δισχίλιοι

two thousand

Definition

The Greek adjective δισχίλιοι means 'two thousand' and is a specific numeral used to denote a precise, large quantity. In the New Testament, it appears only in Mark 5:13, where it quantifies the herd of swine into which the legion of demons entered. As a cardinal number, its meaning is straightforward and does not carry symbolic or metaphorical senses in its single biblical occurrence. It functions simply to provide the specific scale of the event described.

Biblical Usage

This word is used only once in the New Testament, in the Gospel of Mark 5:13. It describes the size of the herd of pigs ('about two thousand') that rushed down a steep bank into the Sea of Galilee after being possessed by the demons Jesus cast out of the Gerasene demoniac. Its usage is purely descriptive and quantitative, serving to emphasize the magnitude of the miraculous event and the economic loss incurred.

Etymology

Derived from the Greek prefix δίς (dis), meaning 'twice' or 'double,' and the word χίλιοι (chilioi), meaning 'thousand.' It is a compound numeral formed in a standard Greek pattern, literally meaning 'two-thousand.' It is related to other numerical terms like χίλιοι (G5507, 'a thousand') and τρισχίλιοι (G5153, 'three thousand').

Semantic Range

While the number itself is not theologically charged, its use in Mark 5:13 contributes to the narrative's theological themes. The large, precise number underscores the immense power of Jesus over a vast legion of evil spirits, demonstrating his supreme authority. The subsequent destruction of such a valuable herd also highlights the cost of liberation and the dramatic shift from impurity (the demons, the unclean animals) to the restored purity of the healed man.

In the cultural context, a herd of two thousand pigs represented significant wealth and investment, as pigs were livestock. For a Jewish audience, pigs were unclean animals (Leviticus 11:7), making their presence in the story and their destruction a powerful symbol of Jesus confronting and cleansing impurity. The economic scale of the loss (two thousand animals) would have been immediately understood by ancient listeners as a catastrophic financial event for the herd's owners.

χίλιοι (chilioi, G5507) — means 'one thousand,' a smaller base unit. τρισχίλιοι (trischilioi, G5153) — means 'three thousand,' a larger specific numeral.

Word Details

Scripture References