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κοινός

koinós

G2839 substantive adjective

SILEX Entry

Definition

Shared in common or belonging to a group collectively; used broadly to denote what is ordinary, not distinctive, or not set apart. In ritual and purity contexts, refers to what is profane, not sacred, or ritually impure/unclean; in other contexts, simply ordinary or general rather than special or exclusive. Basic sense is 'shared' or 'under common ownership/use,' but in Jewish and early Christian texts especially, can imply a lack of holiness or ritual impurity.

Semantic Range

shared by a group, belonging to the community or public, not private, ordinary as opposed to special or sacred, profane (in religious/ritual context), ceremonially/ritually impure or unclean, defiled, not set apart as holy

Root / Etymology

From the Greek root κοιν- indicating 'shared' or 'in common.' Cognate with κοινωνέω (to share) and κοινωνία (participation, fellowship). The origin is the same as the prolific κοινός family of Greek words conveying the concept of community and joint participation.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, κοινός denoted what is shared by a group, public, general, or not private (contrasted with ἴδιος, 'one's own, private'). In Hellenistic and Koine Greek, it broadened to include the sense of 'ordinary' versus 'sacred' (ἱερός) or 'special.' In the Septuagint and New Testament, especially in Second Temple ritual, κοινός often acquires a technical meaning: what is not set apart for holy purposes, and thus rendered 'unclean,' particularly in relation to food, purity laws, and ritual distinctions (see Mark 7:2, Acts 10:14). English translations often use 'common' or 'unclean,' but this can obscure the nuance between its generic meaning of 'not sacred' and specific meaning within Jewish purity law. The extension from 'shared/common' to 'profane/defiled' reflects the concept that what is not reserved for the sacred is susceptible to impurity or pollution. This is distinct from ἀκάθαρτος ('impure/unclean' in a broader or morally laden sense). The everyday use of κοινός outside of ritual context remains 'ordinary' or 'public.'

Translation Consistency

primary "common" 12 occurrences

'Common' is the most frequent and natural English rendering and captures the basic sense of belonging to the ordinary/public or not set apart as holy. It covers both the general ‘shared/ordinary’ meaning and the ritual sense of ‘not sacred’ (i.e., profane) better than the more specific 'unclean' or 'defiled,' which would be too narrow for many contexts.

Alternatives (2 occurrences):
"defiled" (1x) "unwashed" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

probably from σύν; common, i.e. (literally) shared by all or several, or (ceremonially) profane:--common, defiled, unclean, unholy.

Root Family

κοινός (koinos) — shared, in common, ordinary, public

Root κοιν- shared, in common, ordinary, public

Word Forms

5 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G2839-05 κοινὸν koinon ADJ.S ACC N SG unclean common thing common thing 8
G2839-02 κοιναῖς koinais ADJ.A DAT F PL defiled to ordinary ones with defiled 2
G2839-01 κοινά koina ADJ.S ACC N PL common common things common things 2
G2839-04 κοινῆς koines ADJ.S GEN F SG common of the common of the common 1
G2839-03 κοινὴν koinen ADJ.A ACC F SG common common (feminine singular accusative) common 1

Occurrences in Scripture

14 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G2839-02 Mark 7:2 κοιναῖς koinais ADJ.A DAT F PL defiled to ordinary ones with defiled
G2839-02 Mark 7:5 κοιναῖς koinais ADJ.A DAT F PL unwashed to ordinary ones with unwashed
G2839-01 Acts 2:44 κοινά koina ADJ.S ACC N PL in common common things common things
G2839-01 Acts 4:32 κοινά koina ADJ.P NOM N PL common common things common things
G2839-05 Acts 10:14 κοινὸν koinon ADJ.S ACC N SG eaten common thing common thing
G2839-05 Acts 10:28 κοινὸν koinon ADJ.S ACC M SG common common thing common thing
G2839-05 Acts 11:8 κοινὸν koinon ADJ.S NOM N SG common common thing common thing
G2839-05 Romans 14:14 κοινὸν koinon ADJ.P NOM N SG unclean common thing common thing
G2839-05 Romans 14:14 κοινὸν koinon-2 ADJ.P NOM N SG unclean common thing common thing
G2839-05 Romans 14:14 κοινόν koinon-3 ADJ.P NOM N SG unclean common thing common thing
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