Greek word · G4753

στράτευμα

strateuma

troops

An army, a body of troops, a detachment of soldiers. The plural often just means "forces" or "troops".

Appears 8 times in 7 verses of the Greek New Testament. · Updated October 31, 2026

What it means

στράτευμα, -τος, τό

(στρατεύω), [in LXX: 1Ma.9:34, 2Ma.5:24 2Mac 8:21 2Mac 12:38 2Mac 13:13; pl., Judith 11:8, 4Ma.5:1 * ;]

1. = στρατεία (Hdt., al.).

2. an army, a host: pl., Matthew 22:7, Revelation 9:16 19:14, 19; = soldiers, company of soldiers, Acts 23:10, 27; pl., Luke 23:11.†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

Range of meaning: An army, a body of troops, a detachment of soldiers. The plural often just means "forces" or "troops".
Against the English: KJV/WEB "armies", YLT "soldiers", BSB "troops". "Armies" can sound grander than the Greek needs. "Troops" is closer.
Used elsewhere in the period: Used for Herod's soldiers (Luke 23:11), the Roman detachment in Jerusalem (Acts 23:10, 27), and heavenly and earthly armies in Revelation 19:14, 19. It is common in Josephus and Greek historians for military units.

Range of meaning: An army, a body of troops, a detachment. In the plural it means troops or soldiers. It can refer to any organised armed force, large or small.
Against the English: 'Soldiers' (most versions) or KJV 'men of war'. Readers easily assume these are Roman soldiers, as in the other Gospels' mocking scenes.
Used elsewhere in the period: Josephus records that Antipas kept his own army, which the Nabatean king Aretas IV destroyed in 36 CE (Antiquities 18.113–116). Josephus says many Jews saw that defeat as God's punishment for killing John the Baptist. Acts 23:10, 27 uses the word for Roman troops.

Range of meaning: An army or body of troops, from a large field army down to a detachment or a guard of soldiers. In the plural it can mean several armies, or one army thought of in its many units.
Against the English: 'Armies' (KJV, BSB, ESV, NIV) is accurate. The Old Testament phrase 'hosts of heaven' sits behind it, though John uses a different Greek word from the usual one for 'host'.
How it drifted: The word has not drifted. The modern picture it calls up has: soldiers in armour carrying weapons into a fight. John deliberately gives this army no weapons and no part in the fighting.
Used elsewhere in the period: In the New Testament: a king's troops (Matt 22:7), Herod's soldiers (Luke 23:11), the Roman garrison in Jerusalem (Acts 23:10, 27), demonic cavalry (Rev 9:16), and the beast's coalition (Rev 19:19). The Old Testament idea of a heavenly army is widespread. Yahweh is 'LORD of hosts' (Yahweh Sabaoth), the 'army of the LORD' has a commander (Josh 5:14), and horses and chariots of fire surround Elisha (2 Kgs 6:17). God comes with his 'holy ones' (Deut 33:2; Zech 14:5; 1 Enoch 1:9, quoted in Jude 14). The Dead Sea Scrolls' War Scroll (1QM) expects angels to fight beside Israel's final army. Luke 2:13 has 'a multitude of the heavenly host' (stratia, a related word).

Matthew · 1

Matthew 22:7 στρατεύματα armies

The king was enraged, and he sent his troops to destroy those murderers and burn their city.

Here: Plural: "troops" or "forces". This is a military expedition against a rebellious town, not a police arrest. The plural may simply be the normal idiom for a king's forces, not a claim about several separate armies.

Luke · 1

Luke 23:11 στρατεύμασιν troops

And even Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked Him. Dressing Him in a fine robe, they sent Him back to Pilate.

Here: The word is plural: Herod's own armed men, his bodyguard and retinue brought to Jerusalem for Passover. They are Herodian forces, not Pilate's Roman soldiers. The KJV calls them 'men of war'.

Acts · 2

Acts 23:10 στράτευμα troop

The dispute grew so violent that the commander was afraid they would tear Paul to pieces. He ordered the soldiers to go down and remove him by force and bring him into the barracks.
Acts 23:27 στρατεύματι troop

This man was seized by the Jews, and they were about to kill him when I came with my troops to rescue him. For I had learned that he is a Roman citizen,

Here: A detachment of soldiers. In 21:32 these are soldiers and centurions. It is not an "army" in the modern sense.

Revelation · 4

Revelation 9:16 στρατευμάτων armies

And the number of mounted troops was two hundred million; I heard their number.
Revelation 19:14 στρατεύματα armies

The armies of heaven, dressed in fine linen, white and pure, follow Him on white horses.

Here: Organized bodies of soldiers. The plural suggests many units or ranks, a vast host. The word is set up to stand against 'the kings of the earth and their armies' (same word) in 19:19.
Revelation 19:19 στρατεύματα στρατεύματος armies, army

Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies assembled to wage war against the One seated on the horse, and against His army.

Here: Plural: many national armies under many kings. Contrast the single army of the rider at the end of the verse.

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