ὁροθεσία
horothesía
G3734 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
The act or result of setting a boundary; establishment or demarcation of a boundary. In practice, the term refers especially to the physical or legal determination of property limits or territorial borders. This can include the act of laying down boundary markers, fixing or designating a border, or the official recognition of particular bounds.
Semantic Range
setting a boundary, demarcation or establishment of a limit, boundary-line, designation of property border, installation of territorial division, official marking or delimitation
Root / Etymology
Compound of ὅρος (boundary, limit) and θέσις (placing, setting), itself from τίθημι (to set, to put).
Historical & Contextual Notes
ὁροθεσία appears rarely in extant Greek literature and is a technical term, mostly found in legal, administrative, or official contexts concerning property or land boundaries. It is used to describe both the action ('boundary-marking') and the resulting boundary ('limit' or 'bound'). The term's two components (ὅρος + θέσις) highlight both the object and the action: the boundary itself and the act of establishing it. In the context of the Septuagint or Greek documentary sources, it is often used to render Hebrew terms related to boundary marking (cf. Deut 19:14) and typically refers to the legal fixing of property or territorial divisions, sometimes through formal ceremony or documentation. Standard English translations such as 'bound' or 'boundary' tend to flatten the technical and procedural connotation of the word, missing the nuance of official establishment or negotiation inherent in ὁροθεσία. Related terms: ὅριον (border, boundary), ὁρισμός (definition, delimitation), ὁροθετέω (to set boundaries). No evidence for broader metaphorical senses in Hellenistic or early Christian texts.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from a compound of the base of ὅριον and a derivative of τίθημι; a limit-placing, i.e. (concretely) boundary-line:--bound.
Root Family
ὁροθεσία (horothesia) — setting a boundary, placing a limit, demarcation of borders, boundary establishment
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3734-01 |
ὁροθεσίας | orothesias | N ACC F PL |
boundaries | boundary demarcations | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3734-01 |
Acts 17:26 | ὁροθεσίας | orothesias | N ACC F PL |
boundaries | boundary demarcations |