Dictionary Article

Province of the Roman Empire, located in southeastern Asia Minor. Its capital was Tarsus, Paul’s hometown (Acts 21:39; 22:3), hence permitting Paul Roman citizenship (16:37) even though he was a Jew.

Show passage in OET: ACT 21:39

OET-RV ACT 21:39

39 “No, I’m a Yehudi (Jew) from Tarsos in Kilikia—a citizen of an important city,” said Paulos. “But please, let me speak to these people.”

OET-LV ACT 21:39

39 But the Paulos said:
On _one _hand I am a_Youdaiōns a_man, from _Tarsos, of_ the _Kilikia, a_citizen of_an_ not _insignificant city.
On _the _other _hand I _am _beseeching of _you, permit to _me to _speak to the people.

Show passage in OET: ACT 22:3

OET-RV ACT 22:3

3 “I am a Yehudi who grew up in this very city to study under Gamliel. I’ve been raised according to every part of our ancestral law, working hard to obey God like all of you here today.

OET-LV ACT 22:3

3 I am a_ Youdaiōns _man, having _been _born in Tarsos of_ the _Kilikia, but having _been _brought _up in the this city, before the feet of _Gamaliaʸl/(Gamlī^ʼēl), having _been _instructed according _to the_exactness of _our ancestral law, being zealous the for_god, as all you _all are today,

Show passage in OET: ACT 16:37

OET-RV ACT 16:37

37 But Paulos responded, “You mean that after publicly beating us Romaios men without a trial, they threw us into prison and now they want to just quietly release us.”

OET-LV ACT 16:37

37 But the Paulos was _saying to them:
Having _beat us with _publicly, uncondemned men being Ɽōmaios, they _throw us into prison and now secretly they _are _casting_ us _out?
For/Because no, but having _come themselves, them _let _lead_ us _out.

Jump to OET ACT 21:39 section.

Jump to OET ACT 22:3 section.

Jump to OET ACT 16:37 section.

Jewish presence in the area probably dated to the time when Antiochus the Great settled 2,000 Jewish families in the Asia Minor regions of Lydia and Phrygia in the second century BC (Josephus’s Antiquities 12.3.4).

In antiquity Cilicia (called Kue in OT times) formed a bridge between the country now known as Turkey and Syria, its neighbor to the southeast. Geographically the country was divided between Cilicia Tracheia, the mountainous region in the western half, and Cilicia Pedias, the lovely plains to the east. Entrance into Turkey (ancient Asia Minor) was possible through the Cilician Gates, a narrow pass in the Taurus Mountains. Cilicia Pedias was early attached to the province of Syria (c. 38 BC) and was known in the NT times as Syria and Cilicia (Gal 1:21). The western part, Cilicia Tracheia, was given by Mark Antony to Cleopatra in 36 BC, but by the time of Paul, it was ruled by the Hellenist king Antiochus IV of Commagene (AD 38–72). In AD 72 the two areas were unified into one Roman province, called Cilicia, by the Roman emperor Vespasian.

Show passage in OET: GAL 1:21

OET-RV GAL 1:21

21 Then I went into the regions of Aram (Syria) and Kilikia.

OET-LV GAL 1:21

21 Then I _came into the regions of_ the _Suria/(ʼArām) and the Kilikia.

Jump to OET GAL 1:21 section.

Jews from Cilicia participated in the persecution of Stephen (Acts 6:9). After his conversion to Christianity, Paul eventually returned to Tarsus, later accompanying Barnabas to Antioch (Acts 11:25-26). Syria and Cilicia thus became the first major center of non-Jewish Christianity, and from this region Christianity spread to the rest of the gentile population of the Roman Empire.

Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary