ἐξουσία, ἐξουσίας, ἡ (from ἔξεστι, ἐξόν, which see), from Euripides, Xenophon, Plato down; the Sept. for îÆîÀùÈÑìÈä and Chaldean ùÈÑìÀèÈï; power.

1. power of choice, liberty of doing as one pleases; leave or permission: 1Co 9:12; 1Co 9:18; ἔχειν ἐξουσίαν, 2Th 3:9; with an infinitive added indicating the thing to be done, Joh 10:18; 1Co 9:4; Heb 13:10 (WH brackets ἐξουσία); followed by an infinitive with τοῦ, 1Co 9:6 (L T Tr WH omit τοῦ); with a genitive of the thing or the person with regard to which one has the power to decide: Rom 9:21 (where an explanatory infinitive is added (Buttmann, 260 (224))); 1Co 9:12; ἐπί τό ξύλον τῆς ζωῆς, permission to use the tree of life, Rev 22:14 (see ἐπί, C. I. 2 e.); ἐξουσίαν ἔχειν περί τοῦ ἰδίου θελήματος (opposed to ἀνάγκην ἔχειν (cf. Winer’s Grammar, § 30, 3 N. 5)), 1Co 7:37; ἐν τῇ ἰδίᾳ ἐξουσία (appointed, see τίθημι, 1 a. sub at the end) according to his own choice, Act 1:7; ἐν τῇ σῇ ἐξουσία ὑπῆρχεν, i. e. at thy free disposal, Act 5:4; used of liberty under the gospel, as opposed to the yoke of the Mosaic law, 1Co 8:9.

2. "physical and mental power; the ability or strength with which one is endued, which he either possesses or exercises": Mat 9:8; Act 8:19; Rev 9:3; Rev 9:19; Rev 13:2; Rev 13:4; Rev 18:1; followed by an infinitive of the thing to be done, Mar 3:15; Luk 12:5; Joh 1:12; Rev 9:10; Rev 11:6; Rev 13:5; followed by τοῦ with the infinitive Luk 10:19; αὕτη ἐστιν ἡ ἐξουσία τοῦ σκότους, this is the power that darkness exerts, Luk 22:53; ποιεῖν ἐξουσίαν to exert power, give exhibitions of power, Rev 13:12; ἐν ἐξουσία εἶναι, to be possessed of power and influence, Luk 4:32; also ἐξουσίαν ἔχειν (both expressions refer to the ability and weight which Jesus exhibited in his teaching) Mat 7:29; (Mar 1:22); κατ’ ἐξουσίαν powerfully, Mar 1:27; also ἐν ἐξουσία, Luk 4:36.

3. the power of authority (influence) and of right: Mat 21:23; Mar 11:28; Luk 20:2; spoken of the authority of an apostle, 2Co 10:8; 2Co 13:10; of the divine authority granted to Jesus as Messiah, with the infinitive of the thing to be done, Mat 9:6; Mar 2:10; Luk 5:24; Joh 5:27; ἐν ποίᾳ ἐξουσία; clothed in what authority (i. e. thine own or God’s?), Mat 21:23-24; Mat 21:27; Mar 11:28-29; Mar 11:33; Luk 20:2; Luk 20:8; delegated authority (German Vollmacht, authorization): παρά τίνος, with the genitive of the person by whom the authority is given, or received, Act 9:14; Act 26:10; Act 26:12 (R G).

4. the power of rule or government (the power of him whose will and commands must be submitted to by others and obeyed (generally translated authority));

a. universally: Mat 28:18; Jud 1:25; Rev 12:10; Rev 17:13; λαμβάνειν, ἐξουσίαν ὡς βασιλεύς, Rev 17:12; εἰμί ὑπό ἐξουσίαν, I am under authority, Mat 8:9; with τασσόμενος added, (Mat 8:9 L WH brackets); Luk 7:8; ἐξουσία τίνος, the genitive of the object, authority (to be exercised) over, as τῶν πνευμάτων τῶν ἀκαθάρτων, Mar 6:7; with ὥστε ἐκβάλλειν αὐτά added, Mat 10:1; ἐξουσίαν πάσης σαρκός, authority over all mankind, Joh 17:2 (πάσης σαρκός κυρειαν, Bel and the Dragon, verse 5); (the genitive of the subject, τοῦ Σατανᾶ, Act 26:18); ἐπί τινα, power over one, so as to be able to subdue, drive out, destroy, Rev 6:8; ἐπί τά δαιμόνια, Luk 9:1; or to hold submissive to one’s will, Rev 13:7; ἐπί τάς πληγάς, the power to inflict plagues and to put an end to them, Rev 16:9; ἐπί τῶν ἐθνῶν, over the heathen nations, Rev 2:26; ἐπί τίνος, to destroy one, Rev 20:6; ἔχειν ἐξουσίαν ἐπί τοῦ πυρός, to preside, have control, over fire, to hold it subject to his will, Rev 14:18; ἐπί τῶν ὑδάτων, Rev 11:6; ἐπάνω τίνος ἐξουσίαν ἔχειν, to be ruler over a thing, Luk 19:17.

b. specifically, α. of the power of judicial decision; ἐξουσίαν ἔχειν with an infinitive of the thing decided: σταυρῶσαι and ἀπολῦσαι τινα, Joh 19:10; followed by κατά τίνος, the power of deciding against one, Joh 19:11; παραδοῦναι τινα ... τῇ ἐξουσία τοῦ ἡγεμόνος, Luk 20:20. β. of authority to manage domestic affairs: Mar 13:34.

c. metonymically, α. a thing subject to authority or rule: Luk 4:6; jurisdiction: ἐκ τῆς ἐξουσίας ἡδωρου ἐστιν, Luk 23:7 (1Ma 6:11 (cf. Psa 113:2 (); Isa 39:2)). β. one who possesses authority; (cf. the Latin use ofhonestates,dignitates,auctoritates (so the English authorities, dignities, etc.) in reference to persons); αα. a ruler, human magistrate (Dionysius Halicarnassus 8, 44; 11, 32): Rom 13:1-3; plural: Luk 12:11; Rom 13:1; Tit 3:1. ββ. the leading and more powerful among created beings superior to man, spiritual potentates; used in the plural of a certain class of angels (see ἀρχή, δύναμις, θρόνος, κυριότης): Col 1:16; 1Pe 3:22 (cf. Fritzsche on Romans, vol. ii., p. 226f; (Lightfoot on Colossians, the passage cited)); with ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις added, Eph 3:10; πᾶσα ἐξουσία, 1Co 15:24; Eph 1:21; Col 2:10; used also of demons: in the plural, Eph 6:12; Col 2:15; collectively (cf. Lob. ad Phryn., p. 469), ἡ ἐξουσία τοῦ ἀέρος (see ἀήρ), Eph 2:2; τοῦ σκότους, Col 1:13 (others refer this to 4 a. (or c. α.) above (cf. Luk 22:53 in 2), and regard σκότος as personified; see σκότος, b.).

d. a sign of the husband’s authority over his wife, i. e. the veil with which propriety required a woman to cover herself, 1Co 11:10 (as βασιλεία is used by Diodorus 1, 47 for the sign of regal power, i. e. a crown). (Synonym: see δύναμις, at the end. On the infinitive after ἐξουσία, and ἐξουσία ἔχειν cf. Buttmann, 260 (223f).)