ἐξουσία

ἐξουσία, -ας, ἡ

(ἔξεστι), [in LXX: 4Ki 20,13, Psa.113 (114):2 135 (136)8, 9, Es 39,2, Jer.28 (51):28 (מֶמְשָׁלָה), frequently in Da for Aram. שָׁלְטָן, etc., Wis 10,14, Sir 9,13, al. ;]

1. prop., liberty or power to act, freedom to exercise the inward force or faculty expressed by δύναμις (which see): 1 Kor 9,12 ἐ. ἔχειν, 2 Thess 3,9 id. before inf., Joh 10,18, 1 Kor 9,4, 5; with genitive obj., Rom 9,21 before ἐπί, with accusative, Åb 22,14 περί, 1 Kor 7,37,

2. Later (cf. Milligan, Th., 114; MM, Exp., xiv), of the power of right, authority: Matt 21,33, Mark 11,28, Luk 20,2; of Messianic authority, Matt 9,6, Mark 2,10, al.; of apostolic authority, 2 Kor 10,8; 13,10; of the authority of government: Matt 8,9; 28,18, Jud 25, Åb 12,10, al.; esp. of judicial authority, Luk 20,20, Joh 19,10, 11.

3. Meton.,

(a) jurisdiction: Luk 23,7 (cf. 1Ma 6,11, Es 39,2);

(b) a ruler or magistrate: Rom 13,1-3; pl., Luk 12,11, Rom 13,1, Tit 3,1;

(with) of supramundane powers (syn. with ἀρχή, δύναμις, θρόνος, κυριότης): 1 Kor 15,24, Ef 1,21; 3,10, Kol 2,10, 1 Pet 3,22, al. (Cremer. 236).

SYN.: see: δύναμις.