Strong's G4465: ῥαβδοῦχος (rhabdoûchos) Meaning

Quick Definition

ῥαβδοῦχος, ου, ὁ n.m. a lictor, Roman officer

Strong's Definition

a rod- (the Latin fasces) holder, i.e. a Roman lictor (constable or executioner)

Derivation: from G4464 (ῥάβδος) and G2192 (ἔχω);

KJV Usage: serjeant

UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament

ῥαβδοῦχος (G4465)

noun, m. | -ου | ῥαβδίζω + ἔχω

37.89 · Control, Rule · Rule, Govern

policeman a person responsible for maintaining law and order by preventing and detecting crime and handing offenders over to legal authorities

ACT 16:35 · ACT 16:38

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

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

ῥαβδοῦχος, -ov, 6, (ῥάβδος and ἔχω; cf. εὐνοῦχος), one who carries the rods i. e. the fasces, a lictor (a public officer who bore the fasces or staff and other insignia of office before the magistrates), [A. V. serjeants]: Acts xvi. 35, 38. (Polyb.; Diod. 5, 40; Dion. Hal.; Hdian. 7,8, 10 [5 ed. Bekk.]; διὰ τί λικτώρεις τοὺς ῥαβδούχους ὀνομάζουσι; Plut. quaest. Rom. c. 67.)

Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary

ῥαβδοῦχος rhabdouchos 2x

the bearer of a wand of office; a lictor, sergeant, a public servant who bore a bundle or rods before the magistrates as insignia of their office, and carried into execution the sentences they pronounced, Acts 16:35, 38*

Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon

* ῥαβδοῦχος, -ου, ό

(< ῥάβδος, ἔχω),

one who carries a rod or staff of office;

an umpire or judge (Plat.);

in late writers, a Roman lictor: Ac 16:35, 38.†

Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT

ῥαβδοῦχος [page 562] lit. a rod-holder, is supplied by Wilcken in P Par 24 .6 (B.C. 164) (= UPZ i. p. 123) τῶν δ᾽ ἐκ τοῦ ἱεροῦ ῥαβδο [ῦχός τις Ζωίλος , with reference to a temple-attendant in the Serapeum at Memphis. For this usage (as distinguished from a lictor or attendant on Roman magistrates, as in Act_16:35 ; Act_16:38 ) he refers to a ῥαβδοῦχος in the Roman Serapis worship in IG XIV. 1027, and to the ῥαβδοῦχοι in the temple service of Apollo in Syll 790 (= .3 1157) .24 ( c . B.C. 100 ?) whose duty is to keep in order the temple precincts οἳ καὶ ἐχέτωσαν ἐξουσίαν κωλύειν τὸν ἀκοσμοῦντα . In P Oxy XIV. 1626 .9 (A.D. 325) the reference is again to an official of low rank who fills the single post of ῥαβδοῦχος of certain animals χώραν μίαν ῥαβδούχου ἑνὸς τῶν αὐτῶν ζῷων : see the editors note, and cf. ib . 1750 .12 (A.D. 306) and ib . XVI. 1905 .16 (iv/v A.D.). Cf. the word ῥαβδοφόρος in P Petr II. 8(2) ( c ) .9 (B.C. 246) and P Par 66 .18 (iii/B.C.). In the latter case the editor suggests that ῥαβδοφόροι , may not be more than conductors of works, but for the possibility that police were intended see Archiv vi. p. 416. For the subst. ῥαβδουχία cf. P Oxy XVI. 1626 .21 (A.D. 325), and BGU I. 244 .14 (time of Gallienus).

Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon

ῥαβδοῦχος (rhabdouchos) — police. ῥάβδουχ-ος (properispomenon), ὁ, one who carries a rod or staff of office:

1. judge, umpire at a contest, [Refs 5th c.BC+]

2. magistrate's attendant, staff-bearer, beadle, [NT+5th c.BC+]: especially at Rome, of the lictors who carried the fasces, [Refs 2nd c.BC+], female attendants on Oenanthe, mother of Agathocles, [Refs]

STEPBible — Tyndale Abridged Greek Lexicon

ῥαβδοῦχος, -ου, ό (ῥαβδος, ἔχω), one who carries a rod or staff of office; __(a) an umpire or judge (Plat.); __(b) in late writers, a Roman lictor: Act.16:38.† (AS)

Bible Occurrences (2)

16:35 16:38

G4465 ῥαβδοῦχος (rhabdoûchos)