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χωρίον

chōríon

G5564 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A specific place or parcel of land; generally a small area or plot, often for cultivation or individual ownership. In different contexts, it may refer to a tract of land, a property, a field, a specific locality, or a private estate. In some instances, it appears in reference to a burial site or garden. The core meaning centers around a bounded piece of land with boundaries distinguishing it from surrounding areas.

Semantic Range

small plot of land, parcel of ground, field, estate, specific place, private property, burial plot, garden

Root / Etymology

Diminutive form of χώρα (chōra, 'country, area, region'), thus 'small place' or 'smaller area of land.' The diminutive ending -ιον (< -ion) marks the word as referring to a portion of the larger concept of a region or country.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, the diminutive χωρίον is occasionally attested for a small plot or specific piece of land, often privately held. By the Hellenistic and Koine periods, it regularly denoted relatively small plots, fields, or estates, sometimes (but not always) in contrast to broader, undefined terrain. In the LXX and New Testament, 'χωρίον' typically refers to a distinct parcel of ground—sometimes purchased or held as property (e.g., Acts 1:18-19, the field associated with Judas Iscariot), or a specified location (as in gardens or places set aside for burial, John 19:41). English translations often render χωρίον as 'field,' 'place,' or 'land,' but these may not capture the sense of personal or specific ownership present in many uses. Unlike the more general τόπος ('place') or the larger-scale χῶρα ('region, country'), χωρίον focuses on the notion of a demarcated, individual plot. Its use in the New Testament often relates to legally defined property or ownership, distinguishing it from common or communal land. It does not generally carry religious or ethnic connotations, but rather a legal or physical boundary.

Translation Consistency

primary "plot" 7 occurrences

“Plot” naturally and succinctly captures the typical sense of χωρίον as a bounded small piece of land or parcel — e.g. a garden plot, burial plot, plot of land, or private parcel. It is idiomatic in English, works for agricultural, residential, and burial contexts, and aligns with the SILEX range better than more technical terms like “parcel.”

Alternatives (3 occurrences):
"land parcel" (2x) "small land parcels" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

diminutive of χώρα; a spot or plot of ground:--field, land, parcel of ground, place, possession.

Root Family

χωρίον (chōrion) — space, land, region, territory

Root χωρ- space, land, region, territory

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G5564-02 χωρίον chorion N ACC N SG a field a parcel of land a plot of land 7
G5564-03 χωρίου choriou N GEN N SG land of a land parcel land parcel 2
G5564-01 χωρία choria N NOM N PL lands small land parcels small land parcels 1

Occurrences in Scripture

10 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G5564-02 Matthew 26:36 χωρίον chorion N ACC N SG place a parcel of land a plot of land
G5564-02 Mark 14:32 χωρίον chorion N ACC N SG a place a parcel of land a plot of land
G5564-03 John 4:5 χωρίου choriou N GEN N SG parcel of a land parcel land parcel
G5564-02 Acts 1:18 χωρίον chorion N ACC N SG a field a parcel of land a plot of land
G5564-02 Acts 1:19 χωρίον chorion N ACC N SG field a parcel of land a plot of land
G5564-02 Acts 1:19 Χωρίον chorion-2 N ACC N SG Field a parcel of land a plot of land
G5564-02 Acts 4:34 χωρίων chorion N GEN N PL lands a parcel of land a plot of land
G5564-03 Acts 5:3 χωρίου choriou N GEN N SG land of a land parcel land parcel
G5564-02 Acts 5:8 χωρίον chorion N ACC N SG land a parcel of land a plot of land
G5564-01 Acts 28:7 χωρία choria N NOM N PL lands small land parcels small land parcels
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