σπεῖραspeîra
a coil (spira, "spire"), i.e. (figuratively) a mass of men (a Roman military cohort; also (by analogy) a squad of Levitical janitors)
Greek (New Testament) · G4686
Meanings
1. (= Lat. spira) anything or rolled up, a coil.
2. As a military term used of a body of soldiers, a maniple (third part of a cohort) or cohort: Matthew 27:27, Mark 15:16, John 18:3, John 18:12, Acts 10:1, Acts 21:31, Acts 27:1.
Same root
Where it appears
Appears 7 times in the Bible.
- Matthew 27:27 Some of the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into their headquarters and called out the entire regiment.
- Mark 15:16 The soldiers took Jesus into the courtyard of the governor’s headquarters (called the Praetorium) and called out the entire regiment.
- John 18:3 The leading priests and Pharisees had given Judas a contingent of Roman soldiers and Temple guards to accompany him. Now with blazing torches, lanterns, and weapons, they arrived at the olive grove.
- John 18:12 So the soldiers, their commanding officer, and the Temple guards arrested Jesus and tied him up.
- Acts 10:1 In Caesarea there lived a Roman army officer named Cornelius, who was a captain of the Italian Regiment.
- Acts 21:31 As they were trying to kill him, word reached the commander of the Roman regiment that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.
Source: G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), public domain.