στρατόπεδον

stratópedon

G4760 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

Encampment or military camp; specifically, a place where troops are gathered and stationed, often including the temporary infrastructure and organization typical of a military presence. By extension, can refer to the assembled army occupying such a camp. Also used more generally for a host of soldiers or military forces in formation or on campaign.

Semantic Range

military camp, encampment, temporary camp of soldiers, the body of troops within an encampment, assembled army, military force gathered in one location

Root / Etymology

From στρατός ('army') and the root of πέδον ('ground', 'plain'); literally, 'army ground' or 'place of encampment for troops'.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, στρατόπεδον primarily denotes a military camp—the collective quarters, fortifications, and support area where an army was located, distinct from the battlefield or the city. The term could extend to the 'army' assembled in such a camp, emphasizing the temporary, organized nature of the gathering. In the Hellenistic and Roman periods, its usage remained focused on both the physical camp and the assembled body of troops within it. In the Septuagint and New Testament, στρατόπεδον can refer simply to a gathering of soldiers (cf. Acts 21:34, 37), but still connotes the organized, encamped military context; it should not be conflated with στρατός ('army' as a mass or force in battle) or φρουρά ('garrison', a stationed unit), though there is some contextual overlap. English translations often render it as 'army' when used for the troops or 'camp' for the physical location, but both senses are present in ancient usage.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from the base of στρατιά and the same as πεδινός; a camping-ground, i.e. (by implication) a body of troops:--army.

Root Family

στρατόπεδ- (stratópedon) — camp, encampment, body of troops

Root στρατόπεδ- camp, encampment, body of troops

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G4760-01 στρατοπέδων stratopedon N GEN N PL armies of military encampments armies 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G4760-01 Luke 21:20 στρατοπέδων stratopedon N GEN N PL armies of military encampments armies