Πόντιος (G4194) — Greek Lexicon

Πόντιος

Póntios

G4194 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

Proper name identifying a Roman gens (clan) name, used as a family name for Roman citizens; specifically attested in the New Testament as part of the name Pontius Pilatus (Pontius Pilate), the Roman governor of Judea under Tiberius. The word itself indicates membership in, or descent from, the gens Pontia.

Semantic Range

Roman family name, nomen indicating the Pontia gens, used specifically as part of personal names (e.g., Pontius Pilatus)

Root / Etymology

Of Latin origin; derived from the Roman family name Pontius, which was used in Roman naming conventions as a nomen (clan-name) indicating gens affiliation. The Latin form 'Pontius' is not derived from Greek linguistic roots; the Greek spelling Πόντιος transliterates the Latin name.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Πόντιος appears exclusively as a proper name in Greek texts, referring to individuals of Roman heritage, and most known from the New Testament's designation of Pontius Pilate. The gens Pontia was of Samnite origin in central Italy, and the name Pontius occurs in various Roman inscriptions. In Hellenistic and NT Greek contexts, foreign personal names were commonly transliterated using Greek orthography but retained their non-Greek etymological origins and ethnic associations. Standard English Bible translations render Πόντιος as "Pontius" (usually without translation), aligning with the convention of preserving Roman proper names rather than translating their meaning. The term bears no inherent meaning in Greek outside the recognition of the Latin nomen as a marker of Roman identity. There is no evidence of additional usage or secondary senses in Koine, Septuagint, or extrabiblical sources beyond its function as a nomen.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

of Latin origin; apparently bridged; Pontius, a Roman:--Pontius.

Root Family

Πόντιος (Póntios) — of or pertaining to the Pontius (Roman family), member of the Pontia gens

Root Ποντι- of or pertaining to the Pontius (Roman family), member of the Pontia gens

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`G4194-02`	Ποντίου	pontiou	`N GEN M SG`	Pontius	of Pontius	Pontios	2
`G4194-01`	Πόντιος	pontios	`N NOM M SG`	Pontius	Pontius, Pontia clansman	Pontios	1

Occurrences in Scripture

3 occurrences

Filter by SIDANCE:

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`G4194-02`	Luke 3:1	Ποντίου	pontiou	`N GEN M SG`	Pontius's	of Pontius	Pontios
`G4194-01`	Acts 4:27	Πόντιος	pontios	`N NOM M SG`	Pontius	Pontius, Pontia clansman	Pontios
`G4194-02`	1 Timothy 6:13	Ποντίου	pontiou	`N GEN M SG`	Pontius	of Pontius	Pontios

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