Word Study for G4514 (Ῥωμαῖος)

Rhōmaîos /hro-mah'-yos/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom Ῥώμη

MeaningRomæan, i.e. Roman (as noun)

KJV usageRoman, of Rome.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of Rhōmaîos — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Greek word Ῥωμαῖος (Rhōmaîos), represented by G4514, is a term for a Roman. It appears 13 times across 13 unique verses in the Bible. The term identifies individuals by their citizenship or origin, specifically in relation to Rome and its empire.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, being a G4514 carried significant legal and social weight. The Jewish leaders feared that the Romans would come and take away their place and nation John 11:48. The Apostle Paul repeatedly invoked his status as a Roman to protect himself from unlawful punishment. He challenged magistrates for having him beaten openly while being uncondemned G178, a violation of the rights of Romans Acts 16:37. This status caused officials, including a centurion and a chief captain, to become afraid when they learned they had bound a Roman citizen (Acts 22:29, Acts 16:38). It was considered against the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to die without a proper trial Acts 25:16.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words highlight the context of Roman authority and law:

G178 akatákritos (without (legal) trial): This term is used directly with Paul's claim to Roman citizenship, emphasizing his right not to be punished while uncondemned (Acts 16:37, Acts 22:25).
G1543 hekatontárchēs (the captain of one hundred men): A centurion is the Roman officer who is warned about scourging Paul after learning he is a Roman Acts 22:26.
G5506 chilíarchos (the commander of a thousand soldiers): This high-ranking officer, a chief captain, rescued Paul because he was a Roman Acts 23:27 and later became afraid after realizing he had bound him Acts 22:29.

Theological Significance

The significance of G4514 is primarily seen in the unfolding of God's plan through the life of the Apostle Paul.

Legal Protection for Ministry: Paul's status as a Roman repeatedly provides him with legal protection. He avoids being scourged because it is not lawful to do so to a Roman who is uncondemned G178 Acts 22:25, a right that caused magistrates to fear Acts 16:38.
Instrument of Divine Purpose: The Roman political structure becomes an unwitting instrument for the Gospel's spread. Paul, having committed nothing against the people or customs, is delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans Acts 28:17, which ultimately facilitates his journey to Rome.
Conflict of Allegiance: The identity of being a Roman is sometimes presented in conflict with the customs of the Christian faith. Paul and Silas are accused of teaching customs which are not lawful for Romans to receive or observe Acts 16:21.

Summary

In summary, G4514 is a critical identifier in the New Testament that denotes more than just nationality; it signifies a set of legal rights and a connection to the ruling imperial power. For the Apostle Paul, being a Roman was a providential status that protected his ministry from unlawful harm and advanced his mission to bring the gospel to the heart of the empire. The term illustrates the dynamic between earthly citizenship and divine calling in the biblical account.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Greek New Testament, this word appears as a noun across 12 occurrences, inflected in 6 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Nominative Singular Masculine Location Gentilic 4×
Nominative Plural Masculine Location Gentilic 3×
Dative Plural Masculine Location Gentilic 2×
Accusative Plural Masculine Location Gentilic 1×
Accusative Singular Masculine Location Gentilic 1×
Genitive Plural Masculine Location Gentilic 1×

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
Genitive: Possession or source — often "of".
Dative: The indirect object — often "to" or "for".
Accusative: The direct object of the verb.
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
Location: The name of a place.
Gentilic: Naming a people or nationality.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 13 verses across 3 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Acts (11 verses); never once in the other 24.

John

Acts

Romans

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.