ἑπτακισχίλιοι

heptakischílioi

G2035 determiner

SILEX Entry

Root ἑπτα-, χιλ- seven, thousand

Definition

A numerical adjective expressing the quantity 'seven thousand;' that is, seven groups of one thousand each. Used to designate a precise, large sum, especially in reference to persons or things counted. In literary and historical contexts, emphasizes both a specific and rounded total, often with rhetorical or symbolic emphasis.

Semantic Range

seven thousand (persons or things), seven groups of a thousand, a total sum of 7,000

Root / Etymology

Compound word formed from ἑπτάκις ('seven times') and χίλιοι ('thousand'). The construction indicates repeated multiplication (seven multiplied by one thousand). No non-Greek elements in the formation.

Historical & Contextual Notes

ἑπτακισχίλιοι is a rare term, only attested in the New Testament at Romans 11:4 and reflective of Septuagintal usage deriving from 1 Kings 19:18 (LXX), where it translates the Hebrew phrase for 'seven thousand.' The compound is transparent and purely numerical in Greek, unlike possible figurative or symbolic uses of numbers in some biblical passages. In Koine usage, such compounds (e.g., δισχίλιοι, πεντακισχίλιοι) are used to express exact large numbers, sometimes with rhetorical or hyperbolic nuance but without particular religious significance. English translations typically render the term straightforwardly as 'seven thousand.' The formation, use, and meaning are consistent across contemporary Greek literature, with no significant semantic shift from classical to Koine. The use in Paul (Romans 11:4) echoes the LXX and the Hebrew Bible, and here the number serves to express a preserved group within Israelite tradition, not an abstract concept. There are no non-numeric meanings or idiomatic uses attested. Related forms: ἑπτακισχιλιοστός ('seven thousandth').

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from ἑπτάκις and χίλιοι; seven times a thousand:--seven thousand.

Root Family

ἑπτακισχίλιοι (heptakischilioi) — seven, thousand

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
G2035-01 ἑπτακισχιλίους eptakischilious DET ACC M PL seven thousand seven thousand 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
G2035-01 Romans 11:4 ἑπτακισχιλίους eptakischilious DET ACC M PL seven thousand seven thousand