Greek word · G4989

Σωσίπατρος

sōsipatros

Sosipater

A Greek personal name made from sōzō ("to save, keep safe") and patēr ("father"). Sōpatros is a common shortened form.

Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

Σωσίπατρος, -ου, ὁ

Sosipater: Romans 16:21.†

(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 Romans 16:21

Range of meaning

A Greek personal name made from sōzō ("to save, keep safe") and patēr ("father"). Sōpatros is a common shortened form.

Against the English

All versions transliterate it as Sosipater. Readers seldom realise that Acts 20:4's "Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea" is probably the same person under the short form of his name.

Used elsewhere in the period

The name is common in Greek inscriptions, including from Macedonia. 2 Maccabees 12:19, 24 names a Sosipater as one of Judas Maccabeus' commanders, which shows Jews used the name.

Where it appears

Romans · 1

  1. Romans 16:21 Σωσίπατρος Sosipater

    Timothy, my fellow worker, sends you greetings, as do Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my fellow countrymen.

    Here: A Greek name, roughly "one who keeps his father safe". Probably the same man as Sopater (a short form of the name) of Berea, who travelled with Paul in Acts 20:4.

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