ἐπάρχειος, ἐπαρχειον, "belonging to an ἔπαρχος or prefect"; ἐπάρχειος namely, ἐξουσία, equivalent to ἡ ἐπαρχίᾳ (see the following word), a perfecture, province: Act_25:1 T WH marginal reading So ἡ ἐπαρχιος, Eusebius, h. e. 2, 10, 3 (with the variant ἐπαρχειον); 2, 26, 2; 3, 33, 3; de mart. Pal. 8, 1 ; 13, 11. STRONGS NT 1885: ἐπαρχίᾳἐπαρχίᾳ ἐπαρχεία T WH (see εἰ, ἰ)), ἐπαρχίας, ἡ (from ἔπαρχος i. e. ὁ ἐπ' ἀρχή ὤν the one in command, prefect, governor), prefecture; i. e. 1. the office of ἔπαρχος or prefect. 2. the region subject to a prefect; a province of the Roman empire, either a larger province, or an appendage to a larger province, as Palestine was to that of Syria (cf. Schürer, Zeitgesch., p. 144ff): Act_23:34; Act_25:1 (see the preceding word); (Polybius, Diodorus, Plutarch, Dio Cass.). Cf. Krebs, Observations, etc., p. 256ff; Fischer, De vitiis Lexicons of the N. T., p. 432ff; (BB. DD. (especially Kitto) under the word ).

ἐπαρχεία eparcheia 2x province, Act_23:34 ; Act_25:1

† ἐπαρχεία ( Rec. -χία , ν . Bl., § 3, 5), -ας , ἡ ( < ἔπαρχος , a prefect ), [in LXX : Ezr_4:11 ( H4082 ), Jdt_3:6 A * ;] the jurisdiction of a prefect, a province: Act_23:3 ; Act_23:34 ; Act_25:1 .† *†ἐπάρχεισς , -ον , of a prefect: ἡ ἐ . ( sc . ἐξουσία ) = ἐπαρχεια , q.v. , Act_25:1 ( WH , mg .).†

ἐπαρχεία [page 229] ἐπαρχεία , which is used, like the Lat. provincia , in Act_23:34 ; Act_25:1 , to denote province, sphere of duty, is restored by the editors in P Par 17 .2 (B.C. 154) ἐπαρχίας Θη ]βαΐδος , τοῦ περὶ Ἐλεφαντίνην νομοῦ . They also remark in connexion with this document on the interest of finding a contract of sale drawn in official form and in the Greek language in this remote province at such an early date. See also P Qxy III. 471 .22 (ii/A.D.) ἀπαλ [λ ]αγῆι τ̣η̣̑ς ἐ̣[π ]α̣ρχ̣είας , and ib. XII. 1410 .3 (early iv/A.D.) ἐξ αὐθεντείας Μα̣γ̣[νί ]ο̣[υ ] Ῥούφου τοῦ διασημ (οτάτου ) καθολ (ικοῦ ) ἐπαρχείας Αἰγύπτου καὶ Λιβύης , where the addition of Libya to Egypt in the title of the catholicus is new (Edd.). The title ἔπαρχος is found in the interesting order to return home for the approaching census P Lond 904 .1 (A.D. 104) (= III. p. 125, Selections, p. 73) Γ̣[άΐος Οὐί ]βι̣ο̣[ς Μάξιμος ἔπα ]ρχ [ος ] Αἰγύπτ [ου λέγει κτλ . : cf. P Oxy X. 1271 .1 (A.D. 246), a petition addressed Οὐαλερίῳ Φίρμῳ ἐπάρχῳ Αἰγύπτου . In P Lond 904 .38 (as above) the enrolment is to be made by a certain Festus who is described as ἐπάρχ̣ω [ι ] ε̣ὶ̣λ̣ης ( l. ἴλης ); cf. P Gen I. 47 .1 (A.D. 346) φλαουίῳ Ἀβιννείῳ ἐπάρχῳ εἴλης στρατιωτῶν κάστρων Διο [ν ]υσιάδος . A number of exx. of the title are classified in P Oxy XII. Index VIII. s.v.

ἐπαρχία ἐπαρχία, ἡ, "the government of a province", Plut. [Etym: from ἔπαρχος]

ἐπαρχεία (Rec. -χία, see Bl., § 3, 5), -ας, ἡ (ἔπαρχος, a prefect), [in LXX: Est.4:11 (מְדִינָה), Jdth.3:6 A* ;] the jurisdiction of a prefect, a province: Act.23:3, 34 25:1.† *†ἐπάρχεισς, -ον, of a prefect: ἡ ἐ. (sc. ἐξουσία) = ἐπαρχεια, which see, Act.25:1 (WH, mg.).† (AS)