βᾰσῐλ-εύς G0935
King, ruler, sovereign; used of earthly monarchs, the Messiah, and God as supreme ruler
Basileus denotes a king or sovereign who exercises supreme authority over a people or territory. In the New Testament it applies to historical rulers like Herod (Matt 2:1), to Caesar as the Roman emperor, and supremely to Jesus as the promised Davidic king and to God as the eternal King. The multilingual translations uniformly render it with direct equivalents — Spanish 'rey,' French 'roi,' German 'König' — reflecting the universally understood concept of monarchical authority. The word carries both political and theological weight, especially in the phrase 'King of kings' (Rev 19:16).
Senses
1. king, ruler, sovereign — A male monarch or supreme ruler exercising royal authority over a people or territory. Covers earthly kings such as David (Matt 1:6), Herod (Matt 2:1), and foreign sovereigns, as well as God and Christ as ultimate King. Translations across languages consistently use direct royal equivalents (Spanish 'rey,' French 'roi'), underscoring the term's unambiguous semantic core of sovereign rule. 115×
AR["المَلِكَ", "المَلِكُ", "المَلِكِ", "الْمَلِكُ", "الْمَلِكِ", "مَلِكًا", "مَلِكٌ", "مَلِكٍ", "مَلِكُ", "مَلِكِ"]·ben["রাজা", "রাজাকে।", "রাজার", "রাজার,", "রাজার-সঙ্গে"]·DE["Koenig", "König"]·EN["a-king", "king"]·FR["roi"]·heb["הַ-", "מֶּלֶךְ", "מֶלֶךְ"]·HI["के-कारण", "जल्लाद-को", "माँगा", "मुझसे", "रअज", "रज", "राजा", "राजा-की", "राजा-के", "राजा-को", "राजा-से", "हेरोदेस"]·ID["Raja", "raja", "raja,", "raja."]·IT["re"]·jav["Raja", "Rajanipun", "raja", "raja,", "raja.", "raja;", "rajanipun,", "raja»⇔", "ratu"]·KO["왕", "왕-", "왕-을", "왕-의", "왕-이", "왕과", "왕에게,", "왕은", "왕이", "왕이,"]·PT["rei", "rei,"]·RU["Царь", "Царём", "царь", "царю", "царю,", "царя"]·ES["rey"]·SW["akawaambia", "alikasirika", "kuwaangalia", "mfalme"]·TR["kral", "krala", "kralla", "kralı", "kralın"]·urd["بادشاہ", "بادشاہ-نے", "بادشاہ-کی", "بادشاہ-کے"]
Matt 1:6, Matt 2:1, Matt 2:2, Matt 2:3, Matt 2:9, Matt 14:9, Matt 18:23, Matt 22:2, Matt 22:7, Matt 22:11, Matt 22:13, Mark 6:14 (+38 more)
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
βᾰσῐλ-εύς, ὁ, genitive έως, Epic dialect ῆος, Refs 5th c.AD+ Oracle texts cited in Refs 5th c.BC+ Aeolic dialect -ηεςRefs 7th c.BC+ old Attic dialect -ῆςRefs 5th c.BC+:— king, chief, Refs 8th c.BC+: frequently with collateral sense of captain or judge, Refs 8th c.BC+; later, hereditary king, opposed to τύραννος, Refs 4th c.BC+; but also of tyrants, as Hiero, Refs 5th c.BC+; of Gelo, Refs 5th…