Greek word · G5466
Χαλδαῖος
chaldaios
Chaldean
A Chaldean: a member of the people of southern Mesopotamia (Kaldu in Assyrian sources) who founded the Neo-Babylonian empire. In later Greek it also meant an astrologer or diviner.
Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·
What it means
From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).
In depth
- Range of meaning
A Chaldean: a member of the people of southern Mesopotamia (Kaldu in Assyrian sources) who founded the Neo-Babylonian empire. In later Greek it also meant an astrologer or diviner.
- Against the English
'Land of the Chaldeans' is an accurate translation in all versions.
- Used elsewhere in the period
In Genesis 11:28, 31 and 15:7 the Septuagint renders Hebrew 'Ur Kasdim' as 'the land (chōra) of the Chaldeans'. Acts follows that Greek tradition. Philo and Josephus (Antiquities 1.151–157) also locate Abraham's origin among the Chaldeans. Both tie it to Chaldean astrology, which Abraham supposedly gave up.
Where it appears
Acts · 1
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Acts 7:4 Χαλδαίων of Chaldeans
So Abraham left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After his father died, God brought him out of that place and into this land where you are now living.
Here: 'Of the Chaldeans.' This is the Septuagint's (the Greek Old Testament's) wording for 'Ur of the Chaldeans' (Gen 11:28, 31; 15:7), meaning southern Mesopotamia, the region later linked with Babylon.
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.