Greek word · G4947

Συρία

syria

Syria

The Roman province of Syria, governed by a legate based at Antioch, which included Phoenicia and the Damascus region. Judea came under the governor's general oversight. In everyday speech the word could mean the lands north and northeast of Galilee, which were mostly non-Jewish.

Appears 8 times in 8 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

Συρία, -'ιό, ή

Syria: Matthew 4:24, Luke 2:2, Acts 15:23, 41 18:18 20:3 21:3, Galatians 1:21.†

(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 Matthew 4:24

Range of meaning

The Roman province of Syria, governed by a legate based at Antioch, which included Phoenicia and the Damascus region. Judea came under the governor's general oversight. In everyday speech the word could mean the lands north and northeast of Galilee, which were mostly non-Jewish.

Against the English

All versions have 'Syria'. NLT has 'as far as Syria', which reads the phrase as a limit.

Used elsewhere in the period

Luke 2:2 (Quirinius governor of Syria). Josephus often uses Syria for the province. Mark's parallel (1:28) has instead 'all the surrounding region of Galilee'. Only Matthew names Syria.

Where it appears

Matthew · 1

  1. Matthew 4:24 Συρίαν· Syria;

    News about Him spread all over Syria, and people brought to Him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering acute pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and He healed them.

    Here: The large Roman province, or more loosely the mostly non-Jewish lands north and northeast of Galilee. Either way it points beyond Israel's heartland.

Luke · 1

  1. Luke 2:2 Συρίας Syria

    This was the first census to take place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.

Acts · 5

  1. Acts 15:23 Συρίαν Syria

    and sent them with this letter: The apostles and the elders, your brothers, To the brothers among the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Greetings.

    Here: The wider Roman province of Syria, whose capital was Antioch.

  2. Acts 15:41 Συρίαν Syria

    And he traveled through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

    Here: The Roman province of Syria, whose capital was Antioch on the Orontes. Antioch was Paul's home base, and the province held other assemblies of believers as well (15:23).

  3. Acts 18:18 Συρίαν, Syria —

    Paul remained in Corinth for quite some time before saying goodbye to the brothers. He had his head shaved in Cenchrea to keep a vow he had made, and then he sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila.

    Here: The Roman province of Syria, broadly understood. Here it means the eastern Mediterranean coast, including Judea's port of Caesarea and Paul's home base, Syrian Antioch (18:22).

  4. Acts 20:3 Συρίαν, Syria,

    where he stayed three months. And when the Jews formed a plot against him as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia.

  5. Acts 21:3 Συρίαν Syria

    After sighting Cyprus and passing south of it, we sailed on to Syria and landed at Tyre, where the ship was to unload its cargo.

Galatians · 1

  1. Galatians 1:21 Συρίας of Syria

    Later I went to the regions of Syria and Cilicia.

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