Bible Lexicons

συγγενής —

";relative,"; with reference to blood-relationship : cf. P Grenf II. 78.13 (A.D. 307) συγγε [νεῖς ἀ ]δελφοί, and P Fay I. 115.4 (A.D. 101) ἀγόρασον ἡμῖν δύωι συγενῆ χυρίδια (l. συγγενῆ χοιρίδια), ";buy us two pigs of a litter"; (Edd.). See also Aristeas 7 οὐ μόνον κατὰ τὸ συγγενὲς ἀδελφῷ καθεστῶτι, ";not only does thy character shew thee to be my brother by birth"; (Thackeray).

The word is common along with κύριος in the sense of ";guardian kinsman"; : e.g. BGU III. 975.13 (A.D. 45) (= Selections, p. 42) μετὰ γυρίου τοῦ ἑ (α)υτῆς συνγηνος Σαταβοῦς, ";along with her guardian kinsman Satabous,"; P Tebt II. 381.5 (A.D. 123) (=Selections, p. 77) Θαῆσις. . . μετὰ κυρίου τοῦ ἑαυτῆς συνγενοῦς Κρονίωνος, ib. 311.11 (A.D. 134), and P Lond 903.8 (early ii/A.D.) (= III. p. 116).

For the extension of the word to denote all of the same nationality (as in Romans 9:3) or of the same tribe (as in Rom. 16:7, 11; 21), see W. M. Ramsay Cities p. 177 f. For the first of these uses we may cite the difficult phrase συγγενεῖς κάτοικοι, as in P Tebt I. 61(b)79 (B.C 118-7) τῶν στρατευομένων ἐν τοῖς συγ [γ ]ενέσι τῶν κατοίκων ἱπέων , ib. 6258 (B.C. 119-8) συγγενῶν κατοίκων ἱππέων : see GH ad ib. 329, where the suggestion is thrown out that the class referred to is perhaps to be connected with an arrangement by ";nationalities."; Schubart (Archiv ii. p. 153) thinks that the reference is rather to a special class of κάτοικοι perhaps ";a more distinguished regiment"; (";ein vornehmeres Regiment";)

In any case this may lead us to the use of συγγενής as the highest honorific title introduced by the Ptolemies (cf. the OT apocryphal books and the use of ";cousin"; by the King of England) : see e.g. P Amh II. 36.1 (c. B.C. 135) βοήθω [ι ] συνγενεῖ κα [ὶ ἐπιστρ ]ατήγωι ̣ καὶ στρ [α ]τηγῶι τῆς Θηβ [αίδ ]ος, and from the inscrr. OGIS 104.2 (c. B.C. 190) Χρύσερμον. . . τὸν συγγενῆ βασιλέως Πτολεμαίου καὶ ἐξηγητήν, ib. 137.9 (B.C. 146–116) Λόχον τὸν συγγενέα [καὶ ] στρατηγόν, and Perg 248.28 (B.C. 135–4) Ἀθήναιος ὁ Σωσάνδρου υἱός, τοῦ γενομένου ἱερέως τοῦ Καθηγεμόνος [Δι ]ονύσου καὶ συντρόφου τοῦ πατρός μου, ὅτι μὲν ἡμῶν ἐστὶ συ [γ ]γενής.

συγγενεύς —

";relative."; The dat. plur. συγγενεῦσι (Mark 6:4, Luke 2:44, 1 Maccabees 10:89 A—WH Notes.2, p. 165) can be cited from the Pisidian inscr. JHS xxii. (1902), p. 358 No. 118; but συγγενέσι is found in P Par 15.21 (B.C. 120), P Tebt I. 61(b).79 (B.C. 118–7), al.

συγγενίς —

";kinswoman,"; a late form (Lob. Phryn. p. 451 f,), is found in the NT only in Luke 1:36 : cf. P Amh II. 78.9 (A.D. 184) τῇ συνγενίδι μου. . . πρὸς γάμον συνελθ [ώ ]ν, ";being married to my kinswoman,"; and from the inscrr. BCH xxiv. (1900), p. 339.17 συνγενίδος. See also Blass-Debrunner § 59. 3 and Psaltes Gr. p. 152.