"Tarsus, the chief city of Cilicia, and birth-place of the Apostle Paul, Acts 9:30; 11:25; 22:3*. See PhotoGuide."
Definition and meaning
Tarsus, the chief city of Cilicia, and birth-place of the Apostle Paul, Acts 9:30; 11:25; 22:3*. See PhotoGuide.
In the original Greek the word is written: Ταρσός
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 tarsos (G5019) across the King James Bible.
Which when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus.
Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul:
I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.
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Common questions
Strong's G5019 (tarsos) is a Greek word that means: Tarsus, the chief city of Cilicia, and birth-place of the Apostle Paul, Acts 9:30; 11:25; 22:3*. See PhotoGuide. It appears 3 times in the King James Bible.
The word tarsos (G5019) appears 3 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G5019 is tarsos, a Greek word defined as: Tarsus, the chief city of Cilicia, and birth-place of the Apostle Paul, Acts 9:30; 11:25; 22:3*. See PhotoGuide.. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
tarsos is a Greek word found in the New Testament.