Lexical Definition

‎βασιλεία‎ basileía (bas-il-i'-ah) kingdom ^G:N-F
from ‎βασιλεύς‎

kingdom, + reign.

• properly, royalty, i.e. (abstractly) rule, or (concretely) a realm (literally or figuratively)

Abbott-Smith

βασιλεία, -ας, ἡ (< βασιλεύω), [in LXX chiefly for מַמְלָכָה מַלְכוּת;]
1. prop. abstract, sovereignty, royal power, dominion: Lk 1:33 22:29, Jo 18:36, Ac 1:6, He 1:8, I Co 15:24; λαβεῖν β., Lk 19:12, 15, Re 17:12; δοῦναι τὴν, Re 17:17; ἔχειν β., Re 17:18; ἔρχεσθαι ἐν τ. (εἰς τὴν) β., Mt 16:28, Lk 23:42; β. τ. θεοῦ, Re 12:10.
2. By meton., concrete (MM, Exp., x),
(a) a kingdom, the territory or people over whom the king rules (Es 5:3, al.): Mt 4:8 12:25, 26 24:7, Mk 3:24 6:23, Lk 4:5, He 11:33, al.;
(b) the royal majesty (cf. our phrase His Majesty), the king himself (τ. σπέρμα τῆς β., IV Ki 11:1).
3. In LXX (Wi 6:5, To 13:1, al.), Targ. and NT, of the Messianic rule and kingdom, ἡ β. τ. θεοῦ, τ. οὐρανῶν (Heb. מַלְכוּת שָׁמַיִם, Aram. מַלְכוּתָא דִשׁמַיָּא; v. Dalman, Words, 91-147; Cremer, 132, 658), the kingdom of God (on the equivalence of the two phrases, v. Dalman, op. cit., 93, 218 f.); τ. θεοῦ, Mt 6:33 12:28, al.; τ. οὐρανῶν, Mt 3:2 4:17, al.; τ. Χριστοῦ (מַלִכוּת דִמְשִׁיחא, Targ. Jon. on Is 53:10), Eph 5:5; τ. κυρίου, II Pe 1:11, Re 11:15; τ. Δαυείδ, Mk 11:10; absol., ἡ β., Mt 4:23, Ja 2:5, al. The kingdom is regarded as present: Mt 11:12, Lk 17:21, Ro 14:17, al.; as that which is to be consummated in the future, Mt 6:10, Mk 9:1, Jo 3:5, II Pe 1:11, al. Noteworthy phrases are: ζητεῖν τὴν β., Mt 6:33; δέχεσθαι, Mk 10:15; κλρονομεῖν, Mt 25:34; διδόναι, Lk 12:32; παραλαμβάνειν, He 12:28; αὐτῶν (τοιούτων) ἐστὶν ἡ β., Mt 5:3, 10 19:14, Mk 10:14, Lk 18:16; διὰ τὴν β., Mt 19:12; ἕνεκεν τῆς β., Lk 18:29; εὐαγγελίζεσθαι, κηρύσσειν, διαγγέλλειν τὴν β., Lk 4:43 9:2, 60; ἤγγικεν ἡ β., Mt 3:2, Mk 1:15; κλεῖς τῆς β., Mt 16:19; κλείειν τὴν β., Mt 23:14; υἱοὶ τῆς β., Mt 8:12 13:38 (cf. Cremer, 132, 658).

Abbott-Smith References

Liddell-Scott-Jones

βασιλεία-είᾱ,

Ionic dialect βασιλεία-ηΐη, ἡ, kingdom, dominion, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; hereditary monarchy, opposed to τυραννίς, ἐπὶ ῥητοῖς γέρασι πατρικαὶ β. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἡ πρώτη πολιτεία μετὰ τὰς β. after the age of monarchies, [NT]

__2 kingly office, β. καὶ στρατηγία [Refs 4th c.BC+]
__3 at Athens, the office of the archon βασιλεύς, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
__4 passive, being ruled by a king, τῆς ὑπ᾽ ἐκείνου βασιλείας [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__II diadem, [Refs 1st c.BC+]
__III reign, [Refs 1st c.BC+]; so αἱ β. the reigns of the Kings, title of book of “VT”; accession to the throne, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
__IV concrete, His Majesty, [LXX]

_{LSJ Scripture Refs: Rev.1.6 ☩ Matt.3.2 ☩ LXX.2Kgs.11.1}