Brief Overview of Σαδδουκαῖος (Strong’s G4523: Saddoukaios)

Strong’s G4523: A member of the Jewish sect of Sadducees, derived possibly from Zadok, David’s high priest. This influential religious and political group in first-century Judaism rejected belief in resurrection, angels, and oral tradition, adhering strictly to written Torah and maintaining significant control over Temple worship.

U- Unveiling the Word

The term Σαδδουκαῖος represents a powerful religious and political faction in First Century Judaism. First appearing in Matthew 3:7, where John the Baptist confronts them along with the Pharisees, they exemplified religious formalism without spiritual reality. As Temple aristocracy, they wielded significant influence but denied supernatural elements of faith including resurrection, angels, and spirits. Early church writers often used this term to warn against similar spiritual blindness and materialism. Today, Σαδδουκαῖος serves as a reminder of how religious authority without spiritual understanding can miss the truth of God’s kingdom.

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N – Necessary Information

• Greek Word: Σαδδουκαῖος, Saddoukaios, /sad-doo-kah’-yos/
• Pronunciation Guide: “sad” (like ‘sad’), “doo” (like ‘do’), “kah” (like ‘car’), “yos” (like ‘yoss’)
• Part of Speech: Noun

Etymology:

• Possibly from Hebrew צָדוֹק (Zadok), David’s high priest
• Alternative view: from Hebrew צַדִּיק (tzaddik) meaning “righteous”
• Suffix: -αῖος (-aios) indicating membership or adherence
• Combined meaning: follower of Zadok/adherent of righteousness

D – Defining Meanings

• Member of the Sadducee sect
• Jewish religious leader
• Temple aristocrat
• Religious rationalist

For compound words:
Not a compound word, but includes the -αῖος suffix indicating group membership

Translation Options:

• “Sadducee” – traditional transliteration
• “Temple aristocrat” – emphasizes social position
• “Jewish rationalist” – emphasizes theological stance

E – Exploring Similar Words

• Φαρισαῖος (Pharisaios) /far-is-ah’-yos/ – Pharisee See G5330 – contrasting religious group
• ἀρχιερεύς (archiereus) /ar-khee-er-yuce’/ – high priest See G749 – related authority figure
• νομικός (nomikos) /nom-ik-os’/ – lawyer See G3544 – similar religious expert

R – Reviewing the Word’s Morphology

Morphological features as a noun:

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

Example forms:

• Nominative singular: Σαδδουκαῖος
• Genitive singular: Σαδδουκαίου
• Dative singular: Σαδδουκαίῳ
• Accusative singular: Σαδδουκαῖον
• Plural: Σαδδουκαῖοι

Cross-references:

• Related adjective: Σαδδουκαϊκός (Sadducean)
• No verbal forms

S – Studying Lexicon Insights

BDAG emphasizes their religious and political influence. Thayer’s details their theological positions. LSJ notes their prominence in Jewish society. Vine’s highlights their conflicts with Jesus. Strong’s connects them to Temple administration. LEH discusses their presence in Jewish literature. Moulton and Milligan document their historical significance.

T – Tracing the Scriptures

First appearance:

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” (Matthew 3:7)

Additional References:
Matthew 16:1
Matthew 22:23
Mark 12:18
Acts 4:1
Acts 5:17
Acts 23:6

A – Analyzing Classical Usage

N – Noteworthy Summary

The term Σαδδουκαῖος reminds us how religious authority without spiritual understanding can miss the truth of King Jesus. Their denial of resurrection ironically set them against the very One who would prove resurrection’s reality. This promotes the good news by showing how Jesus fulfills what they denied – bringing life, resurrection, and spiritual reality beyond mere religious observance.

D – Did You Know?

1. The Sadducees disappeared from history after the Temple’s destruction in 70 AD.
2. Unlike the Pharisees, they left no written works of their own.
3. They controlled the Temple treasury and profited from money-changing operations Jesus opposed.

Strong’s G4523: A member of the Jewish sect of Sadducees, derived possibly from Zadok, David’s high priest. This influential religious and political group in first-century Judaism rejected belief in resurrection, angels, and oral tradition, adhering strictly to written Torah and maintaining significant control over Temple worship.

Part of speech: Noun

Tags: Sadducees, Jewish sects, Temple authority, resurrection denial, religious leaders, Matthew’s Gospel, Acts, Jewish aristocracy, religious opposition, Temple worship​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​