Strong's G1087: γερουσία (gerousía) Meaning

Quick Definition

γερουσία, ας, ἡ n.f. body of elders

Strong's Definition

the eldership, i.e. (collectively) the Jewish Sanhedrin

Derivation: from G1088 (γέρων);

KJV Usage: senate

UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament

γερουσία (G1087)

noun, f. | -ας | γηράσκω

11.83 · Groups and Classes of Persons and Members of Such Groups and Classes · Socio-Political

Sanhedrin, high council of the Jews the highest council of the Jews (see also συνέδριον[b] ‘Sanhedrin,’ the council of the Jews, 11.80) but with the implication of the maturity and relative advanced age of those constituting the membership of such a council

ACT 5:21

¹ Though γερουσία and πρεσβυτέριον[a] refer to the same council of the Jews as the term συνέδριον[b] (11.80), this does not mean that the three terms are completely identical in meaning. The focus upon maturity of age and judgment as well as presumed social standing are more significant factors in γερουσία and πρεσβυτέριον[a] than in συνέδριον[b].

UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

γερουσία, -as, 7, (adj. γερούσιος, belonging to old men, γέρων), a senate, council of elders; used in prof. auth. of the chief council of nations and cities (ἐν ταῖς πόλεσι ai yepovoia, Xen. mem. 4, 4, 16; in the O. T. of the chief council not only of the whole people of Israel, Ex. iii. 16, ete.; 1 Mace. xii. 6, ete. ; but also of cities, Deut. xix. 12, ete.) ; of the Great Council, the Sanhedrin of the Jews: Acts v. 21, where to τὸ συνέδριον is added καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γερουσίαν τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραήλ and indeed (καί explicative) all the senate, to signify the full Sanhedrin. [Cf. Schiirer, Die Gemeindeverfassung d. Juden in Rom in ἃ. Kaiserzeit nach ἃ. Inschriften dargestellt. Leips. 1879, p. 18 sq.; Hatch, Bamp. Lects. for 1880, p. 64 sq.]

Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary

γερουσία gerousia 1x

a senate, assembly of elders; the elders of Israel collectively, Acts 5:21*

Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon

γερουσία, -ας, ἡ

(< γέρων), [in LXX (Hex. only in OT) for זָקֵן;]

a council of elders, senate; in NT, of the Sanhedrin (Cl. Rev., i, 43 f.; DB, ext., 99): Ac 5:21.†

Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT

γερουσία [page 124] Bishop Hicks has shown ( CR i. p. 43 f.) the important place occupied by the γερουσία in Ephesus and other Greek cities in Roman imperial times, and consequently how the term, and not βουλή , came to be applied to the Sanhedrin in Act_5:21 . In Syll 740 .2 (A.D. 212) ἔ ]δοξεν τῇ ἱερᾷ γερουσίᾳ τοῦ Σωτῆρος [Ἀ ]σκληπιοῦ κτλ , the editor remarks on the singular use of the word for a private sacred college : on ib. 882 (Cos imperial time) τοῦ μνημείου τούτου ἡ γερουσία κήδεται , he suggests the same connotation, and on ib. 737 .132 (ii/A.D.) he argues an application to the ἱερὰ γερουσία of Eleusis (see his reff.). These will suffice to show that a γερουσία concerned, like the Sanhedrin, with res sacrae was nothing unusual. The use of the word for lay senates of various kinds is of course abundant, and does not concern us : see inter alia Ramsay C. and B. ii. p. 438 ff., and Ferguson Legal Terms common to the Macedonian Inscrr. and the NT (Chicago, 1913), p. 30 ff. The two terms of Act_5:21 appear together in Cagnat IV. 836 .7 (Hierapolis,? ii/A.D. or after) ἀποδώσει τῷ [σ ]εμνοτάτῳ συνεδρίωι γερουσίας δηνάρια χείλια (for violating a tomb).

Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon

γερουσία (gerousia) — council of elders. γερουσί-α, ἡ, Council of Elders, senate, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; compare γερωΐα and γεροντί; also of the Carthaginian [Refs 4th c.BC+]; and the Roman, [Refs 1st c.AD+]; of the Jewish Sanhedrin, [LXX+NT]

2. sacred college, ἱερὰ γ. [Refs 3rd c.BC+]

II. ={πρεσβεία}, [Refs 5th c.BC+]

STEPBible — Tyndale Abridged Greek Lexicon

γερουσία, -ας, ἡ (γέρων), [in LXX (Hex. only in OT) for זָקֵן ;] a council of elders, senate; in NT, of the Sanhedrin (Cl. Rev., i, 43f.; DB, ext., 99): Act.5:21.† (AS)

Bible Occurrences (1)

5:21

G1087 γερουσία (gerousía)