Κανδάκη G2582
Candace, a dynastic title for the queen mother of Ethiopia
Candace was not a personal name but a royal title for the queen mother of Meroë, the ancient kingdom south of Egypt (modern Sudan). In Acts 8:27, the Ethiopian eunuch serves as 'a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of all her treasure.' The title indicates a powerful female ruler or queen mother who exercised significant authority. The eunuch's long journey to Jerusalem to worship demonstrates the reach of Jewish influence and prepares for the gospel's spread to Africa through Philip's explanation of Isaiah 53.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Luke uses Kandakē as a title rather than a name, reflecting the Meroitic royal system. The multilingual forms (French Candace, Spanish Kandákē) preserve the exotic quality. This high-ranking Ethiopian official's conversion represents the gospel crossing racial and geographical boundaries—from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria, now reaching toward the ends of the earth. Philip's encounter with the eunuch shows the Spirit orchestrating unlikely meetings that fulfill Jesus's commission to be his witnesses to all nations. 1×
AR["كَنْدَاكَةَ"]·ben["কান্দাকীর"]·DE["Κανδάκης"]·EN["of-Kandake"]·FR["Candace"]·heb["קַנְדַּקֶה"]·HI["कन्दाकी-का"]·ID["Kandake"]·IT["Candace"]·jav["Kandaké,"]·KO["간다게-의"]·PT["de-Candace"]·RU["Кандакии"]·ES["de-Kandákē"]·SW["wa-Kandake"]·TR["Kandake'nin"]·urd["کندکا"]
Related Senses
G3588 1. definite article (18298×)H0853 1. definite direct object marker (10915×)G2532 1. (8312×)H3068 1. YHWH (the divine name) (6522×)H0834a 1. relative pronoun (who/which/that) (4839×)H3588a 1. causal: because, for (3498×)G1161 1. and (2806×)H3478 1. Israel (proper name and nation) (2507×)G4771 1. you (plural address) (1853×)H1931 1. personal pronoun he/she/it (1431×)G3739 1. relative pronoun who/which/that (1149×)H1732 1. David (proper name) (1075×)H2088 1. this, this one (demonstrative) (1059×)G1063 1. (1047×)G3778 1. this thing, these things (1003×)H???? 2. (1002×)G2424 1. (924×)G3754 1. that (content clause) (881×)H2009 1. presentative particle: behold, look (881×)H0589 1. I (first person singular pronoun) (874×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
Κανδάκη, -ης, ἡ Candace: Act.8:27.† (From Abbott-Smith. LSJ has no entry)