Ἰταλικός G2483
Italian, pertaining to Italy; specifically the Italian cohort
This adjective designates something as Italian in origin or association. In Acts 10:1, Cornelius serves as a centurion in 'the Italian cohort' (speira Italikē), a Roman military unit likely composed of Italian volunteers serving in Caesarea. The detail situates Cornelius within the Roman military infrastructure while highlighting the remarkable nature of his piety—a Gentile officer from an explicitly Roman unit becomes the first full Gentile convert, breaking down the wall between Jew and Gentile at the Spirit's initiative.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Luke's specification of the Italian cohort provides both historical precision and theological significance. This was a recognizable military designation, and the Spanish 'Itálica' and German form preserve the Latin adjective. A centurion from Rome's Italian heartland, stationed in Israel's coastal capital, receives a vision that changes salvation history—God shows no partiality based on ethnicity or nationality, even extending grace to the occupying military power. 1×
AR["ٱلْإِيطَالِيَّةِ"]·ben["ইতালীয়"]·DE["Ἰταλικῆς"]·EN["Italian"]·FR["peut-être"]·heb["הָאִיטָלִית"]·HI["इतालवी"]·ID["Italia"]·IT["Italiano"]·jav["Italia,"]·KO["이탈리아-의"]·RU["Италийской"]·ES["Itálica"]·SW["cha-Kiitaliano,"]·TR["İtalyan"]·urd["اطالوی"]
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
Ἰταλικός, -ή, -όν (Ἰταλία), Italian: σπεῖρα Ἰ., Act.10:1.† (From Abbott-Smith. LSJ has no entry)