βασιλεία, -ας, ἡ

(βασιλεύω), [in LXX chiefly for מַמְלָכָה ,מַלְכוּת ;]

__1. prop. abstract, sovereignty, royal power, dominion: Luk.1:33 22:29, Jhn.18:36, Act.1:6, Heb.1:8, 1Co.15:24; λαβεῖν β. Luk.19:12, 15 Rev.17:12; δοῦναι τὴν, ib. 17; ἔχειν β. ib. 18; ἔρχεσθαι ἐν τ. (εἰς τὴν) β. Mat.16:28, Luk.23:42; β. τ. θεοῦ, Rev.12:10.

__2. By meton. concrete (MM, Exp. x),

__(a) a kingdom, the territory or people over whom the king rules (Est.5:3, al.): Mat.4:8 12:25, 26 24:7, Mrk.3:24 6:23, Luk.4:5, Heb.11:33, al.;

__(b) the royal majesty (cf. our phrase His Majesty), the king himself (τ. σπέρμα τῆς β. 4Ki.11:1).

__3. In LXX (Wis.6:5, Tob.13:1, al.), Targ. and NT, of the Messianic rule and kingdom, ἡ β. τ. θεοῦ, τ. οὐρανῶν (Heb. מַלְכוּת שָׁמַיִם, Aram. מַלְכוּתָא דִשׁמַיָּא; see Dalman, Words, 91-147; Cremer, 132, 658), the kingdom of God (on the equivalence of the two phrases, see Dalman, op. cit. 93, 218f.); τ. θεοῦ, Mat.6:33 12:28, al.; τ. οὐρανῶν, Mat.3:2 4:17, al.; τ. Χριστοῦ (מַלִכוּת דִמְשִׁיחא, Targ. Jon. on Isa.53:10), Eph.5:5; τ. κυρίου, 2Pe.1:11, Rev.11:15; τ. Δαυείδ, Mrk.11:10; absol. ἡ β. Mat.4:23, Jas.2:5, al. The kingdom is regarded as present: Mat.11:12, Luk.17:21, Rom.14:17, al.; as that which is to be consummated in the future, Mat.6:10, Mrk.9:1, Jhn.3:5, 2Pe.1:11, al. Noteworthy phrases are: ζητεῖν τὴν β. Mat.6:33; δέχεσθαι, Mrk.10:15; κλρονομεῖν, Mat.25:34; διδόναι, Lk 12:32; παραλαμβάνειν, Heb.12:28; αὐτῶν (τοιούτων) εστὶν ἡ β. Mat.5:3, 10 19:14, Mrk.10:14, Luk.18:16; διὰ τὴν β. Mat.19:12; ἕνεκεν τῆς β. Luk.18:29; εὐαγγελίζεσθαι, κηρύσσειν, διαγγέλλειν τὴν β. Luk.4:43 9:2, 60; ἤγγικεν ἡ β. Mat.3:2, Mrk.1:15; κλεῖς τῆς β. Mat.16:10; κλείειν τὴν β. Mat.23:14; υἱοὶ τῆς β. Mat.8:12 13:38 (cf. Cremer, 132, 658).

(AS)

sovereignty; royal power; dominion; a kingdom; the royal majesty; the king; the kingdom of God