Original Word: σπεῖρα
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: speira
Pronunciation: SPI-rah
Phonetic Spelling: (spi'-rah)
Definition: Cohort, band, company
Meaning: a cohort, the tenth part of a legion; a military guard.

cohort

Of immediate Latin origin, but ultimately a derivative of haireomai in the sense of its cognate heilisso; a coil (spira, "spire"), i.e. (figuratively) a mass of men (a Roman military cohort; also (by analogy) a squad of Levitical janitors) -- band.

see GREEK heilisso

see GREEK haireomai

Word Origin
of Latin origin
Definition
anything wound up or coiled, by ext. a body (of soldiers), i.e. a cohort
NASB Translation
cohort (7).

STRONGS NT 4686: σπεῖρα

σπεῖρα (on the accent cf. Buttmann, 11; Chandler § 161; Tdf. Proleg., p. 102), ἡ, genitive σπείρης (Acts 10:1; Acts 21:31; Acts 27:1; see (Tdf. Proleg., p. 117; WH's Appendix, p. 156; and) μάχαιρα, at the beginning) (cognate with σπυρίς (which see));

a. Latinspira; anything rolled into a circle or ball, anything wound, rolled up, folded together.

b. a military cohort (Polybius 11, 23, 1 τρεῖς σπείρας. τοῦτο δέ καλεῖται τό σύνταγμα τῶν πεζῶν παρά Ῥωμαίοις κωρτις), i. e. the tenth part of a legion (i. e. about 600 men (i. e. legionaries), or if auxilialies either 500 or 1,000; cf. Marquardt, Römisch. Alterth. III. ii., p. 371. But surely τοῦτο τό σύνταγμα in the quotation comprehends the τρεῖς σπεῖρα; hence, Polybius here makes a σπεῖρα equal to a maniple, cf. 2, 3, 2; 6, 24, 5; cf. Zonaras, Lex., p. 1664, σπεῖρα σύνταγμα διακοσίων ἀνδρῶν. On the other hand, "the later Greek writings almost uniformly employ σπεῖρα as the representative of cohors" (Smith, Dict. of Antiq., edition 2, under the word exercitus, p. 500); and the rise of χιλίαρχος (which was the equivalent of tribunus, the commander of a cohort) in connection with it (John 18:12; Acts 21:31), together with the uniform rendering of the word by cohors in the Latin versions, warrants the margin cohort uniformly added in R. V. to the rendering band): Matthew 27:27; Mark 15:16; Acts 10:1; Acts 21:31; Acts 27:1, and often in Josephus; a maniple, or the thirtieth part of a legion, often so in Polybius ((see above)); any band, company, or detachment, of soldiers (2 Macc. 8:23; Judith 14:11): John 18:3, 12.

Word Origin: Derived from the Greek verb σπεῖρω (speirō), meaning "to sow" or "to scatter."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: There is no direct Hebrew equivalent for "σπεῖρα" as it specifically refers to a Roman military unit. However, the concept of a military group or band can be loosely related to Hebrew terms for military divisions or groups, such as חַיִל (chayil, Strong's H2428), which means "army" or "force."

Usage: The term is used in the New Testament to describe a group of Roman soldiers. It appears in contexts where Roman military presence or action is significant.

Context: The term "σπεῖρα" is used in the New Testament to describe a Roman cohort, a subdivision of a Roman legion. A full Roman legion consisted of approximately 6,000 soldiers, and a "σπεῖρα" would be one-tenth of that, though the exact number could vary depending on the context and period. The presence of a "σπεῖρα" in the New Testament highlights the Roman military influence and authority during the time of Jesus and the early church.

In the Berean Standard Bible, "σπεῖρα" is mentioned in several key passages:

• Matthew 27:27: "Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company around Him."
• Mark 15:16: "Then the soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called the whole company together."
• John 18:3: "So Judas brought a band of soldiers and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees. They arrived there with lanterns, torches, and weapons."
• Acts 10:1: "At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was called the Italian Regiment."

These passages illustrate the role of Roman soldiers in the events surrounding Jesus' crucifixion and the early spread of the Gospel. The "σπεῖρα" is depicted as a formidable and organized military presence, often involved in significant events such as the arrest of Jesus and interactions with early Christians.

σπειρα σπείρα σπεῖρα σπειραν σπείραν σπεῖραν σπειρης σπείρης speira speîra speiran speîran speires speirēs speíres speírēsInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts