2958. Kurénios
Lexical Summary
Kurénios: Quirinius

Original Word: Κυρήνιος
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: Kurénios
Pronunciation: koo-RAY-nee-os
Phonetic Spelling: (koo-ray'-nee-os)
KJV: Cyrenius
NASB: Quirinius
Word Origin: [of Latin origin]

1. Cyrenius (i.e. Quirinus), a Roman

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Cyrenius.

Of Latin origin; Cyrenius (i.e. Quirinus), a Roman -- Cyrenius.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
of Latin origin
Definition
Quirinius, a governor of Syria
NASB Translation
Quirinius (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 2958: Κυρήνιος

Κυρήνιος (Lachmann Κυρινος (Κυρεῖνος Tr marginal reading WH marginal reading (see εἰ, ))), Κυρηνίου, , Quirin(-i)us (in full, Publius Sulpicius Quirinus (correctly Quirinius; see Woolsey in Bib. Sacr. for 1878, pp. 499-513)), a Roman consul A. U. C. 742; afterward (not before the year 759) governor of Syria (where perhaps he may previously have been in command, 751-752). While filling that office after Archelaus had been banished and Judaea had been reduced to a province of Syria, he made the enrolment mentioned in Acts 5:37 (cf. Josephus, Antiquities 18, 1, 1). Therefore Luke in his Gospel 2:2 has made a mistake (yet see added references below) in defining the time of this enrolment. For in the last years of Herod the Great, not Quirinius but Sentius Saturninus was governor of Syria. His successor, A. U. C. 750, was Quintilius Varus; and Quirinius (who died in the year 774) succeeded Varus. Cf. Winers RWB, see under the words, Quirinins and Schatzung; Strauss, Die Halben u. die Ganzen (Berl. 1865), p. 70ff; Hilgenfeld in the Zeitschr. f. wissensch. Theologie for 1865, p. 480ff; Keim, i., 399f (English translation, ii. 115); Schürer, Neutest. Zeitgeschichte, p. 161f; Weizsäicker in Schenkel see p. 23ff; (Keil, Comm. üb. Mark. u. Luk., p. 213ff; McClellan, New Testament etc., i., p. 392ff; and Woolsey in B. D. American edition, under the word , and at length in Bib. Sacr. for Apr. 1870, p. 291ff).

Topical Lexicon
Identification and Historical Setting

Strong’s Greek 2958 names Κυρηνίου, rendered “Quirinius” or “Cyrenius,” the Roman official governing Syria at the time of the registration mentioned in Luke 2:2. Outside Scripture he is well documented: Publius Sulpicius Quirinius, a career soldier, served as consul (12 BC), undertook campaigns in Asia Minor, and was later appointed legate of Syria. Luke’s single reference locates him squarely within the Roman imperial system that shaped daily life in the eastern Mediterranean during the reign of Caesar Augustus.

Roman Census Policy and Luke’s Narrative

Luke records: “This was the first census to take place while Quirinius was governor of Syria” (Luke 2:2). Augustus’ empire-wide call for enrollment (Luke 2:1) sought accurate tax rolls and military assessments. In Judea—recently reorganized after Herod the Great’s death—Rome respected local customs by allowing registration “each to his own town” (Luke 2:3), compelling Joseph, “of the house and line of David,” to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem (Luke 2:4). Thus a mundane administrative decree became the providential means by which the Messiah’s birthplace aligned with prophecy (Micah 5:2).

Chronological Considerations

Josephus dates a well-known census under Quirinius to AD 6, yet Luke links Jesus’ birth to Herod the Great (d. 4 BC). Several conservative solutions cohere with Luke’s precision:
• Dual service: Epigraphic evidence (the Lapis Tiburtinus) implies Quirinius held special commands in the East before his formal legateship; an earlier enrollment could easily fall within such authority.
• Translation of “first”: The term πρῶτος may carry the sense “before,” yielding “This was the census before Quirinius was governor of Syria,” distinguishing it from the AD 6 census echoed in Acts 5:37.
• Overlap of jurisdictions: Syria and Herod’s client kingdom bordered each other; Quirinius may have overseen the logistical portion of Augustus’ decree in the region while Herod remained king.

In every model, Luke emerges as an accurate historian whose detail invites careful harmonization rather than dismissal.

Providence in the Nativity

Quirinius’ census illustrates God’s sovereignty over earthly powers. A Roman enrollment, indifferent to Israel’s hope, nevertheless moved the Holy Family to Bethlehem exactly when Mary’s term was complete (Luke 2:6–7). Political machinery, empire, and taxation—often symbols of oppression—became instruments in fulfilling redemptive promise. The narrative therefore offers comfort to believers who live under civil structures beyond their control (Romans 13:1).

Apologetic and Ministry Significance

1. Historical Credibility: Luke’s reference anchors the birth of Jesus in verifiable history, demonstrating that the gospel rests on real events, not myth.
2. Evangelistic Bridge: Conversations about Christmas often raise questions of dating; showing how Quirinius fits into the timeline affirms Scripture’s reliability and opens doors to present the gospel.
3. Discipleship: The obedience of Joseph and Mary in submitting to a taxing journey underscores a life yielded to God’s purposes, challenging believers to trust divine guidance even through inconvenient providences.
4. Eschatological Reminder: Quirinius’ census foreshadows the final accounting when all nations stand before Christ (Revelation 20:12). Earthly registrations hint at a greater registry—the Lamb’s book of life—prompting urgent evangelism.

Archaeological and Scholarly Notes

• Inscriptions from Antioch and Apamea confirm periodic censuses in Syria–Cilicia.
• The Lapis Tiburtinus (Tivoli) honors an unnamed governor victorious in Galatia around 8 BC; many identify him as Quirinius, supporting an earlier Syrian command.
• Numismatic finds trace administrative shifts in Judea after Herod, mirroring the governmental fluidity Luke implies.

Key References

Luke 1:1–4; 2:1–7

Micah 5:2

Acts 5:37

Romans 13:1

Revelation 20:12

Forms and Transliterations
Κυρηνιου Κυρηνίου Kureniou Kurēniou Kyreniou Kyreníou Kyrēniou Kyrēníou
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Luke 2:2 N-GMS
GRK: τῆς Συρίας Κυρηνίου
NAS: taken while Quirinius was governor
KJV: made when Cyrenius was governor
INT: of Syria Cyrenius

Strong's Greek 2958
1 Occurrence


Κυρηνίου — 1 Occ.

2957
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