ΕΞΑΓΓΕΛΙΑ
The exangelia as the act of public announcement, proclamation, or revelation of a message. In ancient Greek, it is often associated with official declarations, prophecies, or divine disclosures. Its lexarithmos (118) suggests a connection to fullness and revelation, as the sum of its digits (1+1+8=10) alludes to the perfection of the decade.
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According to the Liddell-Scott-Jones Lexicon, the Ancient Greek word ἐξαγγελία (exangelia, ἡ) means 'the act of proclaiming, announcing, publishing.' It describes a formal, public, and often authoritative announcement, which brings something from the internal or hidden into the open, making it known to all. The preposition 'ek-' emphasizes this outward movement, the externalization of the message.
In classical literature, exangelia is used for the announcement of laws, decrees, news, or significant events. For example, Thucydides refers to the 'exangelia' of treaties or wartime decisions, implying the official and binding nature of the announcement. Plato employs it for the exposition of ideas or the revelation of truths, highlighting the transparency and clarity of the presentation.
With the Septuagint translation (LXX) and later in the New Testament, the word acquires a strong theological content. It is used for the announcement of God's works, the revelation of divine will, or the proclamation of the Gospel. Here, exangelia is not merely a secular announcement, but the transmission of a sacred truth, a message with soteriological implications.
Overall, exangelia retains the core meaning of public and official announcement, but its application expands from political and social contexts to religious and theological ones, making it a central term for the revelation and proclamation of truth.
Etymology
Cognate words sharing the angell- root include: angellō (to announce), angelos (messenger), angelia (message), euangelion (good news), euangelizomai (to preach good news), proangellō (to foretell), anangelos (one who reports back), katangelos (one who denounces).
Main Meanings
- Public announcement, proclamation — The act of officially making known an event, law, or decision to a wide audience. (e.g., Thucydides, Historiae 1.139.4)
- Revelation, disclosure — The act of revealing something hidden, secret, or unknown, bringing it into the light. (e.g., Plato, Republic)
- Report, narration — The conveyance of a message or information, the recounting of events. (e.g., Xenophon, Cyropaedia)
- Prophecy, foretelling — The announcement of future events or divine wills, often with a religious or mantic character.
- Preaching, evangelization — In Christian literature, the proclamation of the divine message, the virtues of God, or the Gospel. (e.g., 1 Peter 2:9)
- Declaration, exposition — The clear and formal presentation of a position, an idea, or a truth.
Word Family
angell- (root of angelos, meaning 'messenger, one who brings a message')
The root angell- forms the core of a significant family of words in Ancient Greek, all revolving around the concept of conveying and announcing messages. Derived from the noun angelos, meaning 'messenger,' this root denotes the act of communication, whether it concerns secular news or divine revelations. The addition of prepositions and suffixes allows for the development of different nuances of announcement, such as good news (euangelion) or outward proclamation (exangelia).
Philosophical Journey
The trajectory of the word exangelia reflects its transition from secular, official announcement to sacred, theological revelation, always retaining the core of public disclosure.
In Ancient Texts
Three significant passages highlighting the use of exangelia in different contexts:
Lexarithmic Analysis
The lexarithmos of the word ΕΞΑΓΓΕΛΙΑ is 118, from the sum of its letter values:
118 decomposes into 100 (hundreds) + 10 (tens) + 8 (units).
The 18 Methods
Applying the 18 traditional lexarithmic methods to the word ΕΞΑΓΓΕΛΙΑ:
| Method | Result | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Isopsephy | 118 | Base lexarithmos |
| Decade Numerology | 1 | 1+1+8 = 10 — Decade, representing completeness, perfection, and fulfillment, often associated with divine order and revelation. |
| Letter Count | 9 | 9 letters (E-X-A-G-G-E-L-I-A) — Ennead, the number of completion, wisdom, and divine order, leading to perfection. |
| Cumulative | 8/10/100 | Units 8 · Tens 10 · Hundreds 100 |
| Odd/Even | Even | Feminine force |
| Left/Right Hand | Right | Divine (≥100) |
| Quotient | — | Comparative method |
| Notarikon | E-X-A-G-G-E-L-I-A | Excellent Xenodochy of Good Knowledge in Sacred Revelations (interpretive notarikon) |
| Grammatical Groups | 5V · 1S · 3M | 5 vowels (E, A, E, I, A), 1 semivowel (L), 3 mutes (X, G, G) — the harmonious composition of speech that proclaims and reveals. |
| Palindromes | No | |
| Onomancy | — | Comparative |
| Sphere of Democritus | — | Divination with lunar day |
| Zodiacal Isopsephy | Saturn ♄ / Aquarius ♒ | 118 mod 7 = 6 · 118 mod 12 = 10 |
Isopsephic Words (118)
Words from the Liddell-Scott-Jones Lexicon with the same lexarithmos (118) but different roots, highlighting their numerical connection:
The LSJ lexicon contains a total of 17 words with lexarithmos 118. For the full catalog and AI semantic filtering, see the interactive tool.
Sources & Bibliography
- Liddell, H. G., Scott, R., Jones, H. S. — A Greek-English Lexicon. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1940.
- Thucydides — Historiae. Ed. H. Stuart Jones and J. Enoch Powell. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1942.
- Plato — Republic. Ed. John Burnet. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1903.
- Septuagint — Vetus Testamentum Graecum Auctoritate Academiae Scientiarum Gottingensis editum. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, various dates.
- Nestle-Aland — Novum Testamentum Graece. 28th ed. Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 2012.
- Bauer, W., Arndt, W. F., Gingrich, F. W., Danker, F. W. — A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. 3rd ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000.
- Lampe, G. W. H. — A Patristic Greek Lexicon. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1961.