Greek word · G3465

Μυσία

mysia

Mysia

A geographical and ethnic region of north-west Asia Minor, bordered roughly by the Hellespont and Propontis to the north, Bithynia to the north-east, Phrygia to the east, and Lydia to the south. It was a region, not a Roman province of its own name.

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

What it means

Μυσία, -ας, ἡ

Mysia, a province of Asia Minor: Acts 16:7-8.†

(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 16:8

Range of meaning

A geographical and ethnic region of north-west Asia Minor, bordered roughly by the Hellespont and Propontis to the north, Bithynia to the north-east, Phrygia to the east, and Lydia to the south. It was a region, not a Roman province of its own name.

Against the English

English versions simply write 'Mysia'. Modern readers usually don't know that it lay inside the province of Asia, and that fact is the key to the verse.

Used elsewhere in the period

Strabo, Geography books 12–13, describes Mysia and its uncertain borders. The region passed to Rome in 133 BC with the will of Attalus III of Pergamum, and became part of the province of Asia.

Where it appears

Acts · 2

  1. Acts 16:7 Μυσίαν Mysia

    And when they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not permit them.

    Here: An old ethnic and geographical region in the north-west of the Roman province of Asia. It was not a separate province. Troas (v. 8) lay on its coast.

  2. Acts 16:8 Μυσίαν Mysia

    So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas.

    Here: The north-western region of Asia Minor, part of the Roman province of Asia. Asia was the province where the Spirit had just forbidden them to speak the word (v. 6).

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