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ἐργασία

ergasía

G2039 noun

SILEX Entry

Root εργα- to work, to perform, to labor

Definition

Engagement in work or activity, particularly productive labor resulting in a finished product or economic benefit; in various contexts, refers to the process or result of working, the practice of a craft, or the pursuit of gain through one's occupation. More specifically, it can denote business, trade, craftsmanship, or the production of goods, as well as the profit or benefit derived from such labor.

Semantic Range

work, labor, trade, craftsmanship, occupation, activity, production, business dealings, profit, gain

Root / Etymology

From ἐργάτης ('worker'), which in turn derives from ἔργον ('work, deed, action') plus the abstract noun suffix -ία, forming nouns of state, quality, or activity.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical and Hellenistic Greek, ἐργασία frequently refers broadly to labor, work, or the exercise of a trade, with shades of meaning ranging from the process of working to the output or profit gained. In the New Testament and contemporaneous literature, it often relates to professional occupation, craftsmanship, or activities associated with earning a livelihood; in some settings (such as Acts 16:16, 19 and 19:24–25), it highlights the economic dimension—either legitimate business or, in certain polemical contexts, income from controversial practices (e.g., fortune-telling, idol making). The Septuagint uses the term to translate various Hebrew words for work, labor, and the proceeds of toil. English translations (e.g., 'craft,' 'gain,' 'work,' 'profit') often reflect specific contextual nuances but do not always capture the range between process and product that ἐργασία possesses. Unlike ἔργον ('work' as a deed, task, or action), ἐργασία emphasizes ongoing activity or the state and benefits of working, sometimes with connotations of diligence or skill in one's profession.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from ἐργάτης; occupation; by implication, profit, pains:--craft, diligence, gain, work.

Root Family

ἐργασία (ergasia) — work, labor, trade, craftsmanship, production, gain

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
G2039-01 ἐργασίαν ergasian N ACC F SG business productive labor 4
G2039-02 ἐργασίας ergasias N GEN F SG business of productive labor 2

Occurrences in Scripture

6 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
G2039-01 Luke 12:58 ἐργασίαν ergasian N ACC F SG diligence productive labor
G2039-01 Acts 16:16 ἐργασίαν ergasian N ACC F SG profit productive labor
G2039-02 Acts 16:19 ἐργασίας ergasias N GEN F SG profit of productive labor
G2039-01 Acts 19:24 ἐργασίαν ergasian N ACC F SG business productive labor
G2039-02 Acts 19:25 ἐργασίας ergasias N GEN F SG business of productive labor
G2039-01 Ephesians 4:19 ἐργασίαν ergasian N ACC F SG practice productive labor
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