UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament

Sense 1: work group, division

Semantic entry: 11.47

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

Subdomains: Socio-Religious

Definition: a class or division of persons who perform certain daily duties (in the one NT occurrence, a reference to a group of priests performing certain functions in the Temple at Jerusalem)

Notes: It may be necessary to expand somewhat the expression ‘the work group of Abijah’ (RV LUK 1:5 · LV LUK 1:5 · Read together LUK 1:5) to read ‘a work group known as the division of Abijah.’ Otherwise, one might get the impression that this was a work group under the command of Abijah or a group of persons who belonged specifically to the person named Abijah. If it is difficult to obtain a satisfactory expression for ‘work group,’ one can of course translate the final clause of RV LUK 1:5 · LV LUK 1:5 · Read together LUK 1:5 as simply ‘who belonged to a group of priests known as the group of Abijah.’