ἐξουσία, -ας, ἡ

(ἔξεστι), [in LXX: 4Ki.20:13, Psa.113 (114):2 135 (136)8, 9, Isa.39:2, Jer.28 (51):28 (מֶמְשָׁלָה), frequently in Da for Aram. שָׁלְטָן, etc. Wis.10:14, Sir.9:13, al. ;]

__1. prop. liberty or power to act, freedom to exercise the inward force or faculty expressed by δύναμις (which see): 1Co.9:12; ἐ. ἔχειν, 2Th.3:9; id. before inf. Jhn.10:18, 1Co.9:4, 5; with genitive obj. Rom.9:21; before ἐπί, with accusative, Rev.22:14; περί, 1Co.7:37.

__2. Later (cf. Milligan, Th. 114; MM, Exp. xiv), of the power of right, authority: Mat.21:33, Mrk.11:28, Luk.20:2; of Messianic authority, Mat.9:6, Mrk.2:10, al.; of apostolic authority, 2Co.10:8 13:10; of the authority of government: Mat.8:9 28:18, Ju 25, Rev.12:10, al.; esp. of judicial authority, Luk.20:20, Jhn.19:10, 11.

__3. Meton.

__(a) jurisdiction: Luk.23:7 (cf. 1Ma.6:11, Isa.39:2);

__(b) a ruler or magistrate: Rom.13:1-3; pl. Luk.12:11, Rom.13:1, Tit.3:1;

__(with) of supramundane powers (syn. with ἀρχή, δύναμις, θρόνος, κυριότης): 1Co.15:24, Eph.1:21 3:10, Col.2:10, 1Pe.3:22, al. (Cremer. 236).

SYN.: see: δύναμις. (AS)

liberty; power to act; right, authority; jurisdiction; a ruler; magistrate