Lexical Summary rhétór: Orator, Speaker Original Word: ῥήτωρ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance attorney, advocateFrom rheo; a speaker, i.e. (by implication) a forensic advocate -- orator. see GREEK rheo NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom a modified form of ereó Definition a public speaker NASB Translation attorney (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4489: ῤήτωρῤήτωρ, ῤήτορος, ὁ, ( Ρ᾽ΑΩ), a speaker, an orator (Sophocles, Euripides, Aristophanes, Xenophon, Plato, others): of a forensic orator or advocate, Acts 24:1. (Cf. Thomas Magister, under the word (p. 324, 15 edition Ritschl); B. D., under the word Topical Lexicon Definition and Cultural Background Strong’s Greek 4489 designates the professional public speaker or forensic orator of the Greco-Roman world. Such a figure, commonly retained to present civil or criminal cases, blended mastery of language with legal expertise. In Roman provincial courts, Jewish leaders sometimes hired these specialists both for their persuasive skill and for their familiarity with imperial procedures. Occurrence in Scripture Acts 24:1 is the single New Testament occurrence: “Five days later the high priest Ananias went down to Caesarea with some elders and a lawyer named Tertullus, and they brought formal charges against Paul before the governor” (Berean Standard Bible). Here ῥήτωρ refers to Tertullus, engaged by the Sanhedrin to prosecute the apostle Paul before Governor Felix. Historical Context in Acts 24:1 The setting is Caesarea Maritima, A.D. 57–59. The chief priest and elders, determined to silence Paul, deploy every resource, including a rhetor skilled in Roman legal rhetoric. Their strategy highlights the seriousness of the charges and the political stakes. Felix’s courtroom required Roman forms of accusation; thus Tertullus opens with flattery toward Felix (Acts 24:2-4) and crafts a threefold indictment—sedition, leadership of a Nazarene sect, and defilement of the Temple (Acts 24:5-6). Paul replies with his apologia (Acts 24:10-21), exposing the emptiness of the allegations and testifying to “the Way”, thereby turning the hearing into gospel proclamation. Role of Oratory in Ancient Judicial Processes 1. Persuasion over Evidence: In Roman jurisprudence, eloquence could outweigh factual proof. Cicero’s speeches illustrate the cultural expectation that truth is often established by persuasive flair. Ministry and Theological Implications The episode contrasts human eloquence with Spirit-empowered testimony: Related Biblical Themes • Legal Advocacy: Job’s plea for an advocate (Job 9:33) foreshadows Christ as the believer’s ultimate Paraclete (1 John 2:1). Human rhetors are temporal; the divine Advocate is eternal. Applications for the Church Today 1. Confidence in the Gospel: Believers need not fear high-profile opposition or polished rhetoric; truth prevails through God’s power and providence. Strong’s 4489 therefore illumines the interplay of legal rhetoric and gospel witness, reminding the Church that Christ’s servants, though sometimes opposed by expert oratory, stand secure in the unchanging truth and authority of Scripture. Forms and Transliterations ρητορος ρήτορος ῥήτορος retoros rētoros rhetoros rhētoros rhḗtorosLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |