4489. rhétór
Lexical Summary
rhétór: Orator, Speaker

Original Word: ῥήτωρ
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: rhétór
Pronunciation: hray'-tohr
Phonetic Spelling: (hray'-tore)
KJV: orator
NASB: attorney
Word Origin: [from G4483 (ῥέω - To flow)]

1. a speaker
2. (by implication) a forensic advocate

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
attorney, advocate

From rheo; a speaker, i.e. (by implication) a forensic advocate -- orator.

see GREEK rheo

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from a modified form of ereó
Definition
a public speaker
NASB Translation
attorney (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 4489: ῤήτωρ

ῤήτωρ, ῤήτορος, , ( 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 , 2.)

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.
2. Patronage and Prestige: Wealthy or influential parties secured rhetors to enhance their cause. The Sanhedrin’s hiring of Tertullus reflects both means and motivation.
3. Public Audience: Trials served as civic theater, shaping public opinion. The rhetoric directed at Felix aimed to condition the broader Gentile audience against Paul.

Ministry and Theological Implications

The episode contrasts human eloquence with Spirit-empowered testimony:
• Paul relies on “a clear conscience before God and man” (Acts 24:16) rather than professional sophistry.
• The pattern accords with 1 Corinthians 2:4 where Paul insists that his message came “not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power.”
• God’s providence places Paul before governors and kings, fulfilling Jesus’ prophecy in Matthew 10:18. Even when adversaries employ the finest oratorical talent, the gospel remains unassailable.

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.
• Wisdom versus Eloquence: Proverbs 15:22 values wise counsel, yet Isaiah 29:14 anticipates the frustration of worldly wisdom.
• Apologetics: Acts 22–26 chronicles Paul’s successive defenses, providing a biblical foundation for reasoned witness grounded in personal testimony and Scripture.

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.
2. Integrity in Speech: While rhetorical skill is a gift, it must be submitted to Christ, avoiding manipulation or flattery (Ephesians 4:15).
3. Engagement with Civil Structures: Like Paul, Christians may utilize legal systems for protection and proclamation, trusting God’s sovereignty over earthly courts.
4. Training in Apologetics: Preparation to give “a defense to everyone who asks” (1 Peter 3:15) remains vital. The contrast between Tertullus and Paul encourages clarity, honesty, and dependence on the Holy Spirit rather than mere technique.

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 rhḗtoros
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Acts 24:1 N-GMS
GRK: τινῶν καὶ ῥήτορος Τερτύλλου τινός
NAS: elders, with an attorney [named] Tertullus,
KJV: [with] a certain orator [named] Tertullus,
INT: some and an orator Tertullus a certain

Strong's Greek 4489
1 Occurrence


ῥήτορος — 1 Occ.

4488
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