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Ἄζωτος

Ázōtos

G108 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

Azōtos; a prominent coastal city in the southern Levant during antiquity, corresponding to the Hebrew Ashdod. In Greek and Hellenistic contexts, refers specifically to the city known as Ashdod, notable as one of the five major Philistine city-states. The primary sense is the proper name of this geographic location, used in both secular and scriptural sources. It does not have metaphorical or abstract senses.

Semantic Range

the city of Ashdod/Azotus on the Levantine coast, Philistine city, geographic proper noun

Root / Etymology

Borrowed from Hebrew אֲשׁדּוֹד (Ashdod) into Greek as Ἄζωτος. Reflects a transliteration from the Semitic original. No distinct Greek root; the name is a phonetic adaptation.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical and Hellenistic Greek, Ἄζωtos consistently denotes the city on the Mediterranean coast, southwest of Jerusalem. The city was a major Philistine urban center (see LXX Joshua 13:3, 15:46-47; 1 Samuel 5). After the conquest by Alexander the Great, Ashdod was rebuilt and known by its Hellenized name. Roman and Byzantine texts likewise preserve the name as Azotus. In the New Testament (Acts 8:40), Ἄζωτος refers to the post-Hellenistic city encountered by New Testament figures. Traditional English Bibles render the name as 'Azotus,' but this is a transliteration rather than a translation; the Hebrew/Akkadian background is preserved in all major versions. The term does not extend to refer to people or identities—only the city itself. Unlike some other place names, there is no broader or symbolic sense attached to this term in Greek sources.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

of Hebrew origin (אַשְׁדּוֹד); Azotus (i.e. Ashdod), a place in Palestine:--Azotus.

Root Family

Ἄζωτος (Azōtos) — city name, Ashdod, Azotus

Root uncertain city name, Ashdod, Azotus

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G108-01 Ἄζωτον azoton N ACC F SG Azotus Ashdod Azotos 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G108-01 Acts 8:40 Ἄζωτον azoton N ACC F SG Azotus Ashdod Azotos
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