Original Word: Φῆλιξ
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: Phélix
Pronunciation: FAY-liks
Phonetic Spelling: (fay'-lix)
Definition: Felix, third name of (Marcus) Antonius Felix, procurator of the Roman province Judea from an uncertain date (before A.D. 52 ?) till A.D. 59.
Meaning: Felix, a Roman procurator of Judea.

Word Origin: A Roman cognomen, derived from Latin meaning "happy" or "fortunate."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: There are no direct Hebrew equivalents for the name Felix, as it is a Roman name. However, the role of a governor or ruler can be associated with Hebrew terms such as שׁוֹפֵט (shofet, Strong's Hebrew 8199) meaning "judge" or "ruler," which reflects the administrative function Felix held in Judea.

Usage: The name Φῆλιξ appears in the New Testament as the Roman governor before whom the Apostle Paul was brought for trial.

Context: Felix was a Roman procurator of Judea, serving from approximately AD 52 to 58. He is known for his involvement in the trial of the Apostle Paul, as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles. Felix's governance is characterized by a mix of administrative competence and moral corruption, as noted by historical sources such as Tacitus, who described him as ruling with "the power of a king but the mind of a slave."

In the New Testament, Felix is introduced in Acts 23:24, where Paul is sent to him for protection from a Jewish plot against his life. Felix's role becomes more prominent in Acts 24, where Paul is formally accused by the Jewish leaders. The charges against Paul include inciting riots among the Jews and profaning the temple. Felix, familiar with "the Way" (Christianity), adjourns the proceedings, keeping Paul in custody but allowing him some freedom and access to his friends (Acts 24:22-23).

Felix's interaction with Paul is marked by a mixture of curiosity and opportunism. He frequently converses with Paul, hoping for a bribe to secure his release (Acts 24:26). Despite his interest in Paul's teachings, Felix ultimately leaves Paul imprisoned when he is succeeded by Porcius Festus, seeking to curry favor with the Jewish populace (Acts 24:27).

Felix's tenure as procurator is noted for its political instability and increasing tensions between the Jewish population and Roman authority, setting the stage for the eventual Jewish revolt. His marriage to Drusilla, a Jewish woman and daughter of Herod Agrippa I, is also of historical interest, highlighting the complex interplay of Roman and Jewish relations during this period.

5344 Phḗliks – Felix, the governor of Judea (ad 52-60) who persecuted the Jews and flagrantly used bribes, unethical informers, and torture.

For example, he methodically hunted down the leaders of the Zealots to severely punish them, as well as any Jewish group he considered "seditious" (Ac 21:38).

[One group, called the Assassins (literally "dagger men"), were true to their nam!]

Word Origin
of Latin origin
Definition
"fortunate," Felix, a governor of Judea
NASB Translation
Felix (9).

STRONGS NT 5344: Φῆλιξ

Φῆλιξ (Lachmann Φῆλιξ (so Tr in Acts 24:22 (by mistake?)); cf. Lipsius, Grammat. Untersuch., p. 37; Buttmann, 13 (12); (Tdf. Proleg., p. 104; and references under the word κῆρυξ)) (literally, 'happy', 'fortunate'), Φήλικος, ὁ (Claudius (but in Tacitus, hist. 5, 9 called Antonius)) Felix, the eleventh procurator of Judaea (apparently between A.D. 52 and 60). He was a freedman of Claudius and his mother Antonia, and the brother of Pallas, the powerful favorite of the emperor. He first married Drusilla ((?) see Dict. of Greek and Rom. Biogr. under the word, 4), the granddaughter of Cleopatra and Antony; and afterward Drusilla, the daughter of Derod Agrippa. According to Tacitus, "per omnem saevitiam ac libidinem jus regium servili ingenio exercuit," and by his cruelty and injustice he stimulated the rage of the turbulent Jews against the Roman rule. When he had retired from the province and come to Rome, the Jews of Caesarea accused him before the emperor, but through the intercession of his brother Pallas he was acquitted by Nero (cf. Tacitus, hist. 5, 9, 5f; annal. 12, 54; Suetonius, vit. Claudii, 28; Josephus, Antiquities 20, 7, 1f and 8, 5f; 7, 9; b. j. 2, 13): Acts 23:24, 26; Acts 24:3, 22, 24f, 27; Acts 25:14. Cf. Winers RWB, under the word; Paret in Herzog iv. 354; (V. Schmidt in Herzog edition 2, iv. 518f); Overbeck in Schenkel ii., 263f; Schürer, Neutest. Zeitgesch., p. 303f § 19, 4; (Farrar, St. Paul, chapter xli.).

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

Felix.

Of Latin origin; happy; Phelix (i.e. Felix), a Roman -- Felix.

Forms and Transliterations

Φηλικα Φήλικα Φηλικι Φήλικι Φηλικος Φήλικος Φηλιξ Φῆλιξ Phelika Phēlika Phḗlika Pheliki Phēliki Phḗliki Phelikos Phēlikos Phḗlikos Phelix Phêlix Phēlix Phē̂lix

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