Brief Overview of πολίτης (Strong’s G4177: politēs)

Strong’s G4177: A noun meaning “citizen,” derived from πόλις (city). In the New Testament, it refers to someone who belongs to a city or state with full rights and responsibilities. The term emphasizes formal membership in a political community and the status that accompanies citizenship.

U- Unveiling the Word

Πολίτης represents full membership in a political community, with all associated rights and duties. In the New Testament, it appears in both literal contexts describing city residents and in parables illustrating relationships between people and authority. The early church understood this term as describing both earthly citizenship and spiritual belonging. Today, it helps us understand our dual identity as citizens of earthly nations and God’s kingdom.

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N – Necessary Information

• Greek Word: πολίτης, politēs, /pol-ee’-tace/
• Detailed Pronunciation: p (plosive) + ol (syllable) + ee (vowel) + tace (final syllable)
• Part of Speech: Noun

Etymology:

• Root: πολ- (pol-) from πόλις (city)
• Suffix: -ίτης (-itēs) denoting membership/belonging
• Function: Creates a noun indicating a member of a city/state

D – Defining Meanings

• Citizen
• City resident
• Member of a state
• Fellow citizen
• National

Translation Options:

• Citizen – Best captures legal status
• Fellow countryman – Emphasizes community aspect
• Resident – Highlights physical presence aspect

E – Exploring Similar Words

• συμπολίτης (sympolitēs) /soom-pol-ee’-tace/ – refers to fellow citizen – See G4847
• πάροικος (paroikos) /par’-oy-kos/ – refers to resident alien – See G3941
• κάτοικος (katoikos) /kat’-oy-kos/ – refers to inhabitant – See G2730

R – Reviewing the Word’s Morphology

• Case: Nominative, Genitive, Dative, Accusative
• Number: Singular, Plural
• Gender: Masculine
• Declension: 1st declension

Examples:
Singular:

• Nominative: πολίτης
• Genitive: πολίτου
• Dative: πολίτῃ
• Accusative: πολίτην

S – Studying Lexicon Insights

BDAG emphasizes legal citizenship status. Thayer’s notes community membership aspects. LSJ traces political usage. Vine’s highlights social relationships. Strong’s connects it to civil rights. Moulton and Milligan document administrative usage.

T – Tracing the Scriptures

First Appearance:
Luke 15:15: “So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens [πολιτῶν] of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs.”

Additional References:
Luke 19:14, Acts 21:39

A – Analyzing Classical Usage

N – Noteworthy Summary

Πολίτης reminds us of our responsibilities as citizens of both earth and heaven. It proclaims the good news that through Christ, we become citizens of God’s kingdom while maintaining our earthly civic duties with integrity and purpose.

D – Did You Know?

1. Πολίτης appears 4 times in the New Testament
2. The term was crucial in Greek democratic theory
3. It influenced early Christian understanding of church membership

Strong’s G4177: A noun meaning “citizen,” derived from πόλις (city). In the New Testament, it refers to someone who belongs to a city or state with full rights and responsibilities. The term emphasizes formal membership in a political community and the status that accompanies citizenship.

Part of speech: Noun

Tags: citizen, citizenship, civic membership, political status, community member, nationality, civic rights, Biblical Greek, New Testament terminology, Luke, Acts, civic duty​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​