πολύτιμος
polýtimos
G4186 attributive adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
Of very high value; highly esteemed or precious. The term denotes something possessing exceptional worth or rarity, whether material (as an object, possession, or resource) or, by extension, non-material (such as qualities, honor, or status). In context, often designates items or substances considered extraordinarily valuable, or things worthy of utmost respect and honor.
Semantic Range
very valuable, extremely costly, precious, highly esteemed, of great price, worthy of honor
Root / Etymology
Compound formed from πολύς ('much, many') and τιμή ('value, honor, price, worth'). The combination directly yields the sense of 'of much value' or 'of great worth.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
πολύτιμος is found in classical Greek and carries the meaning of exceptionally valuable, precious, or highly esteemed, applied both to objects (such as jewels, ointments, or artifacts) and to abstract qualities (such as honor or virtues). In the Septuagint and New Testament, its primary usage is in reference to material objects of great value—e.g., precious stones, expensive ointments (notably describing costly perfume or ointment used in anointing). The English translations 'very costly,' 'of great price,' or 'precious' reflect part of the semantic field but may miss nuances of high esteem or honor attached to the term in some Greek usage. There is little distinction between the material and metaphorical senses in Greek, but biblical usage is often predominantly concrete. Related terms include τίμιος (precious, honored) and πολύτιμος (with τιμή accentuated as 'worth' or 'value').
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from πολύς and τιμή; extremely valuable:--very costly, of great price.
Root Family
τιμ- (éntimos) — to honor, to value, to esteem
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| G1784 | ἔντιμος | esteemed one |
| G2008 | ἐπιτιμάω | was rebuking |
| G2009 | ἐπιτιμία | judicial penalty |
| G5090 | Τιμαῖος | of Timaeus |
| G5091 | τιμάω | they honored |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4186-01 |
πολύτιμον | polutimon | ADJ.A ACC M SG |
of great value | highly valuable (masculine accusative singular) | highly valuable | 1 |
G4186-02 |
πολυτίμου | polutimou | ADJ.A GEN F SG |
very costly | of great worth | of great worth | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4186-01 |
Matthew 13:46 | πολύτιμον | polutimon | ADJ.A ACC M SG |
of great value | highly valuable (masculine accusative singular) | highly valuable |
G4186-02 |
John 12:3 | πολυτίμου | polutimou | ADJ.A GEN F SG |
very costly | of great worth | of great worth |