Greek word · Strong's G4172

πόλις

pólis · noun · “city”

In a sentence

Polis means city — and in Revelation, the “holy city” of God where his people dwell with him forever. The Bible begins in a garden and ends in a city.

Polis is the Greek word for city — the root behind “politics” and “metropolis.” The Bible takes the word and makes it eschatological: the “holy polis, new Jerusalem” comes down from God.

Hebrews says believers are “looking for the polis that has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” Christian hope is civic in scale: not just personal salvation but a whole city of the redeemed.

Strong's reference

Definition: a town (properly, with walls, of greater or less size)

KJV usage: city

Reference gloss from Strong's Concordance (1890, public domain).

Key verses BSB · Public Domain (CC0)

Hebrews 11:10 “For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” Revelation 21:2 “I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” Philippians 3:20 “But our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,”

Original BibleDawn word study. Original-language data and the public-domain Strong's (1890) gloss are referenced; see sources.