What does στρατιώτης (stratiṓtēs) mean in the Bible?
G4757 names a soldier. In John, the soldiers appear only in the crucifixion scene, but their actions carry heavy narrative weight.
Greek · G4757
στρατιώτης
Soldier
Reading a lexicon entry
What this page is: Each lexicon entry shows the original Hebrew or Greek word behind the English translation: its meaning, its range of use, and where it appears in Scripture.
Strong's number: The Strong's code (H- or G-) is the standard reference number for this word. It connects this entry to chapter and passage language tabs.
Where it appears: The witness passages show where this word is used in context. Click any to open the study page for that passage.
This lexicon entry is part of our ongoing editorial review. If you notice missing content, unclear wording, or a possible correction, please send us a note through the Connect page. Screenshots are helpful.
στρατιώτης G4757
Pronunciation stratiṓtēs
What does στρατιώτης (stratiṓtēs) mean in the Bible?
G4757 names a soldier. In John, the soldiers appear only in the crucifixion scene, but their actions carry heavy narrative weight.
Reader summary
Full entry for στρατιώτης (G4757) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G4757?
The BSB source-word alignment has 26 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include soldiers (20), soldier (3), [some] soldiers (1), a soldier (1), soldiers [each] (1).
Where does στρατιώτης (stratiṓtēs) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 8:9. Its strongest book concentrations include Acts (13), John (6), Matthew (3), Luke (2).
What This Word Actually Means
G4757 names a soldier. In John, the soldiers appear only in the crucifixion scene, but their actions carry heavy narrative weight. They mock Jesus with a crown and purple robe, crucify Him, divide His garments, fulfill Scripture by casting lots, break the legs of the others, and one soldier pierces Jesus' side so that blood and water flow out. The word is ordinary military language, yet John places soldiers inside the public shame, physical violence, Scripture fulfillment, and eyewitness testimony of Jesus' death.
The entry should not romanticize the soldiers or make them the main actors. It should help readers see how even routine instruments of imperial execution stand within the Passion narrative under God's fulfilled word.
How the Bible Uses It
G4757 appears in John 19 around mocking, crucifixion, garment division, leg-breaking, and the piercing of Jesus' side. Soldiers act violently, yet John shows Scripture fulfillment and eyewitness testimony.
- John.19.2
The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns, set it on His head, and dressed Him in a purple robe.
The soldiers twist a crown of thorns, set it on Jesus' head, and dress Him in purple. Military mockery becomes part of the Passion shame.
- John.19.23
When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they divided His garments into four parts, one for each soldier, with the tunic remaining. It was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.
After crucifying Jesus, the soldiers divide His garments into four parts. The ordinary action of executioners becomes Scripturally significant.
- John.19.24
So they said to one another, “Let us not tear it. Instead, let us cast lots to see who will get it.” This was to fulfill the Scripture: “They divided My garments among them, and cast lots for My clothing.” So that is what the soldiers did.
The soldiers cast lots for the tunic so Scripture would be fulfilled. John interprets their action through the written word.
- John.19.32
So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and those of the other.
The soldiers break the legs of the men crucified with Jesus. The scene shows the brutal mechanics of execution.
- John.19.34
Instead, one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out.
One soldier pierces Jesus' side with a spear, and blood and water flow out. John turns the action into solemn death witness.
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It soldiers 20× Matthew 8:9, Matthew 27:27, Matthew 28:12, Mark 15:16
soldier 3× John 19:23, Acts 10:7, 2 Timothy 2:3
[some] soldiers 1× Acts 21:32
a soldier 1× Acts 28:16
soldiers [each] 1× Acts 12:4
Show sample aligned rows
Matthew 8:9 στρατιώτας to soldiers Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural Matthew 27:27 στρατιῶται to soldiers Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural Matthew 28:12 στρατιώταις to soldiers Noun - Dative Masculine Plural Mark 15:16 στρατιῶται to soldiers Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural Luke 7:8 στρατιώτας to soldiers Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural Luke 23:36 στρατιῶται to soldiers Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural John 19:2 στρατιῶται to soldiers Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural John 19:23 στρατιῶται to soldiers Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural John 19:23 στρατιώτῃ to soldier Noun - Dative Masculine Singular John 19:24 στρατιῶται to soldiers Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Matthew 8:9
Aligned rows 26
Books represented 6
Matthew 3 Mark 1 Luke 2 John 6 Acts 13 2 Timothy 1
Source forms
στρατιῶται 9x stratiōtai Matthew 27:27, Mark 15:16, Luke 23:36, John 19:2
στρατιώτας 5x stratiōtas Matthew 8:9, Luke 7:8, Acts 21:32, Acts 23:23
στρατιωτῶν 5x stratiōtōn John 19:34, Acts 12:4, Acts 12:6, Acts 21:35
στρατιώταις 3x stratiōtais Matthew 28:12, Acts 12:18, Acts 27:31
στρατιώτῃ 2x stratiōtē John 19:23, Acts 28:16
στρατιώτην 1x stratiōtēn Acts 10:7
στρατιώτης 1x stratiōtēs 2 Timothy 2:3
Parsing patterns
Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural 9x Matthew 27:27, Mark 15:16, Luke 23:36, John 19:2
Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural 5x Matthew 8:9, Luke 7:8, Acts 21:32, Acts 23:23
Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural 5x John 19:34, Acts 12:4, Acts 12:6, Acts 21:35
Noun - Dative Masculine Plural 3x Matthew 28:12, Acts 12:18, Acts 27:31
Noun - Dative Masculine Singular 2x John 19:23, Acts 28:16
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular 1x Acts 10:7
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular 1x 2 Timothy 2:3
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Read the soldiers' actions as real violence within the crucifixion, not as decorative Passion detail.
- Let John move from their actions to Scripture fulfillment and testimony about Jesus' death.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim the soldiers understood the Scripture they fulfilled.
- Do not claim the word soldier has a hidden theological meaning apart from the scene.
Evidence Summary
Greek word. Literal soldier or metaphorically a follower of Christ engaged in spiritual warfare and discipline.
Strong's G4757
Lexical occurrences 26 verses Greek text appearances 26 times 16 shown below Word forms 7 forms 26 references Verse guides 0 guides
Source Gloss
soldier
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
16 of 26 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Matthew 8:9 Noun Accusative Plural Masculine
στρατιώτας· stratiwtav
a soldier
Read verse Matthew 27:27 Noun Nominative Plural Masculine
στρατιῶται stratiwtai
a soldier
Read verse Matthew 28:12 Noun Dative Plural Masculine
στρατιώταις, stratiwtaiv
a soldier
Read verse Mark 15:16 Noun Nominative Plural Masculine
στρατιῶται stratiwtai
a soldier
Read verse Luke 7:8 Noun Accusative Plural Masculine
στρατιώτας, stratiwtav
a soldier
Read verse Luke 23:36 Noun Nominative Plural Masculine
στρατιῶται, stratiwtai
a soldier
Read verse John 19:2 Noun Nominative Plural Masculine
στρατιῶται stratiwtai
a soldier
Read verse John 19:23 Noun Nominative Plural Masculine
στρατιῶται, stratiwtai
a soldier
Read verse John 19:23 Noun Dative Singular Masculine
στρατιώτῃ stratiwth
a soldier
Read verse John 19:24 Noun Nominative Plural Masculine
στρατιῶται stratiwtai
a soldier
Read verse John 19:32 Noun Nominative Plural Masculine
στρατιῶται, stratiwtai
a soldier
Read verse John 19:34 Noun Genitive Plural Masculine
στρατιωτῶν stratiwtwn
a soldier
Read verse Acts 10:7 Noun Accusative Singular Masculine
στρατιώτην stratiwthn
a soldier
Read verse Acts 12:4 Noun Genitive Plural Masculine
στρατιωτῶν stratiwtwn
a soldier
Read verse Acts 12:6 Noun Genitive Plural Masculine
στρατιωτῶν, stratiwtwn
a soldier
Read verse Acts 12:18 Noun Dative Plural Masculine
στρατιώταις, stratiwtaiv
a soldier
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
This word appears as a noun across 7 case and number patterns. The form changes show how the word functions in a sentence; they do not change the basic lexical meaning by themselves.
Form patterns 7 Aligned forms 26 Case pattern Nominative (10) Number pattern Plural (22)
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Nominative · Plural · Masculine Matt 27:27 · Mark 15:16 · Luke 23:36 · John 19:2 · John 19:23 · John 19:24 · John 19:32 · Acts 23:31 · Acts 27:32 9×
Nominative · Singular · Masculine 2 Tim 2:3 1×
Genitive · Plural · Masculine John 19:34 · Acts 12:4 · Acts 12:6 · Acts 21:35 · Acts 27:42 5×
Dative · Plural · Masculine Matt 28:12 · Acts 12:18 · Acts 27:31 3×
Dative · Singular · Masculine John 19:23 · Acts 28:16 2×
Accusative · Plural · Masculine Matt 8:9 · Luke 7:8 · Acts 21:32 · Acts 23:23 5×
Accusative · Singular · Masculine Acts 10:7 1×
Word Origins
στρατιώτης is built from this root:
For the Preacher and Teacher
G4757 matters because John places ordinary soldiers at the visible edge of Jesus' suffering and death. They mock Him, crucify Him, divide His garments, and pierce His side. None of this should be softened into pageantry. At the same time, John does not let their violence become random. The garment scene fulfills Scripture, and the pierced side becomes part of solemn eyewitness testimony that Jesus truly died.
Teachers should therefore handle the noun with restraint. The soldiers are responsible actors in a brutal execution, but the Gospel's focus remains on Jesus, the King who suffers, fulfills Scripture, and gives a trustworthy witness through His death.
Anchor passage
John.19.34
Doctrinal connections
- G4735 Crown: soldiers mock Jesus' kingship with a crown of thorns.
- G4717 Crucify: their action belongs to the crucifixion itself.
- G2440 Garment: the divided garments connect soldier action with Scripture fulfillment.
- G1124 Scripture: John says the casting of lots fulfills the written word.
- G3572 pierce: the spear wound becomes part of John's death witness.
- G3140 Testify: the pierced-side scene is followed by witness language.
G4757 is an ordinary noun for a soldier. In John, its theological weight comes from the Passion setting, not from a specialized lexical meaning.
From Old to New Testament
Scripture had spoken of divided garments and pierced suffering. John presents the soldiers' actions as part of the Passion where the written word is fulfilled.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain