Greek word · G2604

καταγγελεύς

katangeleus

proclaimer

Herald, announcer, proclaimer. The word belongs to public life: the official who announced sacred games, festivals or honours.

Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

καταγγελεύς, -έως, ὁ

a proclaimer, herald (in Inscr., κ. ἀγώνων, Deiss., LAE, 97): with genitive obj., Acts 17:18.†

(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 17:18

Range of meaning

Herald, announcer, proclaimer. The word belongs to public life: the official who announced sacred games, festivals or honours.

Against the English

'Setter forth' (KJV), 'advocating' (BSB, NIV, WEB, used as a verb), 'preacher' (ESV), 'proclaimer' (NASB). 'Preacher' can call up a church pulpit. 'Herald' or 'promoter' keeps the civic, cult-announcing flavour.

Used elsewhere in the period

This is its only New Testament use. Inscriptions use it for heralds of festivals, including those connected with the emperor cult (e.g. inscriptions cited in BDAG and in Moulton–Milligan).

Similar words

Where it appears

Acts · 1

  1. Acts 17:18 καταγγελεὺς a proclaimer

    Some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others said, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was proclaiming the good news of Jesus and the resurrection.

    Here: This word appears only here in the New Testament. In inscriptions it names official heralds who announced festivals and cults, so it casts Paul as the promoter of a new religious cult.

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