ἐξουσία

ἐξουσία, -ας, ἡ

(ἔξεστι), [in LXX: 4Ki.20.13, Psa.113 (114):2 135 (136)8, 9, Isaiah 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 Corinthians 9:12; ἐ. ἔχειν, 2 Thessalonians 3:9; id. before inf., John 10:18, 1 Corinthians 9:4, 5; with genitive obj., Romans 9:21; before ἐπί, with accusative, Revelation 22:14; περί, 1 Corinthians 7:37.

2. Later (cf. Milligan, Th., 114; MM, Exp., xiv), of the power of right, authority: Matthew 21:33, Mark 11:28, Luke 20:2; of Messianic authority, Matthew 9:6, Mark 2:10, al.; of apostolic authority, 2 Corinthians 10:8; 13:10; of the authority of government: Matthew 8:9; 28:18, Jude 25, Revelation 12:10, al.; esp. of judicial authority, Luke 20:20, John 19:10, 11.

3. Meton.,

(a) jurisdiction: Luke 23:7 (cf. 1Ma.6.11, Isaiah 39:2);

(b) a ruler or magistrate: Romans 13:1-3; pl., Luke 12:11, Romans 13:1, Titus 3:1;

(with) of supramundane powers (syn. with ἀρχή, δύναμις, θρόνος, κυριότης): 1 Corinthians 15:24, Ephesians 1:21; 3:10, Colossians 2:10, 1 Peter 3:22, al. (Cremer. 236).

Synonyms: see: δύναμις.