ῥάβδος

ῥάβδος — rhábdos

ῤάβδος, ῤάβδου, ἡ (probably akin to ῤαπίς, Latinverber; cf. Curtius, § 513), in various senses from Homer down; the Sept. for מַטֶּה, שֵׁבֶט, מַקֵּל, מִשְׁעֶנֶת, etc., a staff; walking-stick: equivalent to a twig, rod, branch, Heb 9:4 (Num 17:2 ff, Hebrew text ff); Rev 11:1; a rod, with which one is beaten, 1Co 4:21 (Plato, legg. 3, p. 700 c.; Plutarch, others; πατάσσειν τινα ἐν ῤάβδῳ, Exo 21:20; Isa 10:24); a staff: as used on a journey, Mat 10:10; Mar 6:8; Luk 9:3; or to lean upon, Heb 11:21 (after the Sept. of Gen 47:31, where the translators read מַטֶּה, for מִטָּה, a bed; (cf. προσκυνέω, a.)); or by shepherds, Rev 2:27; Rev 12:5; Rev 19:15, in which passages as ἐν ῤάβδῳ ποιμαίνειν is figuratively applied to a king, so ῤάβδῳ σιδηρᾷ, with a rod of iron, indicates the severest, most rigorous, rule; hence, ῤάβδος is equivalent to a royal scepter (like שֵׁבֶט, Psa 2:9; Psa 45:8; for שַׁרְבִיט, Est 4:11; Est 5:2): Heb 1:8 (from Psa 45:8).