Thayer's
STRONGS NT 1087: γερουσίαγερουσία,
γερουσίας,
ἡ (adjective
γερούσιος, belonging to old men,
γέρων),
a senate, council of elders; used in secular authors of the chief council of nations and cities (
ἐν ταῖς πόλεσι αἱ γερουσιαι,
Xenophon, mem. 4, 4, 16; in the O. T. of the chief council not only of the whole people of Israel,
Exodus 3:16, etc.; 1 Macc. 12:6, etc.; but also of cities,
Deuteronomy 19:12, etc.); of the Great Council, the Sanhedrin of the Jews:
Acts 5:21, where to
τό συνέδριον is added
καί πᾶσαν τήν γερουσίαν τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραήλ and indeed (
καί explicative)
all the senate, to signify the full Sanhedrin. Cf.
Schürer, Die Gemeindeverfassung d. Juden in Rom in d. Kaiserzeit nach d. Inschriften dargestellt. Leips. 1879, p. 18f; Hatch, Bamp. Lects. for 1880, p. 64f.)