Lexical Summary
polis: City
Original Word: πόλις
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: polis
Pronunciation: POH-lis
Phonetic Spelling: (pol'-is)
KJV: city
NASB: city, cities
Word Origin: [probably from pelomai "to bustle", or perhaps from G4183 (πολύς - many)]
1. a town (properly, with walls, of greater or less size)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
city.
Probably from the same as polemos, or perhaps from polus; a town (properly, with walls, of greater or less size) -- city.
see GREEK polus
see GREEK polemos
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina prim. word
Definitiona city
NASB Translationcities (20), city (142).
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 4172: πόλιςπόλις,
πολισεως,
ἡ (
πέλομαι, to dwell (or rather denoting originally 'fullness,' 'throng'; allied with Latin
pleo, plebs, etc.; cf.
Curtius, p. 79 and § 374;
Vanicek, p. 499; (otherwise
Fick 1:138))) (from
Homer down), the
Sept. chiefly for
עִיר, besides for
קִרְיָה,
שַׁעַר (gate), etc.,
a city;
a. universally, Matthew 2:23; Mark 1:45; Luke 4:29; John 11:54; Acts 5:16, and very often in the historical books of the N. T.; κατά τήν πόλιν, through the city (A. V. in; see κατά, II. 1 a.), Acts 24:12; κατά πόλιν, κατά πόλεις, see κατά, II. 3a. α., p. 328a; opposed to κῶμαι, Matthew 9:35; Matthew 10:11; Luke 8:1; Luke 13:22; to κῶμαι καί ἀγροί, Mark 6:56; ἡ ἰδίᾳ πόλις, see ἴδιος, 1b., p. 297a; πόλις with the genitive of a person one's native city, Luke 2:4, 11; John 1:44(45); or the city in which one lives, Matthew 22:7; Luke 4:29; Luke 10:11; Acts 16:20; Revelation 16:19; Jerusalem is called, on account of the temple erected there, πόλις τοῦ μεγάλου βασιλέως, i. e. in which the great King of Israel, Jehovah, has his abode, Matthew 5:35; Psalm 47:2
b. used of the heavenly Jerusalem (see Ἱεροσόλυμα, 2), i. e. α. the abode of the blessed, in heaven: Hebrews 11:10, 16; with Θεοῦ ζῶντος added, Hebrews 12:22; ἡ μελλουσα πόλις, Hebrews 13:14. β. in the visions of the Apocalypse it is used of the visible capital of the heavenly kingdom, to come down to earth after the renovation of the world: Revelation 3:12; Revelation 21:14ff; 22:14; ἡ πόλις ἡ ἅγια, Revelation 22:19; with Ἱερουσαλήμ καινή added, Revelation 21:2.
c. πόλις by metonymy, for the inhabitants: Matthew 8:34; Acts 14:21; πᾶσα ἡ πόλις, Matthew 21:10; Acts 13:44; ἡ πόλις ὅλῃ, Mark 1:33; Acts 21:30; πόλις μερισθεῖσα καθ' ἑαυτῆς, Matthew 12:25.
Topical Lexicon
Scope of the Term in the New Testament The noun πόλις appears one hundred sixty-five times across twenty-four New Testament books. It is found most frequently in the historical narratives of the Gospels (especially Luke) and Acts, then in Hebrews, Revelation, and a handful of Pauline and General Epistles. Whether describing literal municipalities (Nazareth, Philippi, Corinth) or eschatological realities (the New Jerusalem, the great city Babylon), the term always denotes an identifiable community with social, political, and spiritual implications.
Historical and Cultural Context
First-century cities were walled population centers that served as administrative, military, and commercial hubs. Roman roads converged on these urbanscapes, making them ideal staging points for both imperial governance and the spread of the gospel. Synagogues in the cities provided ready audiences familiar with Scripture, while forums and marketplaces opened doors to Gentile listeners. Civic identity (citizenship, patron deities, local magistracies) created both opportunities and obstacles for the early church, as believers navigated the tension between heavenly and earthly allegiance.
Cities in the Ministry of Jesus
1. Itinerant Proclamation: “Jesus went through all the towns and cities, teaching in their synagogues” (Matthew 9:35).
2. Call to Repentance: Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum are singled out (Matthew 11:20–24). The city becomes a moral unit accountable for its response to revelation.
3. Missional Strategy: When sending out the Twelve, Jesus commands, “When they persecute you in one city, flee to the next” (Matthew 10:23), acknowledging both the resistance and the reach that cities afford.
4. Metaphor of Witness: “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:14). The corporate witness of believers is envisioned as a luminous polis visible to the nations.
Cities in Apostolic Mission
Acts portrays an expanding arc from Jerusalem to “the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8), marked by strategic engagement with cities:
• Samaria—“There was great joy in that city” (Acts 8:8).
• Antioch—first called Christians (Acts 11:26).
• Philippi—“a leading city of the district of Macedonia” (Acts 16:12) where Lydia believes and a church is planted.
• Corinth—“I have many people in this city” (Acts 18:10); Paul stays eighteen months.
• Ephesus—both fruit (Acts 19:20) and riot (Acts 19:29) show urban volatility.
The pattern demonstrates deliberate targeting of population centers so that rural regions could be reached downstream (Acts 19:10).
Cities as Arenas of Conflict and Protection
Cities provide both refuge and persecution. Paul finds safety in Damascus’ city walls (2 Corinthians 11:32-33) yet is stoned at Lystra (Acts 14:19). Riot, imprisonment, and legal hearings often unfold in the civic sphere, but so do hospitality, economic support, and communal joy. The juxtaposition underscores God’s sovereignty over the urban environment.
Prophetic and Eschatological Dimensions
1. Heavenly Citizenship: “For here we do not have a permanent city, but we are looking for the city that is to come” (Hebrews 13:14).
2. The City with Foundations: Abraham awaited “the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (Hebrews 11:10).
3. Holy City, New Jerusalem: “I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God” (Revelation 21:2). This consummate polis fulfills all covenant hopes.
4. Babylon the Great: A counterfeit urban power, judged in a single hour (Revelation 18:10).
Thus Scripture contrasts two cities—one earthly and destined for judgment, the other heavenly and eternal.
Spiritual Lessons and Theology
• Collective Responsibility: Whole cities can embrace or reject the gospel, demonstrating the corporate reach of sin and grace.
• Stewardship and Reward: Faithful servants in Luke 19:17-19 are set over multiple cities, signifying tangible future authority for present fidelity.
• Evangelistic Imperative: Urban centers remain strategic mission fields where diverse populations converge, mirroring the New Testament pattern.
Selected Key Passages
Matthew 5:14 – “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.”
Acts 18:10 – “For I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you or harm you, because I have many people in this city.”
Hebrews 11:16 – “Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.”
Revelation 21:23 – “The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because the glory of God illuminates it, and the Lamb is its lamp.”
Summary
πόλις in the New Testament embodies both concrete geography and profound theology. From the streets of Bethlehem and Nazareth to the apocalyptic vision of the New Jerusalem, the “city” frames God’s redemptive work, provides the arena for gospel advance, and anticipates the ultimate dwelling of God with His people.
Forms and Transliterations
πολει πόλει πολεις πόλεις πόλεσι πόλεσί πολεσιν πόλεσιν πολεων πόλεων πόλεών πολεως πόλεως πόλεώς πολιν πόλιν πολις πόλις πολις΄ polei pólei poleis póleis poleon poleōn póleon póleōn poleos poleōs póleos póleōs polesin pólesin polin pólin polis pólis
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