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δηνάριον

dēnárion

G1220 noun

SILEX Entry

Root δηναρ- denarius coin, unit of Roman currency, day's wage

Definition

Silver coin issued by Rome, originally valued at ten asses, later as the principal daily wage coinage. In Koine contexts, denotes a specific monetary unit used in everyday exchanges, transactions, and legal agreements, often referencing a day's wage for agricultural labor. Broader use: any sum equivalent to a denarius in local economies where Roman currency circulated. The term emphasizes both the physical coin and the amount/value it represented.

Semantic Range

a silver Roman coin, a unit of monetary value, daily wage equivalent, standard unit in contracts and debts, sum equivalent to a denarius regardless of coinage

Root / Etymology

From Latin denarius, itself from 'deni' meaning 'ten each,' indicating its original value of ten asses; the Greek δηνάριον is a direct transliteration and adaptation into Greek from this Latin term. Not of native Greek derivation.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Latin, the denarius was the standard Roman silver coin introduced in the 3rd century BCE, initially worth ten asses, later standardized at sixteen. In the Hellenistic and Roman east, δηνάριον appears in papyri, inscriptions, and literary sources as the Greek rendering of this standard Roman currency, especially after the widespread adoption of Roman administration. In the NT and Septuagint, δηνάριον often serves as the basic reference value for wages, purchases, or debts. Its value would vary relative to local coinage and over time due to debasement and inflation; it is frequently equated to a day's wage for a laborer in NT context (e.g., Mt 20:2), but this is culturally and economically specific to 1st century Roman provinces. English translations such as 'penny' or 'pence' are misleading and anachronistic, failing to capture both the value and cultural placement of the currency. Unlike native Greek coin terms (e.g., δραχμή), δηνάριον specifically indicates the Roman monetary system's penetration into Judea and surrounding provinces. The term persists in papyrological and rabbinic Greek sources to denote specified silver amounts or pay, often standardized but contextually fluid.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

of Latin origin; a denarius (or ten asses):--pence, penny(-worth).

Root Family

δηνάριον (dēnarion) — denarius coin, Roman currency unit, day's wage

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
G1220-02 δηνάριον denarion N ACC N SG denarii a denarius coin 9
G1220-03 δηναρίου denariou N GEN N SG of a denarius 4
G1220-01 δηνάρια denaria N ACC N PL denarii denarius coins 3

Occurrences in Scripture

16 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
G1220-01 Matthew 18:28 δηνάρια denaria N ACC N PL denarius coins
G1220-03 Matthew 20:2 δηναρίου denariou N GEN N SG of a denarius
G1220-02 Matthew 20:9 δηνάριον denarion N ACC N SG a denarius coin
G1220-02 Matthew 20:10 δηνάριον denarion N ACC N SG a denarius coin
G1220-03 Matthew 20:13 δηναρίου denariou N GEN N SG of a denarius
G1220-02 Matthew 22:19 δηνάριον denarion N ACC N SG a denarius coin
G1220-02 Mark 6:37 δηναρίων denarion N GEN N PL denarii a denarius coin
G1220-02 Mark 12:15 δηνάριον denarion N ACC N SG a denarius a denarius coin
G1220-02 Mark 14:5 δηναρίων denarion N GEN N PL denarii a denarius coin
G1220-01 Luke 7:41 δηνάρια denaria N ACC N PL denarii denarius coins
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