Greek word · G291
Ἀμπλίας
amplias
Ampliatus
A Latin personal name based on ampliare, 'to enlarge, increase'. 'Amplias' is a shortened, familiar form of the same name.
Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·
What it means
From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).
In depth
- Range of meaning
A Latin personal name based on ampliare, 'to enlarge, increase'. 'Amplias' is a shortened, familiar form of the same name.
- Against the English
The KJV's 'Amplias' and the modern 'Ampliatus' are the same man. The difference comes from the manuscripts the translations follow, not from a different person.
- Used elsewhere in the period
The name is common in Roman inscriptions, many of which record slaves and freed slaves, some in the imperial household (J.B. Lightfoot, 'Caesar's Household', in his Philippians commentary; Lampe, From Paul to Valentinus). In the Catacomb of Domitilla in Rome there is a decorated burial chamber inscribed AMPLIATI ('of Ampliatus'), with lettering often dated to the late 1st or early 2nd century. It was later used for Christian burials. Whether it has anything to do with this man is uncertain.
Where it appears
Romans · 1
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Romans 16:8 Ἀμπλιᾶτον Ampliatus
Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord.
Here: A Latin name meaning roughly 'enlarged' or 'increased'. It was very common among slaves and freed slaves in Rome, including in the imperial household, so it hints that this man had a slave background, though it does not prove it.
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.