στράτευμα (strateuma)
strateuma
troops
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 7 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun strateuma refers to a military force, specifically an army or a body of soldiers. In the New Testament, it appears seven times, primarily in the Gospel accounts and the book of Revelation. It denotes the collective host of troops rather than individual fighters, emphasizing the organized nature of the military unit.
This word carries significant weight in apocalyptic literature. In Revelation 9:16 and 19:14, it describes the vast armies of heaven or the forces of judgment, highlighting their immense scale and power. The term also appears in Acts 23:10 and Luke 23:11 to describe the soldiers present during specific historical events, such as Paul’s arrest or Jesus’ trial, grounding the concept in tangible human conflict.
Its usage underscores themes of authority and divine judgment. When John envisions the heavenly host in Revelation 19:14, he uses strateuma to convey a force that is both majestic and formidable. This distinguishes it from words for individual combatants, focusing instead on the collective might that executes God’s purposes or brings about historical consequences.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word strateuma describes a vast, organized military force rather than a single fighter. In the New Testament, it often points to overwhelming power, whether in earthly conflicts or divine judgment. When Jesus spoke of armies burning cities in Matthew 22:7, He warned of serious consequences for rejecting God’s messengers. This reminds us that our actions have weight and that God takes justice seriously.
In Revelation, the term shifts to describe heavenly hosts following Christ on white horses (Revelation 19:14). Here, it is not a force of oppression but one of ultimate victory and purity. Christians find comfort in knowing that no earthly power can stand against this divine army. It assures us that God’s purposes will prevail, bringing hope to those who trust in Him.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 7 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- armies4×
- troop2×
- troops1×
- army1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- στρατεύματα3×
- στράτευμα1×
- στρατεύματος1×
- στρατεύματι1×
- στρατεύμασιν1×
- στρατευμάτων1×
Key Verses
-
Revelation of John 19:14
The armies which are in heaven, clothed in white, pure, fine linen, followed him on white horses.
This verse uses the word to depict the pure, heavenly forces that follow Christ, emphasizing divine victory over evil.
-
Matthew 22:7
When the king heard that, he was angry, and sent his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.
Here it highlights the severe judgment of a king against those who rejected his invitation, showing the seriousness of spiritual rebellion.
-
Revelation of John 9:16
The number of the armies of the horsemen was two hundred million. I heard the number of them.
The mention of two hundred million troops underscores the immense scale of apocalyptic judgment described in this vision.