- κυρία
- κυρία, ας, ἡ (fem. form of the subst. adj. κύριος [q.v. I]. Rare and late as a proper name: Preisigke, Namenbuch 188; HBeyer-HLietzmann, D. jüd. Katakombe der Villa Torlonia ’31, ins 41)① a woman of special status, lady, mistress ἡ κ. τοῦ ἔργου the housekeeper prob. the one in charge of the household work assignments (cp. Tob. 2:12, w. ref. to ‘employers’) GJs 2:2. Used in addressing a definite person (Plut., Mor. 271d; Epict., Ench. 40; Cass. Dio 48, 44; POxy 112, 1; 3; 7; 744, 2=Ltzm., Griech. Papyri2 1910, 7; letter in Dssm., LO 160 [LAE2 193, n. 6]; κ. μου μήτηρ TestAbr A 3 p. 79, 25 [Stone p. 6].—LXX uses κ. to designate the mistress as opposed to the slave; so also JosAs; Philo, Congr. Erud. Gr. 154; Jos., Ant. 17, 137; 139; PTebt 413, 1; 6; 20) Hv 1, 1, 5; 1, 2, 2; 1, 3, 3; 1, 4, 2; 2, 1, 3; 3, 1, 3; 8; 3, 2, 4; 3, 3, 1; 4f; 3, 4, 1; 3; 3, 5, 3; 3, 6, 5f; 3, 8, 2; 5f; 4, 2, 2f; 4, 3, 1. Many take 2J 1; 5 in this lit. sense (e.g. BWestcott, The Epistles of St. John 1886, 214; HPoggel, D. 2. u. 3. Brief d. Apostels Joh. 1896, 127ff). For the less formal sense dear found in pap s. M-M. s.v.—Other scholars consider it more probable that② κ. is fig. here and refers to Christians as a group: congregation (s. ἀδελφή 2b), and ἐκλεκτὴ κυρία is usually translated the chosen (or elect) lady (so BWeiss et al.; s. BBresky, Das Verhältnis des zweiten Johannesbriefs zum dritten 1906, 2ff; FDölger, Ac V/3, ’36, 211–17, Domina mater ecclesia u. d. ‘Herrin’ im 2 J; ABrooke, ICC; RBultmann, Hermeneia comm. On the precarious nature of ref. to Lex. Cantabr. [p. 79f, w. note p. 119f, Houtsma; also Demetr. of Phaleron: 228 Fgm. 4 p. 961] s. H-JKlauck, ZNW 81, ’90, 135–42). For the imagery of God’s people as a woman s. Jer 4:31; 38:21; Zeph 3:14; Gal 4:25f; 1 Pt 5:13. The proposal (HGibbins, Exp. 6th ser., 6, 1902, 228f) to make ἐκλεκτή a proper noun and κυρία an adj. has little to recommend it.—DELG s.v. κύριος. M-M. TW.
Ελληνικά-Αγγλικά παλαιοχριστιανική Λογοτεχνία. 2015.