Quick Definition
the act or office of priesthood
Strong's Definition
the priestly fraternity, i.e. sacerdotal order (figuratively)
Derivation: from G2407 (ἱερατεύω);
KJV Usage: priesthood
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
ἱεράτευμα, ἱερατευματος, τό (ἱερατεύω), (priesthood i. e.)
a. the office of priest.
b. the order or body of priests (see ἀδελφότης, αἰχμαλωσία, διασπορά, θεραπεία); so Christians are called, because they have access to God and offer not external but 'spiritual' (πνευματικά) sacrifices: 1Pe_2:5; also βασίλειον ἱεράτευμα, 1Pe_2:9 (after Exo_19:6, the Sept.), priests of kingly rank, i. e. exalted to a moral rank and freedom which exempts them from the control of everyone but God and Christ. (Exo_23:22, etc.; 2Ma_2:17); not found in secular authors.)
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
ἱεράτευμα hierateuma 2x
a priesthood; meton. a body of priests, 1Pe_2:5 ; 1Pe_2:9
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
† ἱεράτευμα , -τος , τό
( < ἱερατεύω ),
[in LXX : βασίλειον ἱ ., Exo_19:1-25 ; Exo_6:1-30 ( H3548 H4467 ) Exo_23:22 , 2Ma_2:17 * ;]
a priesthood, body of priests: ἱ ἅγιον , 1Pe_2:5 ; βασ . ἱ , 1Pe_2:9 ( LXX , Ex, l.c .).†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
ἱεράτενμα [page 300]
No ex. of this subst. has yet been found outside Biblical and ecclesiastical Greek, but cf. OGIS 51 .11 (iii/B.C.) ἐκτενῶς ἑαυτὸν συνεπιδιδοὺς εἰς τὸ συναύξεσθαι τὸ τεχνίτευμα , where τεχνίτευμα seems to be used in the same collective sense of a body of artificers, as ἱεράτευμα of a body of priests in 1Pe_2:9 : in ib. .5 Hort ad l. gives good reason for preferring the meaning act or office of priesthood. His whole note on this group of words should be consulted.
Liddell-Scott — Intermediate Greek Lexicon
ἱεράτευμα ἱεράτευμα, ατος, τό, "a priesthood", NTest. [Etym: from ἱερατεύω]
STEPBible — Tyndale Abridged Greek Lexicon
ἱεράτευμα, -τος, τό
(ἱερατεύω), [in LXX: βασίλειον ἱ., Exo.19:1-25 6:1-30 (כֹּהֵן מַמְלָכָה) Exo.23:22, 2Ma.2:17 * ;]
a priesthood, body of priests: ἱ ἅγιον, 1Pe.2:5; βασ. ἱ, 1Pe.2:9 (LXX, Ex, l.with).†
(AS)