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kingdom

power to rule

Definition:

A kingdom is a group of people ruled by a king. It also refers to the realm or political regions over which a king or other ruler has control and authority.

A kingdom can be of any geographical size. A king might govern a nation or country or only one city.
The term "kingdom" can also refer to a spiritual reign or authority, as in the term "kingdom of God."
God is the ruler of all creation, but the term "kingdom of God" especially refers to his reign and authority over the people who have believed in Jesus and who have submitted to his authority.
The Bible also talks about Satan having a "kingdom" in which he temporarily rules over many things on this earth. His kingdom is evil and is referred to as "darkness."

Translation Suggestions:

When referring to a physical region that is ruled over by a king, the term "kingdom" could be translated as "country (ruled by a king)" or "king's territory" or "region ruled by a king."
In a spiritual sense, "kingdom" could be translated as "ruling" or "reigning" or "controlling" or "governing."
One way to translate "kingdom of priests" might be "spiritual priests who are ruled by God."
The phrase "kingdom of light" could be translated as "God's reign that is good like light" or "when God, who is light, rules people" or "the light and goodness of God's kingdom." It is best to keep the word "light" in this expression since that is a very important term in the Bible.
Note that the term "kingdom" is different from an empire, in which an emperor rules over several countries.

Bible References:

Examples from the Bible stories:

13:02 God said to Moses and the people of Israel, "If you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my prized possession, a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation."
18:04 God was angry with Solomon and, as a punishment for Solomon's unfaithfulness, he promised to divide the nation of Israel in two kingdoms after Solomon's death.
18:07 Ten of the tribes of the nation of Israel rebelled against Rehoboam. Only two tribes remained faithful to him. These two tribes became the kingdom of Judah.
18:08 The other ten tribes of the nation of Israel that rebelled against Rehoboam appointed a man named Jeroboam to be their king. They set up their kingdom in the northern part of the land and were called the kingdom of Israel.
21:08 A king is someone who rules over a kingdom and judges the people.

Word Data:

Strong's: H4410, H4437, H4438, H4467, H4468, H4474, H4475, G932

Forms Found in the English ULB:

kingdom, kingdoms, power to rule

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