Bible Word Study
σιτομέτριον
sitometrion · a measured portion of grain or food
σιτομέτριον
a measured portion of grain or food
Definition
A σιτομέτριον is a measured portion of grain or food, specifically a ration or allowance given out at a set time. It refers to a systematic distribution of sustenance, implying management, stewardship, and provision. In its sole New Testament occurrence, Luke 12:42, it describes the food portion a faithful manager distributes to the servants in a household.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the New Testament, in Luke 12:42. It appears in Jesus's parable of the faithful and wise manager, where the master puts the manager in charge of giving the other servants their 'allowance of food' (σιτομέτριον). Its usage is entirely within this metaphorical context of stewardship and responsible oversight of resources.
Etymology
Derived from the Greek words σῖτος (sitos), meaning 'grain' or 'food,' and μέτρον (metron), meaning 'measure.' It is a compound noun literally meaning 'a grain-measure' or 'measured food.' This construction directly points to its function as a specific, quantified portion of sustenance.
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as it is central to Jesus's teaching on faithful stewardship in Luke 12:42-44. Understanding it as a 'measured allowance' highlights the themes of trust, responsibility, and accountability before God. The manager's duty with the σιτομέτριον parallels the believer's responsibility to faithfully administer the resources and truths God has entrusted to them. It enriches the reading by emphasizing that God's provision is both generous and requires wise, timely distribution. In the ancient Greco-Roman world, large households or estates employed a head servant (the οἰκονόμος, or steward) to manage resources, including distributing food rations to the staff. The σιτομέτριον represents this standard practice of measured provision, ensuring the household ran smoothly. This context makes Jesus's parable immediately understandable to his audience, contrasting faithful management with wasteful neglect. τροφή (trophē, G5160) — general term for food or nourishment, not necessarily a measured portion. οἰκονόμος (oikonomos, G3623) — the steward or manager who distributes the σιτομέτριον, focusing on the person rather than the ration.
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]