"nursed with another; one brought up (NIV) or educated with another, intimate friend, friend of the court (RSV) Acts 13:1*"
Definition and meaning
nursed with another; one brought up (NIV) or educated with another, intimate friend, friend of the court (RSV) Acts 13:1*
In the original Greek the word is written: σύντροφος
Historical context
The Roman Empire provided infrastructure no previous civilization had built — roads, sea routes, a common language in Greek, and relative peace across the Mediterranean. Jewish synagogues existed in every major city, giving Paul a starting point everywhere he traveled. The early church had no buildings, no political power, no social standing — and spread faster than any movement in ancient history.
The people who first heard this word were not reading a book — they were living through empires, oppression, exile, and covenant. Every word carried the weight of that reality. Understanding it changes how you read Scripture.
Scripture references
These are the most notable occurrences of syntrophos (G4939) across the King James Bible.
Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
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Common questions
Strong's G4939 (syntrophos) is a Greek word that means: nursed with another; one brought up (NIV) or educated with another, intimate friend, friend of the court (RSV) Acts 13:1* It appears 1 times in the King James Bible.
The word syntrophos (G4939) appears 1 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G4939 is syntrophos, a Greek word defined as: nursed with another; one brought up (NIV) or educated with another, intimate friend, friend of the court (RSV) Acts 13:1*. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
syntrophos is a Greek word found in the New Testament.