Λιβερτῖνος (Libertinos)
Libertinos
Freedmen
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun libertinos refers to a freedman, specifically a person who has been manumitted from slavery. It is a Latin loanword used in the New Testament only once, in Acts 6:9, to identify a group within the synagogue of Jerusalem.
This term distinguished these Jews from those born free. Historical context suggests they were likely descendants of Jewish captives taken by Pompey and later released by Rome. Their unique status as freedmen was significant enough that they maintained their own distinct assembly in Jerusalem, separate from other Jewish congregations.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word libertinos identifies a specific group of freedmen in Acts 6:9. These were individuals who had once been slaves but were granted freedom by Roman authorities. Their presence in Jerusalem shows that the early church reached people from every social rank, including those with complex legal histories.
Stephen faced opposition not just from religious leaders but from this diverse assembly of freedmen. This reminds us that the gospel crosses all boundaries of status and background. God’s message is for everyone, regardless of their past or current social standing.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- Freedmen1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- Λιβερτίνων1×
Key Verses
-
Acts 6:9
But some of those who were of the synagogue called “The Libertines”, and of the Cyrenians, of the Alexandrians, and of those of Cilicia and Asia arose, disputing with Stephen.
This verse uniquely identifies the Libertines as a distinct faction within the Jerusalem synagogue that opposed Stephen, highlighting the social diversity and tension in the early church.