Greek word · G1054

Γαλατικός

galatikos

Galatian

'Galatian territory'. This could mean (a) the ethnic homeland of the Celtic Galatians around Ancyra, Pessinus and Tavium in north-central Anatolia, settled in the 3rd century BC, or (b) land within the Roman province of Galatia, created in 25 BC.

Appears 2 times in 2 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

Γαλατικός, -ή, -όν (see previous word),

Galatian, belonging to Galatia: Acts 16:6 18:23.†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Acts 18:23

Range of meaning

'Galatian territory'. This could mean (a) the ethnic homeland of the Celtic Galatians around Ancyra, Pessinus and Tavium in north-central Anatolia, settled in the 3rd century BC, or (b) land within the Roman province of Galatia, created in 25 BC. The province also included parts of Phrygia, Pisidia and Lycaonia, among them the cities Paul evangelised in Acts 13–14.

Against the English

Most English versions say 'the region of Galatia' or 'the country of Galatia'. That sounds like a single clearly bounded country, when the Greek term is ambiguous between an ethnic region and a Roman administrative one.

Used elsewhere in the period

Acts 16:6 has the closely related phrase 'the Phrygian and Galatian region' (tēn Phrygian kai Galatikēn chōran). Inscriptions show that the inhabitants of southern cities such as Pisidian Antioch could be counted as part of the province of Galatia. Classical writers such as Strabo use 'Galatia' for the Celtic heartland. In 1 Cor 16:1 Paul mentions 'the churches of Galatia' that he directed about the collection for Jerusalem, possibly on this very trip.

Similar words

Where it appears

Acts · 2

  1. Acts 16:6 Γαλατικὴν Galatian

    After the Holy Spirit had prevented them from speaking the word in the province of Asia, they traveled through the region of Phrygia and Galatia.

    Here: An adjective, 'Galatic' or 'Galatian'. It may mean belonging to the Roman province of Galatia, or the land of the ethnic Galatians, the Celtic tribes around Ancyra. Which one Luke meant is a long-running debate.

  2. Acts 18:23 Γαλατικὴν Galatian

    After Paul had spent some time in Antioch, he traveled from place to place throughout the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.

    Here: An adjective: 'Galatian'. It could mean the ethnic homeland of the Celtic Galatians in north-central Anatolia, or the territory of the Roman province of Galatia, which also took in southern cities such as Lystra, Derbe, Iconium and Pisidian Antioch. Scholars disagree on which is meant (see debates).

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.