Original Word: κολωνία
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: kolónia
Pronunciation: ko-lo-NEE-ah
Phonetic Spelling: (kol-o-nee'-ah)
Definition: a colony, a city settlement of Roman (soldier) citizens; a garrison city.
Meaning: A Roman colony; a settlement established by the Roman Empire, often for the purpose of securing conquered territories and spreading Roman culture and influence.

Word Origin: Derived from Latin "colonia," meaning a settlement or colony.

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: There are no direct Hebrew equivalents for the Greek term κολωνία, as the concept of a Roman colony is specific to the Greco-Roman world and does not have a direct counterpart in the Hebrew Scriptures. However, the idea of a settlement or community can be loosely related to terms like מִשְׁפָּחָה (mishpachah, Strong's Hebrew 4940) meaning "family" or "clan," and עִיר (ir, Strong's Hebrew 5892) meaning "city."

Usage: The term κολωνία is used in the New Testament to refer to a Roman colony, specifically in the context of Philippi, a prominent city in Macedonia.

Context: The term κολωνία appears in the New Testament in Acts 16:12, where Philippi is described as "a Roman colony." Philippi was a significant city in the region of Macedonia, strategically located on the Via Egnatia, a major Roman road. As a Roman colony, Philippi enjoyed special privileges, including Roman citizenship for its inhabitants, exemption from certain taxes, and a degree of self-governance. These colonies were often settled by Roman veterans and served as outposts of Roman culture and law in the provinces.

The establishment of Philippi as a Roman colony dates back to 42 BC, following the Battle of Philippi, where Mark Antony and Octavian (later Augustus) defeated the forces of Brutus and Cassius. The city was refounded as a colony for veterans of the victorious army, and it was named Colonia Iulia Augusta Philippensis in honor of Augustus.

In the context of Acts 16, the Apostle Paul and his companions visited Philippi during Paul's second missionary journey. The city's status as a Roman colony is significant in understanding the events that transpired there, including the legal proceedings Paul faced and his subsequent appeal to his rights as a Roman citizen.

Word Origin
of Latin origin
Definition
a colony (a city settlement of soldiers disbanded from the Roman army)
NASB Translation
colony (1).

STRONGS NT 2862: κολωνία

κολωνία (R G Tr), κολωνία (L T WH KC (cf. Chandler § 95)) (Tdf. editions 2, 7 κολωνεία; see his note on Acts as below, and cf. εἰ, ἰ), κολωνιας, ἡ (a Latin word), a colony: in Acts 16:12 the city of Philippi is so called, where Octavianus had planted a Roman colony (cf. Dio Cassius, 51, 4; Digest. 50, tit. 15, 8). The exegetical difficulties of this passage are best removed, as Meyer shows, by connecting κολωνία closely with πρώτη πόλις, the chief city, a (Roman) colony (a colonial city); (but cf. Lightfoot's Commentary on Philippians, p. 50f).

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

colony.

Of Latin origin; a Roman "colony" for veterans -- colony.

Forms and Transliterations

κολωνια κολωνία κολώνια kolonia kolonía kolōnia kolōnía

Links

Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts