οὐρανός, -οῦ, ὁ, [in LXX chiefly for שָׁמַיִם (hence, often pl., οἱ οὐ., see infr.) ;] heaven; 1. of the vault or firmament of heaven, the sky and the aerial regions above the earth: opposite to ἡ γῆ, Hbr 1,10, 2 P 3,5, 10; ὁ οὐ. καὶ ἡ γῆ, i.e. the world, the universe, Mt 5,18, Mk 13,31, Łk 10,21, Dz 4,24, Ap 10,6, al.; ἀπ᾽ ἄκρων οὐ. ἕως ἄ. αὐτῶν (on the absence of art. aft. prep., see Bl, §46, 5), Mt 24,31 ὑπὸ τὸν οὐ., Dz 2,5, Kol 1,23; ὑψωθῆναι ἕως τοῦ οὐ., figuratively, Mt 11,23, Łk 10,15; σημεῖον ἐκ τοῦ οὐ., Mt 16,1, Mk 8,11, al.; αἱ νεφέλαι, Mt 24,30, al.; τὰ πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐ., Mt 6,26, Mk 4,32, al.; οἱ ἀστέρες τοῦ οὐ., Ap 6,13, al.; pl. (οἱ) οὐ. (Bl., §32, 5), Mt 3,16, Mk 1,10, J 1,32, 2 P 3,7.13 al. 2. Of the abode of God and other blessed beings: of angels, Mt 24,36, Mk 12,25, Ga 1,8, Ap 10,1, al.; of Christ glorified, Mrk.16:[19], Łk 24,51, Dz 3,21, Rz 10,6, al.; of God, Mt 5,34, Rz 1,18, al.; ὁ Πατὴρ ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐ. (Dalman, Words, 184ff.), Mt 5,16; 6,1, al.; θησαυρὸς ἐν οὐ., Mt 6,20, Mk 10,21, al. 3. By meton., (a) of the inhabitants of heaven: Ap 18,20 (cf. Ap 12,12, Hi 15,15, Iz 44,23); (b) as an evasive reference to God, characteristic of later Judaism (Dalman, Words, 204ff.): Mt 21,25, Mk 11,30, Łk 15,18, J 3,27, al.; ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐ. (= τοῦ Θεοῦ); see: βασιλεία). βασιλεία, -ας, ἡ (βασιλεύω), [in LXX chiefly for מַמְלָכָה ,מַלְכוּת ;] 1. prop. abstract, sovereignty, royal power, dominion: Łk 1,33; 22,29, J 18,36, Dz 1,6, Hbr 1,8, 1 Kor 15,24; λαβεῖν β., Łk 19,12.15 Ap 17,12; δοῦναι τὴν, ib. 17; ἔχειν β., ib. 18; ἔρχεσθαι ἐν τ. (εἰς τὴν) β., Mt 16,28, Łk 23,42; β. τ. θεοῦ, Ap 12,10 2. By meton., concrete (MM, Exp., x), (a) a kingdom, the territory or people over whom the king rules (Est 5,3, al.): Mt 4,8; 12,25.26; 24,7, Mk 3,24; 6,23, Łk 4,5, Hbr 11,33, al.; (b) the royal majesty (cf. our phrase His Majesty), the king himself (τ. σπέρμα τῆς β., 2 Krl 11,1). 3. In LXX (Mdr 6,5, Tb 13,1, al.), Targ. and NT, of the Messianic rule and kingdom, ἡ β. τ. θεοῦ, τ. οὐρανῶν (Heb. מַלְכוּת שָׁמַיִם, Aram. מַלְכוּתָא דִשׁמַיָּא; see Dalman, Words, 91-147; Cremer, 132, 658), the kingdom of God (on the equivalence of the two phrases, see Dalman, op. cit., 93, 218f.); τ. θεοῦ, Mt 6,33; 12,28, al.; τ. οὐρανῶν, Mt 3,2; 4,17, al.; τ. Χριστοῦ (מַלִכוּת דִמְשִׁיחא, Targ. Jon. on Iz 53,10), Ef 5,5; τ. κυρίου, 2 P 1,11, Ap 11,15; τ. Δαυείδ, Mk 11,10 absol., ἡ β., Mt 4,23, Jk 2,5, al. The kingdom is regarded as present: Mt 11,12, Łk 17,21, Rz 14,17, al.; as that which is to be consummated in the future, Mt 6,10, Mk 9,1, J 3,5, 2 P 1,11, al. Noteworthy phrases are: ζητεῖν τὴν β., Mt 6,33 δέχεσθαι, Mk 10,15 κλρονομεῖν, Mt 25,34 διδόναι, Łk 12,32; παραλαμβάνειν, Hbr 12,28 αὐτῶν (τοιούτων) εστὶν ἡ β., Mt 5,3.10; 19,14, Mk 10,14, Łk 18,16; διὰ τὴν β., Mt 19,12 ἕνεκεν τῆς β., Łk 18,29 εὐαγγελίζεσθαι, κηρύσσειν, διαγγέλλειν τὴν β., Łk 4,43; 9,2.60; ἤγγικεν ἡ β., Mt 3,2, Mk 1,15; κλεῖς τῆς β., Mt 16,10 κλείειν τὴν β., Mt 23,14 υἱοὶ τῆς β., Mt 8,12; 13,38 (cf. Cremer, 132, 658). \ (AS)