δέκα
ten
Definition
The Greek word δέκα (deka) is the cardinal number 'ten'. In the New Testament, it consistently denotes the quantity ten, often used in literal counting, such as the ten virgins in Matthew 25:1 or the ten lepers in Luke 17:12. It also appears in symbolic or proverbial contexts, like the ten servants entrusted with ten minas in Luke 19:13, which represents a complete set or a round number for a group. In some parables, such as the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:28, 'ten' can emphasize a large or complete amount given in stewardship.
Biblical Usage
The word is used 24 times across the Gospels and Acts, primarily in narrative and parabolic contexts. It frequently appears in Jesus's teachings, such as parables involving groups of ten (Matthew 25:1, Luke 19:13) or references to events like the eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell, which mentions 'ten' in a temporal context (Luke 13:4). There is no significant variation in meaning; it consistently functions as the numeral ten, whether for literal enumeration or within illustrative stories.
Etymology
Derived directly from the ancient Greek δέκα (deka), meaning 'ten'. It is cognate with the Latin 'decem' and the English 'ten', all originating from the Proto-Indo-European root *déḱm̥. Its meaning has remained stable from classical Greek through Koine Greek into the New Testament period.
Semantic Range
In the ancient Near Eastern and Greco-Roman world, the number ten was often used as a round number signifying completeness or a full set, similar to its use in the Ten Commandments. This cultural understanding informs its use in parables, where 'ten' can imply a sufficient or representative group, as seen with the ten virgins (Matthew 25:1) symbolizing the community of believers awaiting the bridegroom.
δεκάτη (dekatē, G1181) — a related noun meaning 'a tenth' or 'tithe', focusing on a portion rather than the whole number. εἷς (heis, G1520) — the number 'one', representing singularity in contrast to the plurality of ten. δώδεκα (dōdeka, G1427) — the number 'twelve', another significant biblical number often denoting Israel or apostolic fullness.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Dodson Greek-English Lexicon, a concise public-domain resource suitable for introductory word study. Brief glosses are supplemented by STEPBible TBESG data (CC BY 4.0). For advanced research, standard scholarly references include BDAG (Danker, 3rd ed.) and LSJ.
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