Word study · Greek
speira
cohort, detachment
Say it: SPY-rah (approximate)
σπεῖρα
What it means
A Roman military unit, nominally of 600 soldiers, a tenth of a legion. John says Judas came with "the detachment" and officers (18:3, 18:12), though the real number may have been smaller. The same word is used of the soldiers who mock Jesus (Mark 15:16) and of Cornelius' cohort (Acts 10:1).
Range of meaning
- CohortA Roman military unit.
- DetachmentA group of soldiers.
In John
- Chapter 18
"The detachment of soldiers" (18:3, 18:12).
Every verse (2)
Verses where G4686 is tagged in the Hebrew text: STEPBible Data (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. About our sources