: (pol-ee'-tace)
Definition: Citizen
Meaning: a citizen, fellow-citizen.

citizen.

From polis; a townsman -- citizen.

see GREEK polis

Word Origin
from polis
Definition
a citizen
NASB Translation
citizen (1), citizens (2), fellow citizen (1).

STRONGS NT 4177: πολίτης

πολίτης, πολιτου, ὁ (πόλις), from Homer down, a citizen; i. e.

a. the inhabitant of any city or conntry: πόλεως, Acts 21:39; τῆς χώρας ἐκείνης, Luke 15:15.

b. the associate of another in citizenship, i. e. a fellow-citizen, fellow-countryman, (Plato, Apology, p. 37 c.; others): with the genitive of a person, Luke 19:14; Hebrews 8:11 (where Rec. has τόν πλησίον) from Jeremiah 38:34 (), where it is used for רֵעַ , as in Proverbs 11:9, 12; Proverbs 24:43 ().

Word Origin: Derived from πόλις (polis), meaning "city."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: The concept of citizenship in the Hebrew Bible is less explicitly defined, but related ideas can be found in terms like גּוּר (gur, H1481) meaning "to sojourn" or "to dwell," and תּוֹשָׁב (toshav, H8453) meaning "resident alien" or "sojourner," which describe individuals living within a community with certain rights and responsibilities.

Usage: The term "πολίτης" is used in the New Testament to refer to individuals who are recognized as members of a particular community or state, often with the connotation of having certain rights and responsibilities.

Context: The Greek term "πολίτης" appears in the New Testament to describe individuals who belong to a specific community or polity, often implying a sense of belonging and shared identity. In the context of the New Testament, this term is used to convey both earthly and heavenly citizenship.

In Luke 15:15, the term is used in the parable of the Prodigal Son: "So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs." Here, "πολίτης" refers to a resident of a foreign land, highlighting the son's alienation from his own community.

In Acts 21:39, Paul asserts his Roman citizenship: "Paul answered, 'I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city. Please let me speak to the people.'" This usage underscores the privileges and protections afforded to Roman citizens, which Paul invokes to gain a hearing.

Theologically, the concept of citizenship is expanded in Ephesians 2:19: "Therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of God's household." Here, "πολίτης" is used metaphorically to describe believers' inclusion in the community of faith, emphasizing their new identity and unity in Christ.

The notion of citizenship in the New Testament often carries dual implications: the earthly citizenship with its legal and social dimensions, and the heavenly citizenship that signifies spiritual belonging and eternal inheritance. This duality reflects the early Christian understanding of living in the world while being part of the Kingdom of God.

πολιται πολίται πολῖται πολίταις πολίτας πολιτην πολίτην πολιτης πολίτης πολιτων πολιτών πολιτῶν politai polîtai politen politēn políten polítēn polites politēs polítes polítēs politon politôn politōn politō̂nInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts