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ἀργυροκόπος

argyrokópos

G695 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A craftsman or artisan who works with silver, typically by hammering, shaping, or fabricating silver objects; specifically, one who fabricates, repairs, or sells silver articles such as idols, ornaments, tableware, or monetary items. The term highlights not only the act of working silver but also the social and economic role of such artisans in Greco-Roman cities.

Semantic Range

silver-worker, silversmith, artisan who crafts silver idols or articles, maker of silver shrines or ornaments

Root / Etymology

Compound of ἄργυρος (silver) and κόπτω (to strike, cut, beat). The word literally means 'one who beats silver.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical and Hellenistic Greek, specialized compound nouns formed with -κόπος denoted craftsmen who worked with particular materials through beating or hammering. ἀργυροκόπος is a rare term attested in Koine sources, notably in Acts 19:24, where it refers to the artisans who produced silver shrines of Artemis in Ephesus. The term emphasizes manual work with silver, unlike terms such as χρυσοχόος (goldsmith) or χαλκεύς (bronzesmith). Although English translations often render it 'silversmith,' the social and cultic role of such artisans included production of religious images and votive objects. The context in Acts presents ἀργυροκόποι as a trade collective whose economic livelihood was tied to the religious marketplace. The word is not attested in the Septuagint but belongs to a technical vocabulary for urban artisanship in Roman Asia Minor. Use of the English 'silversmith' captures the occupational sense but may obscure the broader socio-religious significance of silversmiths in the Greco-Roman world, especially where their work intersected with local cultic practices.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from ἄργυρος and κόπτω; a beater (i.e. worker) of silver:--silversmith.

Root Family

ἀργυροκόπος (argyrokopos) — to beat, shape, craft silver; silver-worker

Root ἄργυρο-κοπ- to beat, to shape, to craft (silver)

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G695-01 ἀργυροκόπος argurokopos N NOM M SG silversmith silver-beater silversmith 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G695-01 Acts 19:24 ἀργυροκόπος argurokopos N NOM M SG silversmith silver-beater silversmith
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