UBS Greek Dictionary Article

Notes: πατριά[a] and φυλή[b] nation, people (11.56: πατριά / 11.56: φυλή) focus attention upon a particular people as a socially functioning unit, while the feature of biological descent is largely secondary. But in the case of γένος[b] and σάρξ[e], the feature of biological descent is focal, while group functioning is largely secondary.

Form 1

Part of speech: noun, f.

Inflections: φυλή; -ῆς

Related lemmas: φύω

Sense 1: tribe

Semantic entry: 10.2

Semantic domains: Kinship Terms

Subdomains: Groups and Members of Groups of Persons Regarded as Related by Blood but without Special Reference to Successive Generations

Definition: a subgroup of a nation which is regarded as being more closely related biologically than the entire nation

Notes: In a number of societies there are only three well-defined biologically related groups: (1) the nuclear family (that is to say, the immediate family); (2) the extended family (often referred to as ‘the clan’); and (3) the tribe or nation as a whole. Under such circumstances it may be necessary to speak of the twelve tribes of Israel as being ‘twelve large clans.’ This would emphasize their biological relationships and at the same time would suggest that they constituted part of a larger ethnic unit, namely, the nation. On the other hand, a number of so-called ‘primitive societies’ have a great many designations for different sets of biologically related persons. These may designate an individual family, an extended family, the clan, a grouping of clans, a division of a tribe into two interacting units (called moieties), and finally the tribe as a whole, equivalent in larger societies to a nation. The choice of appropriate terms for various groups of biologically related persons becomes particularly complex in certain passages in the OT.

MAT 19:28: RV MAT 19:28 · LV MAT 19:28 · Read together MAT 19:28

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OET-RV MAT 19:28

28 “I can assure you,” Yeshua told them, “that after the world is remade and the son of humanity sits down on his splendid throne, you apprentices who followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, ruling over Yisrael’s (Israel) twelve tribes.

OET-LV MAT 19:28

28 And the Yaʸsous said to _them:
Truly, I _am _saying to _you _all that you _all who having _followed after _me in the regeneration, whenever the son of_ the _man may _sit _down on the_throne of _glory of _him, you _all also will _be _sitting on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of_ the _Israaʸl/(Yisrā^ʼēl).

LUK 2:36: RV LUK 2:36 · LV LUK 2:36 · Read together LUK 2:36

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OET-RV LUK 2:36

36 Also there, was a prophetess named Hanah (the daughter of Penuel from the tribe of Asher). She was very elderly, having been married for seven years

OET-LV LUK 2:36

36 And Hanna was a_prophetess, daughter of _Fanouaʸl, of the_tribe of _Asaʸr/(ʼĀshēr), this woman having _advanced in great days, having _lived with a_husband seven years from the virginity of _her,

All 21 recorded passages for this sense

MAT: RV MAT 19:28 · LV MAT 19:28 · Read together MAT 19:28

LUK: RV LUK 2:36 · RV LUK 22:30 · LV LUK 2:36 · LV LUK 22:30 · Read together LUK 2:36 · Read together LUK 22:30

ACT: RV ACT 13:21 · LV ACT 13:21 · Read together ACT 13:21

ROM: RV ROM 11:1 · LV ROM 11:1 · Read together ROM 11:1

PHP: RV PHP 3:5 · LV PHP 3:5 · Read together PHP 3:5

HEB: RV HEB 7:13–14 · LV HEB 7:13–14 · Read together HEB 7:13–14

JAM: RV JAM 1:1 · LV JAM 1:1 · Read together JAM 1:1

REV: RV REV 5:5 · RV REV 5:9 · RV REV 7:4–9 · RV REV 11:9 · RV REV 13:7 · RV REV 14:6 · RV REV 21:12 · LV REV 5:5 · LV REV 5:9 · LV REV 7:4–9 · LV REV 11:9 · LV REV 13:7 · LV REV 14:6 · LV REV 21:12 · Read together REV 5:5 · Read together REV 5:9 · Read together REV 7:4–9 · Read together REV 11:9 · Read together REV 13:7 · Read together REV 14:6 · Read together REV 21:12

Sense 2: nation, people

Semantic entry: 11.56

Semantic domains: Groups and Classes of Persons and Members of Such Groups and Classes

Subdomains: Socio-Political

Definition: a relatively large unit of people who constitute a sociopolitical group, sharing a presumed biological descent (in many contexts πατριά [source selector 000001][b] and φυλή[b] are very similar in meaning to ἔθνος[a], 11.55: ἔθνος / 11.55: λαός){N:001}

MAT 24:30: RV MAT 24:30 · LV MAT 24:30 · Read together MAT 24:30

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OET-RV MAT 24:30

30 And then a miracle will appear in the sky as the son of humanity arrives. All of the world’s people groups will be in turmoil, and they’ll see the son of humanity arriving on the clouds in the sky with power and massive splendour.

OET-LV MAT 24:30

30 And then the sign of _the son of_ the _man will _be _being _seen in the_sky, and then all the tribes of _the earth will _be _mourning, and they _will _be _seeing the son of_ the _Man, coming on the clouds of _the sky with power and great glory.

REV 1:7: RV REV 1:7 · LV REV 1:7 · Read together REV 1:7

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OET-RV REV 1:7

7 Look, he’s going to come back in the clouds, and everyone will see him—the one who they speared—and all the tribes on the earth will be mourning over him. REWORK OT QUOTES

OET-LV REV 1:7

7 Behold, he _is _coming with the clouds, and will _be _seeing him every eye, and who him they _pierced, and will _be _mourning over him all the tribes of _the earth.
Yes.
Truly.

Sense 3: all God’s people

Semantic entry: 11.15

Semantic domains: Groups and Classes of Persons and Members of Such Groups and Classes

Subdomains: Socio-Religious

Definition: (a set phrase, literally: the twelve tribes, but used in a figurative sense) all of the people of God as a possible reference to the new Israel

Notes: It is possible to understand RV JAM 1:1 · LV JAM 1:1 · Read together JAM 1:1 as containing a salutation to the twelve tribes of Israel scattered throughout the Diaspora, but this literal interpretation has generally been rejected for a reference to all of God’s people scattered throughout the known world. If one elects to follow a literal translation of this passage, it would be important to introduce a marginal note indicating the alternative meaning and vice versa.

Collocations: αἱ δώδεκα φυλαί

JAM 1:1: RV JAM 1:1 · LV JAM 1:1 · Read together JAM 1:1

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OET-RV JAM 1:1

1 This letter is from Ya’akov (James; Grk. Yakobos), a slave for God and for the master Yeshua (Jesus; Grk. Yesus) the messiah. It’s written to the tribes who have ended up dispersed into many nations: Greetings.

OET-LV JAM 1:1

1 Yakōbos/(Yaˊₐqoⱱ), of_god and of_the_master Yaʸsous/(Yəhōshūˊa) chosen _one /messiah, twelve, a_slave to _the tribes which are in the dispersion:
to _be _greeting.

REV 21:12: RV REV 21:12 · LV REV 21:12 · Read together REV 21:12

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OET-RV REV 21:12

12 The city had wall that was both wide and high, with twelve gates and twelve messengers at the gates. The gates had the names of the twelve tribes (from Yisrael’s (Israel) twelve sons) written on them.

OET-LV REV 21:12

12 having a_wall great and high, having twelve gates, and at the gates twelve messengers, and names having _been _inscribed, which is of _the twelve tribes of_the_sons of _Israaʸl/(Yisrā^ʼēl).

UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament

φυλή

Form 1

Sense 1: tribe

Sense 2: nation, people

Sense 3: all God’s people