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)