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πόλις

pólis

G4172 noun

SILEX Entry

Root πολ- city, settlement, organized community

Definition

A human settlement characterized by organized civic structure; primarily a (walled) city or urban center, but also extended to towns of varying size. In Greek usage, denotes a community with political, social, and often cultic organization, frequently distinguished from rural villages (κώμη). In the New Testament and Hellenistic sources, can refer either to a major city or to a regional urban center, depending on context.

Semantic Range

city, town, urban center, fortified place, civic community, polity

Root / Etymology

From the Greek root πόλις, possibly related to πολ- (as in πολύς, 'many'), indicating a gathering or multitude, or possibly related to πόλεμος ('war') due to the martial aspect of city defense; exact etymology uncertain.

Historical & Contextual Notes

The term πόλις in classical Greek signified not only the physical city but its social, legal, and political organization. A πόλις was defined by its autonomy (self-governing polity), citizenship structures, and public life. By the Hellenistic and Roman periods, the semantic emphasis broadened: πόλις could indicate large walled cities, administrative centers, colonies, or prominent towns, even without the full apparatus of classical city-state autonomy. In the Septuagint, πόλις frequently translates Hebrew עִיר ('city' or 'town'), including both major urban centers and smaller fortified towns. In New Testament usage, the term generally denotes a principal town or city within a region, sometimes in contrast to rural settlements (κώμη). English translations usually render πόλις as 'city', but this can mask distinctions of size or administrative status. The social and organizational connotations of πόλις are broader than the English 'city' suggests, encompassing notions of citizenship and communal identity. The concept was central in Greek thought (as in Aristotle's πολιτεία). The word does not automatically imply great size, but rather a place with civic identity and urban organization.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

probably from the same as πόλεμος, or perhaps from πολύς; a town (properly, with walls, of greater or less size):--city.

Root Family

πόλις (polis) — city, settlement, organized community

Word Forms

7 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
G4172-06 πόλιν polin N ACC F SG city a city 64
G4172-04 πόλεως poleos N GEN F SG city of a city 36
G4172-07 πόλις polis N NOM F SG city city 22
G4172-01 πόλει polei N DAT F SG city to the city 21
G4172-02 πόλεις poleis N ACC F PL cities cities 12
G4172-03 πόλεων poleon N GEN F PL cities of cities 6
G4172-05 πόλεσιν polesin N DAT F PL cities to cities 2

Occurrences in Scripture

163 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
G4172-06 Matthew 2:23 πόλιν polin N ACC F SG a city a city
G4172-06 Matthew 4:5 πόλιν polin N ACC F SG a city
G4172-07 Matthew 5:14 πόλις polis N NOM F SG city
G4172-07 Matthew 5:35 πόλις polis N NOM F SG city
G4172-06 Matthew 8:33 πόλιν polin N ACC F SG a city
G4172-07 Matthew 8:34 πόλις polis N NOM F SG city
G4172-06 Matthew 9:1 πόλιν polin N ACC F SG a city
G4172-02 Matthew 9:35 πόλεις poleis N ACC F PL cities
G4172-06 Matthew 10:5 πόλιν polin N ACC F SG a city
G4172-06 Matthew 10:11 πόλιν polin N ACC F SG a city
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