### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Greek word **phásis**, represented by `{{G5334}}`, is a specific term for a **saying** or **report**, and is translated as **tidings**. It appears only **1 time** in **1 unique verse** in the Bible, making its single usage particularly significant within its narrative context. The word is derived from φημί, meaning a saying.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The sole appearance of `{{G5334}}` is found in [[Acts 21:31]], where it plays a critical role in the narrative of the Apostle Paul in Jerusalem. As a mob went about to kill him, **tidings** came to the Roman chief captain of the band that the entire city was in chaos. The verse states, "And as they went about to kill him, **tidings** `{{G5334}}` came unto the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar" [[Acts 21:31]]. This report is the catalyst for the Roman military's intervention.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words from its context illuminate the meaning and urgency of these "tidings":
* `{{G5506}}` **chilíarchos** (chief captain): The commander of a thousand soldiers, this was the high-ranking official who received the report. The destination of the tidings underscores the severity of the situation.
* `{{G4797}}` **synchéō** (be in an uproar): This describes the content of the tidings—that all of Jerusalem was stirred up and confused, indicating widespread civil unrest.
* `{{G2212}}` **zētéō** (to seek, plot): This word reveals the reason for the uproar. The tidings conveyed that a group was actively seeking to kill Paul, highlighting the life-threatening nature of the report [[Acts 21:31]].
* `{{G4686}}` **speîra** (band): This refers to the Roman military cohort or squad of soldiers under the chief captain's command, the very force mobilized by the arrival of the tidings.
### Theological Significance
While not a common theological term, the significance of `{{G5334}}` is found in its narrative function as a mechanism for deliverance.
* **Catalyst for Intervention:** The arrival of these **tidings** is the pivotal event that prompts the Roman authorities to act, ultimately saving Paul from being killed by the mob [[Acts 21:31]].
* **Conveying Crisis:** The word is used to communicate a state of total chaos. The report specified that "all `{{G3650}}` Jerusalem `{{G2419}}` was in an uproar `{{G4797}}`," establishing the scale of the threat.
* **Urgent Communication:** The context of a plot to "kill `{{G615}}`" Paul shows that `{{G5334}}` functions as an emergency alert, conveying life-or-death information that required an immediate response from authority.
### Summary
In summary, `{{G5334}}` **phásis** is a rare but impactful word. Its single use in scripture is not abstract but deeply embedded in a moment of crisis. As "tidings," it functions as the critical report that brings a lethal threat to the attention of a military commander, setting in motion the events that would preserve Paul's life. This demonstrates how even a word used only once can carry significant weight in the biblical narrative.
TRV