Σίλας G4609
Silas — a leader in the Jerusalem church who became Paul's missionary companion
Silas (the Aramaic form of the Latinized Silvanus) appears 13 times in Acts, tracing the arc of a significant early church figure. First introduced as a 'leading man among the brothers' chosen to carry the Jerusalem Council's letter to Antioch (Acts 15:22), Silas quickly becomes Paul's primary co-worker on the second missionary journey. He endures imprisonment in Philippi (Acts 16:25), is received in Thessalonica and Berea (Acts 17:4, 10), and reunites with Paul in Corinth (Acts 18:5). The name remains stable across translations — Spanish 'Silas,' French 'Silas,' German 'Silas' — as expected for a proper noun.
Senses
1. sense 1 — The proper name Silas, designating a Jewish Christian prophet and leader in the Jerusalem church who accompanied Paul on his second missionary journey. Also known by the Romanized form Silvanus (Silouanos) in the Epistles. All 13 occurrences in Acts refer to this single individual, spanning his commission by the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15:22, 27, 32), his travels through Asia Minor and Greece (Acts 16:19, 25, 29; 17:4, 10, 14-15), and his arrival in Corinth (Acts 18:5). 13×
AR["سيلاسَ", "سيلاسُ", "سِيلَا"]·ben["সীল", "সীলকে", "সীলা", "সীলাকে", "সীলার", "সীলের-সাথে", "সীলের-সামনে"]·DE["Silas"]·EN["Silas"]·FR["Silas"]·heb["אֲנָשִׁים", "וְ-", "סִילָאס"]·HI["सीलास", "सीलास-के", "सीलास-को", "सीलास-से"]·ID["Silas"]·IT["Sila"]·jav["Silas"]·KO["실라가", "실라는", "실라를", "실라에게", "실라와"]·PT["Silas", "Silas,", "Silas."]·RU["Сила", "Силе", "Силу"]·ES["Silâ", "Silân", "Silâs", "a-Silân", "a-Silâs"]·SW["Sila"]·TR["Silas", "Silas'a", "Silas'ı", "Silas'ın-önüne"]·urd["سیلاس"]
Acts 15:22, Acts 15:27, Acts 15:32, Acts 15:34, Acts 15:40, Acts 16:19, Acts 16:25, Acts 16:29, Acts 17:4, Acts 17:10, Acts 17:14, Acts 17:15 (+1 more)
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
Σίλας, -α (accusative to BL, § 29, W-Schm., 74, -ᾶς, -ᾶ), ὁ (Aram. שׁאִילָא; see Dalman, Gr., 157.5), Silas (called also Σιλουανός, which see): Act.15:22, 27 15:32, 34 15:40 16:19, 25 16:29 17:4, 10 17:14-15 18:5 † (From Abbott-Smith. LSJ has no entry)