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Council

Original Hebrew / Aramaic / Greek connected to this term

How to read this: there is rarely one magic “true meaning” hidden behind an English word. A lexicon records a word’s semantic range. The intended meaning is narrowed by grammar, sentence, author, historical usage and context.

GREEK · G4892

συνέδριον

sunedrion — council

συνέδριον, -ου, τό (σύν + ἕδρα, a seat) [in LXX: Pro.11:13 15:22, Jer.15:17 (סוֹד), Psa.26:4 (מַת), Pro.22:10 (דִּין) Pro.26:26 (קָהָל); Pro.24:7 27:22 31:23, 2Ma.14:5, 4Ma.17:17 * ;] 1. a council (Plat., Xen., al.; LXX; in π., σ. τ. πρεσβυτέρων, Deiss., BS, 156): of a local Jewish tribunal, Mat.10:17, Mrk.13:9. 2. The supreme ecclesiastical court of the Jews, the Sanhedrin (i.e. Talmudic סַנְהֵדְרִין = συνέδριον): Mat.5:22 26:59, Mrk.14:55 15:1, Luk.22:66, Act.5:21, 27 5:34, 41 6:12, 15 22:30 23:1, 6 23:15, 20 23:28 (WH, R, mg., om.) Act.24:20 of a meeting of the Sanhedrin, Jhn.11:47; of the place of meeting, Act.4:15.† (AS)

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HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H2148

זְכַרְיָהוּ

ze.khar.yah — Zechariah

A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at 1Ch.9.21; son of: Meshelemiah (H4920); brother of: Jediael (H3043J), Zebadiah (H2069J), Jathniel (H3496), Elam (H5867H), Jehohanan (H3076I) and Eliehoenai (H0454A) § Zechariah = "Jehovah remembers" 1) king of Israel, son of Jeroboam II 2) son of Meshelemiah of Shelemiah, a Korhite, and keeper of the north gate of the tabernacle of the congregation 3) one of the sons of Jehiel 4) a Levite of the second order in the temple band in the time of David 5) one of the princes of Judah in the reign of Jehoshaphat 6) son of the high priest Jehoiada, in the reign of Joash king of Judah, who was stoned in the court of the temple 7) a Kohathite Levite in the reign of Josiah 8) the leader of the sons of Pharosh who returned with Ezra 9) son of Bebai 10) one of the chiefs of the people whom Ezra summoned in council at the river Ahava; stood at Ezra's left hand when Ezra expounded the law to the people 11) one of the family of Elam who had married a foreign wife after the captivity 12) ancestor of Athaiah or Uthai 13) a Shilonite, descendant of Perez, grandfather of Athaiah 14) a priest, son of Pashur 15) the representative of the priestly family of Iddo in the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua; possibly the same as 1 above 16) one of the priests, son of Jonathan, who blew with the trumpets at the dedication of the city wall by Ezra and Nehemiah 17) a chief of the Reubenites at the time of the captivity by Tiglath-pileser 18) one of the priests who accompanied the ark from the house of Obed-edom 19) son of Isshiah of Jesiah, a Kohathite Levite descended from Uzziel 20) 4th son of Hosah, of the children of Merari 21) a Manassite, father of Iddo 22) father of Jahaziel. He prophesied in the spirit 23) one of the sons of Jehoshaphat 24) a prophet in the reign of Uzziah, who appears to have acted as the king's counsellor, but of whom nothing is known 25) father of Abijah or Abi, Hezekiah's mother 26) one of the family of Asaph in the reign of Hezekiah 27) one of the rulers of the temple in the reign of Josiah 28) son of Jeberechiah who was taken by the prophet Isaiah as one of the 'faithful witnesses to record' when he wrote concerning Maher-shalal-hash-baz

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HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H5475

סוֹד

sod — counsel

1) council, counsel, assembly 1a) council (of familiar conversation) 1a1) divan, circle (of familiar friends) 1a2) assembly, company 1b) counsel 1b1) counsel (itself) 1b2) secret counsel 1b3) familiar converse, intimacy (with God)

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GREEK · G4824

συμβούλιον

sumboulion — counsel/council

συμβούλιον, -ου, τό (σύμβουλος), [in LXX: 4Ma.17:17 א * ;] a word of the Græco-Roman period (of. Lat. consilium, and see Deiss., BS, 238) = cl. συμβουλία (Arist., Xen.), 1. counsel: σ. λαμβάνειν, Mat.12:14 22:15 27:7 28:12; διδόναι, Mrk.3:6 (ποιεῖν, Rec.); ποιεῖν, Mrk.15:1 (ἑτοιμάζειν, WH, mg.). 2. By meton., a council (4Mac, l.with א; συνέδριον, AR): Act.25:12 (see MM, xxiv).† (AS)

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GREEK · G4244

πρεσβυτέριον

presbuterion — council of elders

πρεσβυτέριον, -ου, τό (πρεσβύτερος) [in LXX: Da TH Su 1:50 A * ;] a body of elders, presbytery: of the Sanhedrin (cf. συνέδριον), Luk.22:66, Act.22:5; of Christian presbyters, 1Ti.4:14.† (AS)

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GREEK · G1010

βουλευτής

bouleutēs — member of a council

βουλευτής, -οῦ, ὁ (βουλεύω), [in LXX: Job.3:14 12:17 (יעץ)* ;] a councillor, a senator; of a member of the Sanhedrin: Mrk.15:34, Luk.23:50.† (AS)

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GREEK · G1087

γερουσία

gerousia — council of elders

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)

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GREEK · G21066

πρύτανις

prutanis — president

1. a prince, ruler, lord, chief , of Hiero, (Pindar); of Zeus, (Pindar) 2. at Athens, a Prytanis or President : the πρυτάνεις were a committee of 50, chosen by lot from each of the 10 φυλαί, so that each set formed 1/10 part of the βουλή or Council of 500; out of these 50 πρυτάνεις one was chosen by lot as chief-president ἐπιστάτης); he chose 9 πρόεδρο; and the real business was in the hands of this smaller body, with a secretary γραμματεύς); added.—;The φυλή which first entered office every year was determined by lot; and their term of office πρυτανεία); was about five weeks. During this time all treaties and public acts ran in their name, in this form: Ἀκαμαντὶς φυλὴ, ἐπρυτάνευε, Φαίνιππος ἐγραμμάτευε, Νικιάδης ἐπεστάτει the Tribe Acamantis were the Presidency, Phaenippus the Secretary, Niciades the Chief-president, (Thucydides) (ML)

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GREEK · G6691

βουλευτικός

bouleutikos — of a counselor

1. of or for the council or the councillors , (Xenophon Historicus) 2. able to advise or deliberate , (Plato Philosophus), etc. 3. as Substantive, βουλευτικόν, in the Athen. theatre, the seats next the orchestra, reserved for the Council , (Aristophanes Comicus) 4. the senatorial order , (Plutarch) (ML)

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GREEK · G7045

ἕδρα

hedra — buttock

1. a sitting-place : 2. a seat, chair, stool, bench , (Homer): a seat of honour , (Iliad by Homer) 3. a seat , of the gods, a sanctuary, temple , (Pindar); ἐξ ἕδρας out of its right place , (Euripides):—; a foundation, base , (Plutarch) 5. ἡ ἕδρα τοῦ ἵππου the back of the horse, on which the rider sits , (Xenophon Historicus) 6. ἕδραι are the quarters of the sky in which omens appear, (Aeschulus Tragicus) 7. a sitting , (Aeschulus Tragicus): of a position, γονυπετεῖς ἕδραι kneeling, (Euripides) 8. a sitting still, inactivity, delay , (Herdotus Historicus); οὐχ ἕδρας ἀκμή 'tis not the season for sitting still , (Sophocles Tragicus) 9. the sitting of a council, (Sophocles Tragicus) 10. the seat, breech, fundament , (Herdotus Historicus) (ML)

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GREEK · G7415

ἐπίκλητος

epiklētos — selected

1. called upon, called in as allies , (Herdotus Historicus) 2. specially summoned , (Herdotus Historicus); ἐπίκλητοι privy-councillors , among the Persians, (Herdotus Historicus) 3. a supernumerary guest , Lat. umbra, (Aristophanes Comicus) (ML)

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GREEK · G7758

καθιζάνω

kathizanō — to sit down

to sit down , θῶκόνδε καθίζανον they went to the council and took their seats , (Odyssey by Homer); μάντις ἐς θρόνους κ. (Aeschulus Tragicus) (ML)

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GREEK · G8185

λέσχη

leschē — intrigue

1. a place where people assembled to talk and hear news, a lounge, club-room , (Odyssey by Homer), etc.: —;also a council-hall, council , (Aeschulus Tragicus) 2. talk or gossip , such as went on in the λέσχαι, (Euripides):—; in good sense, conversation, discussion , (Herdotus Historicus) (ML)

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GREEK · G8881

πρέσβυς

presbus — an ambassador

1. an old man , Lat. senex, (the prose form is πρεσβύτης); (Sophocles Tragicus):—; ὁ πρέσβυς is used much like ὁ πρεσβύτερος, the elder , (Aeschulus Tragicus):—;plural πρέσβεις, elders , always implying dignity, chiefs, princes , (Aeschulus Tragicus); epic πρέσβηες (Hesiod) 2. (Homer) uses only the comparative and Sup., comparative πρεσβύτερος, α, ον, elder, older , (Iliad by Homer), attic; ἐνιαυτῷ by a year, (Aristophanes Comicus); βουλαὶ πρεσβύτεραι the wise councils of age , (Pindar);—;Sup. πρεσβύτατος, η, ον, eldest , (Iliad by Homer), etc.: —;the comparative and Sup. were used of things, πρεσβύτερόν τι (or οὐδὲν); ἔχειν = Lat. aliquid (or nihil) antiquius habere, to deem higher, more important , τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ πρεσβύτερα ποιεῖσθαι ἢ τὰ τῶν ἀνδρῶν (Herdotus Historicus); πρεσβύτατον κρίνειν τι (Thucydides); πρεσβυτέρως γυμναστικὴν μουσικῆς τετιμηκέναι more highly than . . , (Plato Philosophus): —;hence, merely of magnitude, πρεσβύτερον κακὸν κακοῦ one evil greater than another, (Sophocles Tragicus) 3. like πρεσβευτής, an ambassador , (Aeschulus Tragicus);—;plural πρέσβεις is more used than πρεσβευταί, (Aristophanes Comicus), etc. 4. a chief, president : comparative πρεσβύτερος, an elder of the Jewish Council , (New Testament), etc.: an elder of the Church, presbyter , (New Testament) (ML)

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Historical dictionary entry

Spoken of counsellors who sat in public trials with the governor of a province (Acts 25:12). The Jewish councils were the Sanhedrim, or supreme council of the nation, which had subordinate to it smaller tribunals (the “judgment,” perhaps, in Matt. 5:21, 22) in the cities of Palestine (Matt. 10:17; Mark 13:9). In the time of Christ the functions of the Sanhedrim were limited (John 16:2; 2 Cor. 11:24). In Ps. 68:27 the word “council” means simply a company of persons. (R.V. marg., “company.”) In ecclesiastical history the word is used to denote an assembly of pastors or bishops for the discussion and regulation of church affairs. The first of these councils was that of the apostles and elders at Jerusalem, of which we have a detailed account in Acts 15.

Scripture references

Source: Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897). Historical dictionary wording reflects the scholarship and language of its era.

Compare other reference traditions

Look up Council in Smith’s Bible Dictionary and ISBE →