Φιλαδέλφεια
Philadélpheia
G5359 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A city named for 'brotherly love'; specifically refers in the New Testament to the city of Philadelphia in the region of Lydia, Asia Minor. The term is formed from the concept of 'affection toward a brother' and was customarily used as a toponym to honor relationships of familial affection or historic figures known for such. In biblical contexts, it always designates a place name rather than conveying the abstract quality of 'brotherly love.'
Semantic Range
the city of Philadelphia in Asia Minor, name given to other Hellenistic cities, proper name designating a location; never an abstract virtue in biblical usage
Root / Etymology
Derived from φιλαδελφος (philadelphos, 'loving one’s brother'), composed from φίλος ('loving, friendly') and ἀδελφός ('brother'). The form Φιλαδέλφεια is a Hellenistic-era toponym following standard Greek conventions for naming cities, especially in honor of rulers or notable familial relationships.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The name Φιλαδέλφεια was given to several cities in the Hellenistic period, but the city referenced in the New Testament (Revelation 1:11; 3:7, 13) was founded by Attalus II Philadelphus, a king of Pergamon in the 2nd century BCE, so called because of his loyalty to his brother Eumenes II. In Greek secular and inscriptional usage, the name marks the city as founded or ruled by a 'brother-loving' ruler or commemorating such sentiment. In the Septuagint and New Testament, the word refers exclusively to the Anatolian city (modern Alaşehir in Turkey) and never to the abstract idea of 'brotherly love' (which would be conveyed by the noun φιλαδελφία). English translations use 'Philadelphia' as a direct transliteration of the place name, but this does not imply any metaphorical or moral meaning in context. Other ancient cities bearing this name were later renamed, but the most prominent in biblical literature is the Lydian city. Contrasts with the abstract noun φιλαδελφία, 'brotherly affection.'
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from (the same as φιλάδελφος), a king of Pergamos; Philadelphia, a place in Asia Minor:--Philadelphia.
Root Family
Φιλαδέλφεια (Philadelpheia) — brotherly love (as a name), city named for brotherly affection
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G5359-01 |
Φιλαδελφίᾳ | philadelphia | N DAT F SG |
Philadelphia | to Philadelphia | Philadelpheia | 1 |
G5359-02 |
Φιλαδέλφιαν | philadelphian | N ACC F SG |
Philadelphia | Philadelphia | Philadelpheia | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G5359-02 |
Revelation 1:11 | Φιλαδέλφιαν | philadelphian | N ACC F SG |
Philadelphia | Philadelphia | Philadelpheia |
G5359-01 |
Revelation 3:7 | Φιλαδελφίᾳ | philadelphia | N DAT F SG |
Philadelphia | to Philadelphia | Philadelpheia |