Bible Word Study
Σελεύκεια
seleykeia · Seleucia
Σελεύκεια
Seleucia
Definition
Seleucia was a major port city on the Mediterranean coast of Syria, founded around 300 BC by Seleucus I Nicator, one of Alexander the Great's generals. It served as the primary seaport for the inland city of Syrian Antioch, located about 16 miles up the Orontes River. In the New Testament, Seleucia is mentioned only in Acts 13:4 as the departure point for Paul and Barnabas's first missionary journey, sent out by the church in Antioch. This specific reference highlights its role as a strategic gateway for the spread of the gospel from Syria to the island of Cyprus and beyond into the Roman world.
Biblical Usage
The word Σελεύκεια (Seleucia) is used only once in the New Testament, in Acts 13:4. In this context, it functions strictly as a geographical proper noun, identifying the specific port from which Paul and Barnabas embarked. Its usage underscores the historical and logistical reality of the early church's missionary efforts, marking the beginning of a significant journey commissioned by the Holy Spirit.
Etymology
The name Σελεύκεια (Seleucia) is a feminine noun derived directly from the personal name Σέλευκος (Seleukos), referring to Seleucus I Nicator, the founder of the Seleucid Empire. It follows a common Greek pattern for naming cities after their founders or patrons (e.g., Alexandria). The name itself means 'city of Seleucus.'
Semantic Range
In the 1st century, Seleucia was a bustling Hellenistic port city, a center of commerce and Greco-Roman culture. Its mention in Acts 13:4 is not theologically loaded but is crucial for historical and geographical accuracy. For modern readers, understanding its role as Antioch's port illuminates the practical logistics of early Christian travel and the church's strategic use of Roman trade routes and infrastructure for missionary work. Ἀντιόχεια (Antiocheia, G490) — The major inland city for which Seleucia served as the port. Λιμήν (Limēn, G3040) — The general Greek word for 'harbor' or 'port,' of which Seleucia was a specific instance.
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]