Ῥώμη G4516
Rome: the capital city of the Roman Empire, center of imperial power and early Christian community.
The proper noun Rome (Rhome) appears eight times in the NT, always designating the imperial capital. It functions as both geographical destination and theological symbol. Acts traces Paul's divinely ordained journey toward Rome (Acts 19:21; 23:11 — 'you must testify also in Rome'), culminating in his arrival and house arrest (Acts 28:14-16). Romans 1:7 addresses the saints 'in Rome,' and Acts 18:2 notes Aquila and Priscilla's expulsion from the city under Claudius. Across languages — Spanish 'Roma,' French 'Rome,' German 'Rom' — the name requires virtually no translation, testifying to the city's enduring cultural imprint.
Senses
1. Rome (proper noun, the city) — The capital city of the Roman Empire, seat of imperial government and site of an early Christian community. Every NT occurrence treats Rome as a concrete geographical location rather than a symbolic entity (unlike Revelation's 'Babylon'). Paul's journey to Rome forms the narrative arc of Acts' second half: the Lord himself declares 'you must testify in Rome' (Acts 23:11). The near-universal preservation of the name across languages — Spanish 'Roma,' French 'Rome,' German 'Rom' — reflects Rome's unmatched cultural prominence in the ancient world. 8×
AR["روما","رومَةَ","رُومَا","رُومِيَةَ"]·ben["রোম","রোমে","রোমে,","রোমেতে,"]·DE["Rom"]·EN["Rhōmē","Rome"]·FR["Rom","Rome"]·heb["רוֹמִי","רוֹמָא"]·HI["रोम","रोम,","रोम-को","रोममें"]·ID["Roma","Roma,"]·IT["Roma","rōmē"]·jav["Roma","Roma,","Rum","Rum,"]·KO["로마","로마,","로마로","로마를","로마에","로마에서","로마에서도"]·PT["Roma","Roma,"]·RU["Рим","Рим,","Рима","Риме"]·ES["Rhṓmē","Roma"]·SW["Roma","Roma,","Rumi"]·TR["Roma","Roma'da","Roma'dan","Roma'yı","geldik"]·urd["روم"]
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
Ῥώμη, ἡ, Roma, Rome, first mentioned in Gr. literature by Refs 4th c.BC+; deified in Inscrr., θεὰ Ῥώμη Refs 3rd c.AD+