ῥέδα
rhéda
G4480 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A type of four-wheeled carriage or wagon used for transporting people or goods, typically pulled by horses. In Greco-Roman usage, specifically refers to a covered or open vehicle designed for travel or conveyance, distinct from two-wheeled carts or military chariots. The term indicates a vehicle meant primarily for riding rather than for load-bearing or ceremonial uses.
Semantic Range
four-wheeled carriage, passenger wagon, vehicle for riding, Roman travel carriage
Root / Etymology
Borrowed from Latin rheda (later reda), itself of Gaulish/Celtic origin (cf. Old Irish ród, Welsh rhod for 'wheel'). It entered Greek during the Roman imperial period as a technical or borrowed term associated with Roman vehicular technology.
Historical & Contextual Notes
ῥέδα is a rare loanword in Greek, reflecting cultural and technological exchange with Rome. Its usage in Koine and later Greek texts is limited and most often found in administrative, travel, and legal contexts, indicating official or private travel by road. The term does not appear in the Septuagint and occurs only infrequently in the New Testament era, always carrying its Latin technical sense. It is distinct from the classical ἅμαξα (hamaxa, wagon or cart) and from military vehicles like the δίφρος (diphros, chariot). English translations often render ῥέδα as 'chariot,' but this risks confusion with two-wheeled, light, or military vehicles; more precisely, it refers to a Roman-style, four-wheeled passenger wagon. The word's presence attests to the borrowing of Roman administrative and technological vocabulary into Greek during the imperial period.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
of Latin origin; a rheda, i.e. four-wheeled carriage (wagon for riding):--chariot.
Root Family
ῥέδα (rhēda) — carriage, four-wheeled wagon, vehicle for riding
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4480-01 |
ῥεδῶν | redon | N GEN F PL |
chariots | of four-wheeled carriages | chariots | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4480-01 |
Revelation 18:13 | ῥεδῶν | redon | N GEN F PL |
chariots | of four-wheeled carriages | chariots |