Greek word · G4681

Σπανία

spania

Spain

The Iberian peninsula, divided in Paul’s day into the Roman provinces of Baetica, Lusitania and Tarraconensis. Paul’s form follows the Latin Hispania. Greek writers more often said Ibēria.

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

What it means

Σπανία, -ας, ἡ

(= cl. Ἑσπερία or Ἰβηρία; late writers adopted the Roman name, Ἱσπανία (1Ma.8:3) or Σ. as here),

Spain: Romans 15:24, 28.†

(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 Romans 15:24

Range of meaning

The Iberian peninsula, divided in Paul’s day into the Roman provinces of Baetica, Lusitania and Tarraconensis. Paul’s form follows the Latin Hispania. Greek writers more often said Ibēria.

Against the English

English “Spain” suggests the modern nation. To Paul’s readers it meant the far western edge of the inhabited world, where the land ended at the Pillars of Heracles (Strait of Gibraltar) and Gades (Cádiz).

Used elsewhere in the period

Strabo, Geography book 3, describes Iberia as the western end of the inhabited world. In the Hebrew Bible, Tarshish (often linked with southern Spain) stands for the most distant sea-land: Jonah 1:3, and Isa 66:19, where God sends messengers “to Tarshish… to the distant coastlands that have not heard of my fame.” 1 Clement 5:7 (about AD 96) says Paul reached “the limit of the west.”

Where it appears

Romans · 2

  1. Romans 15:24 Σπανίαν Spain

    I hope to see you on my way to Spain. And after I have enjoyed your company for a while, you can equip me for my journey.

    Here: The Iberian peninsula, Rome’s far-western provinces. To an ancient reader it was the western edge of the inhabited world. Paul’s spelling follows the Latin name Hispania rather than the older Greek name “Iberia.”

  2. Romans 15:28 Σπανίαν. Spain.

    So after I have completed this service and have safely delivered this bounty to them, I will set off to Spain by way of you.

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