ἔγγυος
éngyos
G1450 substantive adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
One who provides a guarantee or assurance for another, especially by taking responsibility for another’s debt or obligation; in some contexts, a guarantor, surety, or pledge. In legal and financial language, indicates a person who stands as security for another’s commitment or obligation, at times entailing personal liability or risk. The term can also refer more generally to any form of guarantee or assurance offered on another’s behalf.
Semantic Range
guarantor, one who stands as security, surety for another’s debt or obligation, person pledged on behalf of another, legal surety
Root / Etymology
From ἐν (in) and an obscure or possibly lost root akin to γυῖον (limb), suggesting a notion of 'within the reach' or 'joined together.' The precise etymological development is uncertain, as the word does not directly derive from ἐν + γυῖον in standard Greek formation. The idea of being 'joined' or 'bound' for another likely gave rise to the concept of standing as surety.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical and Hellenistic Greek, ἔγγυος often refers to a legal or financial surety—someone who legally guarantees the obligations of another and may suffer the consequences if the primary party defaults. In Greek legal documents, the term is used for those who pledge themselves on another’s behalf. In the Septuagint and the New Testament, ἔγγυος closely follows Hebrew legal usage (notably from root ערב, 'to guarantee' or 'pledge'), often in contexts of financial surety or personal guarantee. English translations such as 'surety' or 'guarantor' capture the main sense but sometimes fail to convey the personal legal risk implied in ancient contexts, where the ἔγγυος might be directly liable. The concept contrasts with ἐγγύη (a pledge, the thing given as security) and with general forms of assistance or advocacy that do not entail legal responsibility. The root notion of joining or binding together (possibly through a metaphor of binding limbs or fastened parts) suggests an enforced commitment.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from ἐν and (a limb); pledged (as if articulated by a member), i.e. a bondsman:--surety.
Root Family
ἔγγυος (engyos) — to pledge, to guarantee, to act as surety
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1450-01 |
ἔγγυος | egguos | ADJ.S NOM M SG |
surety | guarantor | guarantor | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1450-01 |
Hebrews 7:22 | ἔγγυος | egguos | ADJ.S NOM M SG |
surety | guarantor | guarantor |