πολιτεία, πολιτείας, ἡ (πολιτεύω); 1. the administration of civil affairs (Xenophon, mem. 3, 9, 15; Aristophanes, Aeschines, Demosthenes (others)). 2. a state, commonwealth (2Ma_4:11 2Ma_8:17 2Ma_13:14; Xenophon, Plato, Thucydides (others)): with a genitive of the possessor, τοῦ Ἰσραήλ, spoken of the theocratic or divine commonwealth, Eph_2:12. 3. citizenship, the rights of a citizen (some make this sense the primary one): Act_22:28 (3Ma_3:21; 3Ma_3:23; Herodotus 9, 34; Xenophon, Hell. 1, 1, 26; 1, 2, 10; (4, 4, 6, etc.); Demosthenes, Polybius, Diodorus, Josephus, others).

πολιτεία politeia 2x the state of being a citizen; citizenship, the right or privilege of being a citizen, freedom of a city or state, Act_22:28 ; a commonwealth, community, Eph_2:12

** πολιτεία , -ας , ἡ ( < πολιτεύω ), [in LXX : 2Ma_4:11 ; 2Ma_6:23 ; 2Ma_8:17 ; 2Ma_13:14 , 3Ma_3:21 ; 3Ma_3:23 , 4Ma_3:20 ; 4Ma_8:7 ; 4Ma_17:9 * ;] 1. citizenship: Act_22:28 (3 Mac, ll. c ., Hdt ., Xen ., a1.). 2. government , administration ( Aristoph ., Dem ., al. ). 3. a commonwealth: Eph_2:12 .†

πολιτεία [page 525] In a letter of remonstrance, P Oxy VIII. 1119 .21 (A.D. 254), vindicating the privileges enjoyed by the Antinoites of immunity of public burdens outside their own city, the phrase occurs κατὰ το [ὺ ]ς πατρίους τῆς ἡμετέρας πολειτίας νόμους , in accordance with the ancestral usages of our constitution (Ed.) : cf. Eph_2:12 . Wilcken ( Chrest. I. i. p. 78) cites the following exx. from Egypt of πολιτεία practically = πόλις ( civitas ) P Flor I. 95 .9 (Hermopolis Magna A.D. 375) ὑπεδεξάμεθα [παρά σου ] ὑπὲρ τῆς σῆς πολ [ιτ <ε >ί ]ας , P Lips I. 62 ii. 5 (Antinoopolis A.D. 385) (= Chrest. I. p. 220 ) ὑπεδεξάμην παρά σου καὶ νῦν ὑπὲρ τῆς σῆς πολιτείας , and BGU I. 304 .3 (Fayϋm c. A.D. 640) παγάρχ (ῳ ) τοῦ βορρ (ινοῦ ) σκέλους ταύτης τῆς πολ (ι )τ (είας ). For πολιτεία = citizenship, as in Act_22:28 , we may cite Gnomon 47 ( c. A.D. 150) (= BGU V. I. p. 23) ἀστὴ συνελθοῦσα Α̣ἱ̣̓ [γ ]υ̣[πτίῳ ] κ̣ατ᾽ ἄγνοιαν ὡς ἀστῷ ἀνεύθυνός ἐστιν . ἐὰν δὲ καὶ ὑπὸ ἀμφοτ̣ε̣ρ̣[ων ἀπ ]αρχὴ τέκνων τεθῇ , τηρεῖται τοῖς τέκνοις ἡ πολιτει̣α , if a woman, being a citizen [i.e. of alexandria], marries an Egyptian in the mistaken belief that he is also a citizen, she is not liable to penalty; and if both parties present birth-certificates, their children preserve the status of citizens. The religious sense which the word acquired (cf. the verb in Act_23:1 , Php_1:27 ) is well seen in the Christian letter P Heid 6 .8 (iv/A.D.) (= Selections , p. 125 f.) πιστεύομεν γὰρ τὴν πολιτία [ν σ ]ου ἐνν οὐρανῷ . Deissmann ad l. cites Gregory of Nyssa σπεύδειν πρὸς τὴν ἐπουράνιον πολιτείαν (Migne 46, 597 b ), and Isidore of Pelusium ἡ οὐρανῷ πρέπουσα πολιτεία ( Epp. 216 and 33).

πολιτεία πολι_τεία, ionic -ηΐη, ἡ, [Etym: πολιτεύω] "the condition and rights of a citizen, citizenship", Lat. civitas, Hdt. , Thuc. , etc.; πολιτείαν δοῦναί τινι Xen. "the life of a citizen, civic life", Dem. as a concrete, "the body of citizens", Arist. "the life and business of a statesman, government, administration", Ar. , Thuc. , etc.:—in a collective sense, "the measures of a government", Dem. "civil polity, the condition or constitution of a state", Thuc. , etc.:— "a form of government", Plat. , etc. "a republic, commonwealth", Xen. , etc.

πολιτεία, -ας, ἡ (πολιτεύω), [in LXX: 2Ma.4:11 2Mac 6:23 2Mac 8:17 2Mac 13:14, 3Ma.3:21 3Mac 3:23, 4Ma.3:20 4Mac 8:7 4Mac 17:9 * ;] __1. citizenship: Act.22:28 (3 Mac, ll. with, Hdt., Xen., a1.). __2. government, administration (Aristoph., Dem., al.). __3. a commonwealth: Eph.2:12.† (AS)