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Ἰδουμαία

Idoumaía

G2401 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A geographic region known in antiquity as Idoumaia, referring specifically to the territory south of Judea and west of the Arabah, historically associated with the Edomite people but by the Hellenistic and Roman periods encompassing a mixed population and territory under fluctuating political control. In the context of Greek texts, Idoumaia primarily denotes this district in its political, geographic, and historical senses, not as a designation of personal or ethnic identity.

Semantic Range

territory of the Edomites; region south of Judea; historical Edom; administrative district in Hellenistic/Roman periods; the area known as Idumea

Root / Etymology

From Hebrew אֱדוֹם (Edom), via the Hellenized form Ἰδουμαία (Idoumaía); the form follows typical Greek rendering of Hebrew place-names ending with -αία.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek sources, Ἰδουμαία refers to the region south of Judea corresponding roughly to the biblical Edom. By the Hellenistic and Roman periods (esp. in the New Testament era), Idoumaia encompassed parts of the Negev and southern Judea, as Edomites were displaced westward during the Babylonian and Persian periods. The term reflects changes in population and political boundaries: after the Hasmonean conquest (late 2nd century BCE), the region's inhabitants were subject to forced integration with Judea, including circumcision and adoption of Judean customs. In the Septuagint, Ἰδουμαία frequently appears as a term for 'Edom'; in Hellenistic and Roman texts, it denotes the geopolitical entity immediately south of Judea. Standard English translations usually render Ἰδουμαία as 'Idumea' or sometimes conflate it with 'Edom,' but in the Second Temple and Roman periods, Idoumaia is distinct from the wider biblical concept of Edom. The use of 'Idumea' in the Gospels (e.g., Mark 3:8) presumes a contemporary Roman province or region, not simply the earlier territory of Edom.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

of Hebrew origin (אֱדֹם); Idumæa (i.e. Edom), a region East (and South) of Palestine:--Idumæa.

Root Family

Ἰδουμαία (Idoumaia) — Idumea, Edom, territory south of Judea

Root Ἰδουμαί- Idumea, Edom, a specific territory south of Judea

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G2401-01 Ἰδουμαίας idoumaias N GEN F SG Idumea of Idumea Idoumaia 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G2401-01 Mark 3:8 Ἰδουμαίας idoumaias N GEN F SG Idumea of Idumea Idoumaia
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