διακόσιοι
two hundred
Definition
The Greek adjective διακόσιοι (diakosioi) means 'two hundred' and is used exclusively as a cardinal number in the New Testament. It specifies a precise quantity, most often of people or objects. In the Gospels, it quantifies the cost of bread (Mark 6:37, John 6:7) and the distance for fishing (John 21:8). In Acts and Revelation, it counts soldiers (Acts 23:23), passengers (Acts 27:37), and the duration of prophetic ministry in days (Revelation 11:3, 12:6). Its meaning is consistent across all uses.
Biblical Usage
The word is used seven times across five New Testament books: the Gospels of Mark and John, Acts, and Revelation. It consistently denotes the exact number 200, appearing in diverse contexts: financial cost, measurement of distance, military escort size, ship passenger count, and prophetic time periods. For example, it describes the high price of feeding a crowd (John 6:7), the large Roman guard for Paul (Acts 23:23), and the 1,260 days (often calculated as roughly 200 prophetic years) of witness and protection in Revelation (Revelation 11:3, 12:6).
Etymology
Derived from the prefix διά (dia, 'through' or 'twice') combined with a root related to ἑκατόν (hekaton, 'one hundred'). Thus, it literally means 'twice one hundred' or 'through (to) a hundred' twice. It is a standard Greek numeral, with cognates like τριακόσιοι (triakosioi, 'three hundred').
Semantic Range
While primarily a numerical term, its usage in Revelation 11:3 and 12:6 connects it to significant prophetic time periods (1,260 days). This period, often interpreted symbolically, is associated with the church's witness and God's protection during tribulation. Understanding that the text specifies 'two hundred' in a compound expression underscores the precision and intentionality of apocalyptic symbolism.
In the ancient world, 'two hundred' represented a substantial quantity. Two hundred denarii (Mark 6:37) was about eight months' wages for a laborer, highlighting the disciples' perception of an impossible cost. A military detachment of 200 soldiers (Acts 23:23) was a significant force, indicating the serious threat to Paul. The number conveyed scale, cost, or security in ways immediately understood by the original audience.
ἑκατόν (hekaton, G1540) — means 'one hundred', a base unit. τριακόσιοι (triakosioi, G5145) — means 'three hundred', the next similar compound numeral.
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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