Polites denotes a person identified with a city or country, and in one relational saying a fellow member addressed alongside a brother.

The attested use chiefly identifies people by belonging to a particular city or country: Paul identifies himself with Tarsus, and the two Luke passages speak of people belonging to a country or ruler’s city. In Hebrews 8:11, the singular accusative occurs in an address formula alongside “brother,” where the APB presents the person as a “neighbor.”

1. A person belonging to a city or country · dominant

   In Acts 21:39, the nominative singular occurs in Paul’s self-identification with Tarsus; the APB renders the clause “a citizen of no insignificant city.” In Luke 15:15, the genitive plural identifies the man to whom the younger son attaches himself as one belonging to “that country,” while Luke 19:14 uses the nominative plural for those who oppose the man’s reign; the APB renders “His citizens.”

   Acts 21:39Luke 15:15Luke 19:14
2. A fellow member in an address formula · rare

   In Hebrews 8:11, the accusative singular appears in the instruction not to teach each one his “neighbor” and each one his brother. The APB’s “neighbor” presents the verse’s relational context, though the translation does not isolate the term word-for-word.

   Hebrews 8:11

In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB uses “citizen” or “citizens” in Acts 21:39 and Luke 19:14, and describes those in Luke 15:15 as belonging to “that country.” In Hebrews 8:11 it renders the relational expression with “neighbor”.