Greek word · G2332

Θεσσαλονίκη

thessalonikē

Thessalonica

The proper name of the city founded c. 316/315 BC by Cassander, king of Macedon, who named it after his wife Thessalonike, a half-sister of Alexander the Great.

Appears 5 times in 5 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

θεσσαλονίκη, -ης, ἡ

Thessalonica, a city of Macedonia: Acts 17:1, 11 17:13, Philippians 4:16, 2 Timothy 4:10.†

(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 17:1

Range of meaning

The proper name of the city founded c. 316/315 BC by Cassander, king of Macedon, who named it after his wife Thessalonike, a half-sister of Alexander the Great. Under Rome it was the capital of the province of Macedonia (from 146 BC) and a 'free city' (from 42 BC), meaning it governed its own internal affairs.

Against the English

English readers mostly know the name from the epistles. The Greek hearer would have heard the name of a provincial capital and a major port on the Via Egnatia, the Roman highway across the Balkans.

Used elsewhere in the period

Described by Strabo (Geography 7) as the most populous city of Macedonia in his day. Inscriptions from the city name its magistrates as politarchai, the same title Luke uses in Acts 17:6. This is one of the classic confirmations of Luke's local accuracy.

Similar words

Where it appears

Acts · 3

  1. Acts 17:1 Θεσσαλονίκην, Thessalonica,

    When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue.

    Here: The capital of the Roman province of Macedonia and its largest port, about 100 miles from Philippi by road. Paul's later letters 1 and 2 Thessalonians were written to the believers he gathered here.

  2. Acts 17:11 Θεσσαλονίκῃ, Thessalonica,

    Now the Bereans were more noble-minded than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if these teachings were true.

    Here: The capital of the province of Macedonia. In context 'those in Thessalonica' means the synagogue Jews there who turned jealous and started a riot (17:5). It does not mean every Thessalonian, since some Thessalonians had believed (17:4).

  3. Acts 17:13 Θεσσαλονίκης Thessalonica

    But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that Paul was also proclaiming the word of God in Berea, they went there themselves to incite and agitate the crowds.

    Here: The capital of the Roman province of Macedonia, where Paul had just been forced out (17:5–10).

Philippians · 1

  1. Philippians 4:16 Θεσσαλονίκῃ Thessalonica

    For even while I was in Thessalonica, you provided for my needs again and again.

2 Timothy · 1

  1. 2 Timothy 4:10 Θεσσαλονίκην· Thessalonica;

    because Demas, in his love of this world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.

    Here: The capital of the province of Macedonia and a major port on the Via Egnatia road. It had a church Paul founded. Why Demas went there is not stated; it may have been his home.

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