basileus · king

What it means

basileus (βασιλεύς) is a Greek word of the Bible that means “king”.

One who reigns. In the Gospels, Jesus is the promised king of the Jews.

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. The one who rules a people with the highest authority.
2. Jesus, the king; or God, "King of kings".

From Abbott-Smith (1922) · Thayer (1889)

Word study

King, the one who reigns over a people. Abbott-Smith: a sovereign, king. Of the same family are βασιλεία, “kingdom” (G932), and βασιλεύω, “to reign”.

• Kings of this world: Herod, Agrippa, the kings of the earth Matthew 2:1Acts 25:13
• “The King of the Jews” Matthew 2:2Matthew 27:37
• “Your king is coming to you” Matthew 21:5
• The king of the parables Matthew 18:23Matthew 22:2
• God and the Lamb: “the great King”, “King of kings” Matthew 5:35Revelation 17:141 Timothy 6:15

How we translate it

“King” 87 times and “kings” 28. It takes a capital letter when it is a title of God or of the Messiah (“the city of the great King”, Matthew 5:35; “King of kings”, Revelation 17:14) and in the inscription on the cross (“This is Jesus, the King of the Jews”, Matthew 27:37); lower case in the magi's question (“born king of the Jews”, Matthew 2:2).

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• king ×87
• kings ×28

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Matthew×22
• Mark×12
• Luke×11
• John×16
• Acts×20
• 2 Corinthians×1
• 1 Timothy×3
• Hebrews×7
• 1 Peter×2
• Revelation×21

• Matthew 1:6

  And Jesse fathered David the king. And David fathered Solomon by the wife of Uriah.

• Matthew 2:1

  Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, look, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem,

• Matthew 2:2

  saying, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star at its rising and have come to bow down before him.”

• Matthew 2:3

  And hearing this, King Herod was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him;

• Matthew 2:9

  And they, having heard the king, went on their way; and look, the star that they had seen at its rising was going ahead of them until it came and stopped over where the child was.

• Matthew 5:35

  nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet, nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.

• Matthew 10:18

  and you will be brought before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and to the nations.

• Matthew 11:8

  But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothes? Look, those who wear soft clothes are in the houses of kings.

• Matthew 14:9

  And the king was grieved, but because of the oaths and those reclining at table with him he ordered it to be given.

• Matthew 17:25

  He says, “Yes.” And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke first to him, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take tolls or tribute? From their sons or from strangers?”

• Matthew 18:23

  For this reason the kingdom of heaven has become like to a man, a king, who wanted to settle accounts with his slaves.

• Matthew 21:5

  “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Look, your king is coming to you, gentle and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’”

• Matthew 22:2

  “The kingdom of heaven has become like a man, a king, who made a wedding feast for his son.

• Matthew 22:7

  The king was angered, and sending his troops, he destroyed those murderers and burned their city.

• Matthew 22:11

  But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man not wearing a wedding garment.

• Matthew 22:13

  Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind his feet and hands and throw him into the outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

• Matthew 25:34

  Then the King will say to those at his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

• Matthew 25:40

  And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I tell you, as much as you did it to one of these least brothers of mine, you did it to me.’

• Matthew 27:11

  Now Jesus stood before the governor; and the governor asked him, saying, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And Jesus said, “You say so.”

• Matthew 27:29

  And after twisting a crown of thorns, they put it on his head, and put a reed in his right hand; and kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”

• Matthew 27:37

  And they put above his head the charge against him written: “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”

• Matthew 27:42

  “Others he saved; himself he cannot save. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him.

• Mark 6:14

  And King Herod heard of it, for his name had become known; and people were saying, “John the Immerser has been raised from the dead, and that is why these powers are at work in him.”

• Mark 6:22

  And when the daughter of Herodias herself came in and danced, she pleased Herod and those reclining with him. And the king said to the girl, “Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you.”

• Mark 6:25

  And at once coming in with haste to the king, she asked, saying, “I want you to give me right now, on a platter, the head of John the Immerser.”

• Mark 6:26

  And the king, although he became deeply grieved, because of his oaths and those reclining at table, did not want to refuse her.

• Mark 6:27

  And at once the king sent an executioner and ordered him to bring his head. And he went and beheaded him in the prison

• Mark 13:9

  But watch yourselves; they will hand you over to councils, and in synagogues you will be beaten, and before governors and kings you will stand for the sake of me, as a testimony to them.

• Mark 15:2

  And Pilate questioned him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answers him, saying, “You say so.”

• Mark 15:9

  And Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?”

• Mark 15:12

  And Pilate again answered and was saying to them, “What then do you want me to do with the one whom you call the King of the Jews?”

• Mark 15:18

  And they began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!”

• Mark 15:26

  And the inscription of the charge against him was written above: “The King of the Jews.”

• Mark 15:32

  Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross, so that we may see and believe.” And those who were crucified with him were reviling him.

• Luke 1:5

  There was, in the days of Herod, king of Judea, a certain priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.

• Luke 10:24

  For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”

• Luke 14:31

  Or what king, going to encounter another king in war, will not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet the one who comes against him with twenty thousand?

• Luke 19:38

  saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

• Luke 21:12

  But before all these things they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, handing you over to the synagogues and prisons, you being led away before kings and governors for the sake of my name.

• Luke 22:25

  And he said to them, “The kings of the nations lord it over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called benefactors.

And 75 more times.