Strong's Lexicon
G4686 — σπεῖρα
Greek entry for Bible study and original-language reference.
Definition / Gloss
| Strong's Number: | G4686 |
|---|---|
| Word: | σπεῖρα |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Etymology: | of immediate Latin origin, but ultimately a derivative of G138 in the sense of its cognate G1507 |
| Language: | Greek |
| Occurrences: | 7 |
| Transliteration: | speira |
| Phonetic Spelling/Pronunciation: | spei`-rah |
| Meaning: | 1. a coil (spira, "spire") 2. (figuratively) a mass of men (a Roman military cohort) 3. (by analogy) a squad of Levitical janitors |
| KJV Renderings: | band |
Use Strong's responsibly
Strong's is an index and starting point, not the final meaning of a word. Do not build doctrine from a gloss, root, or number. Test meaning by sentence, grammar, authorial usage, context, and the passage argument.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
σπεῖρα (on the accent cf. Buttmann, 11; Chandler § 161; Tdf. Proleg., p. 102), ἡ, genitive σπείρης (Act 10:1; Act 21:31; Act 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 (Joh 18:12; Act 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): Mat 27:27; Mar 15:16; Act 10:1; Act 21:31; Act 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 (2Ma 8:23; Jdt 14:11): Joh 18:3; Joh 18:12.
Englishman's Greek Concordance
σπεῖρα (band)
Matthew 27:27
- KJV: Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall and gathered unto him the whole band
- GK: τότε οι στρατιώται του ηγεμόνος παραλαβόντες τον Ιησούν εις το πραιτώριον συνήγαγον επ΄ αυτόν όλην την σπείραν
Mark 15:16
- KJV: And the soldiers led him away into the hall called Prætorium and they call together the whole band
- GK: οι δε στρατιώται απήγαγον αυτόν έσω της αυλής ο εστι πραιτώριον και συγκαλούσιν όλην την σπείραν
John 18:3
- KJV: Judas then having received a band and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons
- GK: ο ούν Ιούδας λαβών την σπείραν και εκ των αρχιερέων και Φαρισαίων υπηρέτας έρχεται εκεί μετά φανών και λαμπάδων και όπλων
John 18:12
- KJV: Then the band and the captain and officers of the Jews took Jesus and bound him
- GK: η ουν σπείρα και ο χιλίαρχος και οι υπηρέται των Ιουδαίων συνέλαβον τον Ιησούν και έδησαν αυτόν
Acts 10:1
- KJV: There was a certain man in Cæsarea called Cornelius a centurion of the band called the Italian
- GK: ανήρ δε τις ην εν Καισαρεία ονόματι Κορνήλιος εκατοντάρχης εκ σπείρης της καλουμένης Ιταλικής
Acts 21:31
- KJV: And as they went about to kill him tidings came unto the chief captain of the band that all Jerusalem was in an uproar
- GK: ζητούντων δε αυτόν αποκτείναι ανέβη φάσις τω χιλιάρχω της σπείρης ότι όλη συγκέχυται Ιερουσαλήμ
Acts 27:1
- KJV: And when it was determined that we should sail into Italy they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners unto named Julius a centurion of Augustus’ band
- GK: ως δε εκρίθη του αποπλείν ημάς εις την Ιταλίαν παρεδίδουν τον τε Παύλον και τινας ετέρους δεσμώτας εκατοντάρχη ονόματι Ιουλίω σπείρης Σεβαστής