ἑκατοντάρχης
hekatontárchēs
G1543 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Military officer commanding approximately one hundred soldiers; specifically, a centurion in the Roman army. The term identifies a middle-ranking officer with command responsibility, and by extension refers to an individual with local authority within a military hierarchy. In some Greek contexts, it can be used more generally for an officer with similar command over a contingent, even if not strictly one hundred.
Semantic Range
commander of a hundred (centurion); Roman military officer; mid-level military leader
Root / Etymology
From ἑκατόν ('one hundred') and ἄρχω ('to rule, command'); denoting 'one who commands a hundred.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
The term ἑκατοντάρχης appears primarily in Koine and later Greek as a calque of the Latin centurio, emerging in Hellenistic sources to render the Roman officer's title in Greek-speaking contexts. In both the New Testament and the Septuagint (especially where later books or revisions reference Roman military structure), it refers to Roman centurions stationed in Judea and other provinces. Earlier Greek military structures used different officer titles (e.g., λοχαγός), but as Roman power expanded, ἑκατοντάρχης became the usual Greek designation for a legionary officer of this rank. The word is nearly synonymous with the more classical ἑκατόνταρχος and the Macedonian/Seleucid term ταξίαρχος. English Bible translations traditionally render ἑκατοντάρχης as 'centurion,' but the connotation in Greek is distinctly that of a Roman office, not generic 'captain,' and so should not be confused with local or Israelite military leadership. The office was significant in the Roman administrative and military presence in the eastern Mediterranean and often depicted as a reputable and influential intermediary between Roman authority and provincial populations.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from ἑκατόν and ἄρχω; the captain of one hundred men:--centurion.
Root Family
ἑκατοντάρχης (hekatontarchēs) — commander of a hundred, centurion, military officer, unit leader
Word Forms
6 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1543-03 |
ἑκατοντάρχης | ekatontarches | N NOM M SG |
centurion | hundred-commander | 8 |
G1543-02 |
ἑκατοντάρχῃ | ekatontarche | N DAT M SG |
centurion | to a commander of a hundred | 4 |
G1543-05 |
ἑκατόνταρχος | ekatontarchos | N NOM M SG |
hundred-commander | 3 | |
G1543-04 |
ἑκατόνταρχον | ekatontarchon | N ACC M SG |
centurions | commander of a hundred | 3 |
G1543-06 |
ἑκατοντάρχου | ekatontarchou | N GEN M SG |
centurion's | of a hundred-commander | 1 |
G1543-01 |
ἑκατοντάρχας | ekatontarchas | N ACC M PL |
centurions | commanders of a hundred | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
20 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1543-05 |
Matthew 8:5 | ἑκατόνταρχος | ekatontarchos | N NOM M SG |
hundred-commander | |
G1543-05 |
Matthew 8:8 | ἑκατόνταρχος | ekatontarchos | N NOM M SG |
hundred-commander | |
G1543-02 |
Matthew 8:13 | ἑκατοντάρχῃ | ekatontarche | N DAT M SG |
to a commander of a hundred | |
G1543-05 |
Matthew 27:54 | ἑκατόνταρχος | ekatontarchos | N NOM M SG |
hundred-commander | |
G1543-06 |
Luke 7:2 | ἑκατοντάρχου | ekatontarchou | N GEN M SG |
centurion's | of a hundred-commander |
G1543-03 |
Luke 7:6 | ἑκατοντάρχης | ekatontarches | N NOM M SG |
centurion | hundred-commander |
G1543-03 |
Luke 23:47 | ἑκατοντάρχης | ekatontarches | N NOM M SG |
centurion | hundred-commander |
G1543-03 |
Acts 10:1 | ἑκατοντάρχης | ekatontarches | N NOM M SG |
centurion | hundred-commander |
G1543-03 |
Acts 10:22 | ἑκατοντάρχης | ekatontarches | N NOM M SG |
a centurion | hundred-commander |
G1543-01 |
Acts 21:32 | ἑκατοντάρχας | ekatontarchas | N ACC M PL |
centurions | commanders of a hundred |