Bible Word Study
ὀψώνιον
opsōnion · pay, wages
ὀψώνιον
pay, wages
Definition
ὀψώνιον primarily means 'wages,' 'pay,' or 'salary' for services rendered, often in a military or labor context. In Luke 3:14, soldiers are told to be content with their 'wages.' It can also signify a 'reward' or 'due compensation' in a broader sense, as seen in Romans 6:23, where 'the wages of sin is death' contrasts with God's free gift of eternal life. In 1 Corinthians 9:7 and 2 Corinthians 11:8, Paul uses it to refer to material support or provisions received for ministerial labor.
Biblical Usage
This word appears four times in the New Testament, used in both literal and metaphorical contexts. Literally, it describes soldiers' pay (Luke 3:14) and support for apostolic work (1 Corinthians 9:7; 2 Corinthians 11:8). Metaphorically, it depicts the inevitable consequence or 'earned compensation' of sin in Romans 6:23. It is used by Luke, Paul in Romans, and twice in Paul's Corinthian correspondence.
Etymology
Derived from ὄψον (opson), meaning 'cooked food' or 'delicacy,' and the suffix -ιον (-ion), indicating something pertaining to. Originally, it referred to money for buying provisions, especially for soldiers, evolving to mean general wages or pay.
Semantic Range
ὀψώνιον is theologically significant in Romans 6:23, where it starkly contrasts the 'wages' earned by sin (death) with the unearned 'gift' of God (eternal life). This highlights core doctrines of sin's just consequence versus salvation by grace. Understanding this Greek term enriches the reading by emphasizing that death is sin's earned, rightful payment, making God's free gift of life all the more gracious. In the Greco-Roman world, ὀψώνιον often specifically referred to a soldier's stipend or ration money, which is its clear context in Luke 3:14. This military connotation adds depth to Paul's use in 2 Corinthians 11:8, where he 'took wages' from other churches, possibly framing his apostolic support in terms of a soldier's rightful provision. μισθός (misthos, G3408) — a broader term for reward, wages, or pay, often used in eschatological contexts. μίσθωμα (misthōma, G3406) — hire, wages, with a focus on payment for rented service.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Dodson Greek-English Lexicon, supplemented by STEPBible TBESG data (CC BY 4.0). Concordance and morphology data are derived from the interlinear Bible.
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]