Bible Word Study
Λυκαονία
lykaonia · Lycaonia
Λυκαονία
Lycaonia
Definition
Lycaonia was a region in central Asia Minor, part of the Roman province of Galatia during the New Testament period. It was a distinct ethnic and linguistic area, known for its native Lycaonian language. The region is mentioned in the Bible specifically as the area where Paul and Barnabas fled after being persecuted in Iconium (Acts 14:6). It included the important cities of Lystra and Derbe, which became significant centers for early Christian missionary activity.
Biblical Usage
The word Λυκαονία (Lykaonia) is used only once in the New Testament, in Acts 14:6. In this context, it functions as a geographical identifier, specifying the region to which Paul and Barnabas escaped. The usage is purely descriptive, locating the narrative of the apostles' missionary journey and the subsequent events at Lystra within a specific provincial territory of the Roman Empire.
Etymology
The name Λυκαονία (Lykaonia) derives directly from the Greek name for the region and its inhabitants, the Λυκάονες (Lykaones). It is a proper noun of geographical origin, with no further known Greek root meaning. The name was adopted into Greek from the local ethnic designation.
Semantic Range
Lycaonia was culturally distinct within the Roman province of Galatia. Acts 14:11 highlights that the populace of Lystra spoke the 'Lycaonian language,' indicating a strong local identity alongside the common Greek lingua franca. Understanding this helps explain the immediate cultural disconnect when Paul and Barnabas performed a miracle; the local people interpreted the event through their own pagan mythological framework, initially identifying the apostles as gods (Acts 14:11-13). The region's inclusion in the Roman province shows the complex layering of local, provincial, and imperial identities in the first-century world. Γαλατία (Galatia, G1053) — The larger Roman province which contained the region of Lycaonia.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Dodson Greek-English Lexicon, supplemented by STEPBible TBESG data (CC BY 4.0). Concordance and morphology data are derived from the interlinear Bible.
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]