Πάρθος
Párthos
G3934 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A person originating from Parthia, a region located east of the Roman Empire principally in what is now northeastern Iran. The term used ethnically, designating an individual from Parthian territory; contextually, it may refer to a speaker of Parthian language or a member of the Parthian polity. In New Testament contexts, the word indicates a Parthian among the diaspora populations present in Jerusalem.
Semantic Range
inhabitant of Parthia, Eastern Iranian person, member of Parthian polity or diaspora
Root / Etymology
The word is a Greek transliteration of a foreign ethnonym for the inhabitants of Parthia (Old Persian: Parθava). It is not derived from a Greek root and is considered a loanword reflecting the ethnonym used for the region and its people.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Πάρθος is found in the New Testament only in Acts 2:9, where Parthians are named among those present in Jerusalem at Shavuot (Pentecost), indicating the presence of a Parthian-speaking or ethnically Parthian diaspora. The term itself is rare in Greek literature, usually appearing in lists to denote people from the eastern Iranian kingdom of Parthia, which was a major power and rival to Rome from the third century BCE to the third century CE. Unlike terms for local inhabitants or broader ethnic identifications such as Ἰουδαῖος (Judean), Πάρθος refers specifically to geographic origin. Parthians are distinct from neighboring peoples such as the Medes (Μῆδοι) or Elamites (Ἐλαμῖται). Standard English translations render the term as "Parthian," but this may not adequately capture the ancient geopolitical and cultural distinctiveness. The word does not carry religious or legal connotations and appears primarily in ethnic or geographic lists in Hellenistic and Roman sources.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
probably of foreign origin; a Parthian, i.e. inhabitant of Parthia:--Parthian.
Root Family
Πάρθος (Párthos) — Parthian person, inhabitant of Parthia, member of the Parthian group
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3934-01 |
Πάρθοι | parthoi | N NOM M PL |
Parthians | Parthians | Parthians | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3934-01 |
Acts 2:9 | Πάρθοι | parthoi | N NOM M PL |
Parthians | Parthians | Parthians |