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Basileia tōn Ouranōn – “The Queen of Heavenly-ones”

See also Queen Inside, Queen Esther vs. Vashti, Queen of Sheba

The Greek word for “heaven” is ouranósheaven (singular), and nearly as often used in the plural (“heavens“). “The singular and plural have distinct overtones and therefore should be distinguished in translation (though unfortunately they rarely are)” (G. Archer). One could render it in an abstract sense as “heavens”, but we understand that these “heavens” are “heavenly-ones who are counted

The NT word for kingdom is basileia. This is a feminine noun. In ancient Greek this word is used for both

1) a queen

2) a kingdom

The words are exactly the same. So how do we know if the NT is speaking about a “queen” rather than a “kingdom”?

A more specific word used for queen in the NT is basilissa found only four times. However the first form “basileia” was the preferred form used in the Septuagint Greek translation of the Old Testament which was made before Jesus’ time. As Thayer’s Greek Lexicon states, “the Sept.; Josephus; the Atticists prefer the forms βασιλίς [basilis] and βασιλεία [basileia];”

So how to interpret?

Scholars have always pointed to context. Thayer’s Greek Lexicon merely states, “βασιλεία, βασιλείας, (from βασιλεύω; to be distinguished from βασιλεία, a queen.” But why? No reason is given. Context is a bias.

If contexts dictate translation, it would seem the semantic context of Matt 13:38 would be a give away:

The Field is the World and the good seed [singular]– these ones are the sons of the queen

Matt. 13:38 RBT

“The mother of us all” (Gal. 4:26)

“Sons of the kingdom” makes far less sense semantically than “sons of the queen.” Poetically or idiomatically, sure. We can do almost anything we want with a word if we go by a “poetic context.” But how to know the truth? Let’s look closer.

“The queen of the heavenly-ones is resembling a treasure-chest that was concealed in a field that a man found…” Matt. 13:44 RBT

“Knowing now the thoughts of themselves, he said to them ‘The whole of the queen portioned/divided according to herself  is laid-waste, and the whole of the city or house portioned/divided according to herself does not stand. ” Matt. 12:25 RBT

Answering now, the Lord said to herself, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and uproaring/tumultuous around many. The need is little, and Mary has chosen the good portion of one, she who will not be cut-off/removed of herself.”

Luke 10:42 RBT

Commentators here failed to understand the reason for the plural marriages:

“The queen of the heavenly-ones has become like a man, a king who has made weddings [marriages] for the son of himself.” Matt. 22:2 RBT

“From, then, the days of John the Submerger until now, the queen of the heavenly-ones is violently-forced and violent men seize her.” Matt. 11:12 RBT

“Another parable he set before them saying, ‘The queen of the heavenly-ones has become like a man who sowed a good seed in the field of him.” Matt. 13:24 RBT

“Not the whole, the one who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’ will come-in into the queen of the heavenly-ones, except the one who makes the desire of the father of me who is in the heavenly-ones.” Matt. 7:21 literal

Wise-ones in the Outside are shouting-for-joy in the Broadway; she is giving her voice. In the head of those-who-roar she is calling-out in the openings of the gates in the City, she is speaking her sayings. Until when open-ones you are loving the open-one? And those-who-scorn, a scorned-one they have delighted to-themselves. And foolish-ones are hating a known-one.” Prov. 1:20-22 RBT

Wise-ones she has built her house, she has hewn out her standing-ones, seven. She has slaughtered her slaughtered-one, she has arrayed her table, she has sent her scattered-ones, she is calling-out upon the bodies of the high-places of the town. Who is an open-one? He is turning aside here. ‘A wanting heart,’ she is saying to-himself.” Prov. 9:2-4 RBT

The genitive 3rd person singular feminine relative pronoun herself has always been translated as “itself” in Matt. 11:12, 12:25 and similar passages.