Greek word · G4760

στρατόπεδον

stratopedon

army camp

Literally "army-ground": a military camp; by extension the army stationed in it, and in Roman-era Greek often a legion. BDAG: "camp, encampment; body of troops, army, legion."

Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

στρατό-πεδον, -ου, τό

(στρατός + πέδον, a plain), [in LXX: Jeremiah 34:1 (חַיִל), 2Ma.8:12, al. ;]

(a) a military camp;

(b) an army: Luke 21:20.†

(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 Luke 21:20

Range of meaning

Literally "army-ground": a military camp; by extension the army stationed in it, and in Roman-era Greek often a legion. BDAG: "camp, encampment; body of troops, army, legion."

Against the English

"Armies" (most versions) is a fair rendering, but it loses the picture of fortified camps planted around the city. YLT's "encampments" keeps it.

Used elsewhere in the period

Common in Polybius and Josephus for Roman legionary camps and legions. Josephus describes the legions under Titus pitching separate camps on Mount Scopus and the Mount of Olives in AD 70 (Jewish War 5.67–70). In the Septuagint it describes, for example, Nebuchadnezzar's army attacking Jerusalem (Jer 41:1 LXX = 34:1 Hebrew), and it appears in 2–4 Maccabees. This is its only New Testament occurrence.

Where it appears

Luke · 1

  1. Luke 21:20 στρατοπέδων encampments

    But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, you will know that her desolation is near.

    Here: Literally "camps". It means armies dug in around the city in fortified encampments, as a besieging force does, not troops passing through. The plural suggests several camps or legions. This is its only use in the New Testament.

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