συμφυλέτης
symphylétēs
G4853 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A person belonging to the same tribe or clan; fellow tribesperson. In broader contexts, denotes a compatriot, someone of shared ethnic or ancestral origin, especially one from the same geographic region or kin group. The primary use is to highlight shared group identity based on lineage or place of origin. Secondary senses can include member of the same people or nation.
Semantic Range
fellow tribesperson, member of the same clan, compatriot, countryman, one of the same ethnic or regional group
Root / Etymology
Compound of the preposition σύν ('with, together') and φύλη ('tribe, clan, lineage group'). Thus, literally 'one of the same tribe/clan.' Related to φύλον and φύλαρχος. The formation indicates collective belonging; no evidence of non-Greek derivation.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical and Hellenistic Greek, φυλή refers to an ancestral tribe, clan, or division within a people, particularly among the Hellenes where city-states were organized into tribes. συμφυλέτης does not appear before Koine; its formation is typical of Komposita to emphasize joint membership in a social group. In the New Testament (Acts 7:19), the term is used for fellow Israelites, focusing on shared descent and identity within the broader context of the Israelite people in Egypt. In LXX and contemporary sources, the sense is shaped by social and ethnic organization, where tribal or clan connection is salient; its use sometimes extends to designate anyone of the same ethno-geographic background, especially in diaspora contexts. Standard translations like 'countryman' generalize the meaning and may obscure the underlying nuance of kin group or tribal affiliation. Differentiated from συμπολίτης (fellow citizen of a city) and συγγενής (blood-relative or kin), as συμφυλέτης denotes a middle category of shared tribal-ancestry or national identity without presupposing direct family ties or civic membership. Not attested in earlier classical literature, indicating a semantic development adapted for later Greek sociopolitical realities, including Israelite and Judean contexts.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from σύν and a derivative of φυλή; a co-tribesman, i.e. native of the same country:--countryman.
Root Family
συν-φυλ- (symphylétēs) — together with, tribe, clan, lineage
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4853-01 |
συμφυλετῶν | sumphuleton | N GEN M PL |
countrymen | of fellow tribesmen | countrymen | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4853-01 |
1 Thessalonians 2:14 | συμφυλετῶν | sumphuleton | N GEN M PL |
countrymen | of fellow tribesmen | countrymen |