πρωτο-κλῐσία G4411
Place of honor at a feast, chief seat at a banquet; the most prestigious reclining position at a meal.
A compound noun from πρῶτος (first) + κλισία (reclining place), designating the most honored seat at a banquet table. Jesus repeatedly criticizes the Pharisees and scribes for loving to claim these seats — in Matt 23:6, Mark 12:39, and Luke 20:46, it appears alongside their desire for long robes and marketplace greetings. Luke 14:7–8 offers the parable of the wedding feast, where guests scramble for the πρωτοκλισία only to risk public humiliation. The Spanish 'primer-asiento' (first seat) and German 'erster-Platz' (first place) straightforwardly render the compound's meaning.
Senses
1. sense 1 — The chief seat or place of honor at a banquet — the most prestigious reclining position at a formal meal. In the ancient triclinium arrangement, certain positions conveyed higher status, and this word names the most coveted one. Jesus uses it as a diagnostic of religious pride: the scribes and Pharisees 'love the chief seats at feasts' (Matt 23:6; Mark 12:39; Luke 20:46), treating honor as entitlement rather than gift. In Luke 14:7–8, Jesus crafts a parable around the πρωτοκλισία, counseling humility: take the lowest place and be invited up rather than claim the highest and be asked to move. The French 'première-place' and Spanish 'primer-asiento' both decompose the Greek compound into first + seat, preserving its transparent etymology. 5×
AR["المَتَّكَآتِ-الأُولى", "المَقعَدَ-الأَوَّلَ", "المَقَاعِدَ-الأُولَى", "المَقْعَدِ-الأَوَّلِ", "صُدورَ-المُتَّكَآتِ"]·ben["প্রথম-আসন", "প্রথম-আসনে", "প্রথম-স্থান", "প্রধান-আসন"]·DE["erster-Platz", "πρωτοκλισίαν", "πρωτοκλισίας"]·EN["first-place", "first-places", "place-of-honor", "places-of-honor"]·FR["première-place"]·heb["מֵקוֹמוֹת רִאשׁוֹנִים", "מוֹשְׁבֵי-הָרֹאשׁ", "מוֹשְׁבֵי-רִאשׁוֹנִים", "מוֹשָׁב-הַכָּבוֹד", "מוֹשָׁב-הָרֹאשׁ"]·HI["प्रथम-स्थान", "प्रमुख-स्थान"]·ID["tempat-kehormatan", "tempat-utama"]·IT["primo-posto"]·jav["palenggahan-ngajeng", "papan-kehormatan", "papan-ngarep"]·KO["높은-자리를", "상석-을", "상석에", "상석을", "윗자리를"]·PT["primeiro-lugar", "primeiros-lugares"]·RU["первое-место", "первые-места", "первых-мест"]·ES["primer-asiento", "primeros-asientos", "primeros-lugares"]·SW["katika", "kiti-cha-heshima", "mahali-pa-heshima", "nafasi-za-heshima", "viti-vya-heshima"]·TR["baş-koltuklara", "baş-koltuğa", "baş-köşeyi", "baş-yerleri"]·urd["اعلیٰ-مقامات", "صدر-نشین", "صدر-نشینی", "صدر-نشینیاں", "عزت-کی-جگہیں"]
Related Senses
H3548 1. priest, cultic officiant (750×)G5547 1. Christ, Messiah, Anointed One (540×)H5030 1. Prophet, divine spokesperson (317×)H5930a 1. burnt offering (sacrifice) (286×)H3881 1. Levites (priestly class) (283×)G4396 1. prophet, spokesperson of God (146×)H6944 1. sanctuary, holy place (129×)G0749 1. high priest, chief priest (123×)H6944 2. holiness, sacredness (abstract quality) (123×)G5330 1. Pharisee (99×)G4336 1. pray to God (86×)H6944 3. holy things, sacred offerings (plural) (86×)H3722a 1. make ritual atonement (Piel) (85×)H6912 1. bury (Qal active) (82×)H6419 1. pray (Hitpael) (80×)H6944 4. holiness (with possessive pronoun) (77×)H6942 1. sanctify, consecrate (Piel factitive) (76×)H2930a 1. Qal: be/become unclean (75×)H7819a 1. slaughter an animal (Qal active) (72×)H1486 1. lot (object cast for decisions) (71×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
πρωτο-κλῐσία, ἡ, first seat at table, NT; compare πρωτοκαθεδρία. πρωτο-καθεδρία, ἡ, the first seat in a public place, NT