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κῆνσος

kēnsos

G2778 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A registration or enumeration, specifically a formal census conducted for administrative purposes, often involving the assessment of population for the purpose of taxation. In Roman administrative contexts, particularly in provincial territories like Judea, the term comes to refer both to the process of census-taking and, by extension, the tax or tribute levied as a result of such enrollment.

Semantic Range

census, registration for tax purposes, census-based tax, tribute paid after census, Roman capitation or poll tax

Root / Etymology

Formed from the Latin word 'census,' denoting an official count or survey of a population, especially for the purposes of taxation or status assessment. The term was adopted directly into Greek as a loanword, reflecting the administrative language and practices of the Roman Empire.

Historical & Contextual Notes

κῆνσος (kēnsos) entered Greek as a loanword from Latin, mirroring the administrative imposition of Roman census and taxation systems upon subject provinces. The term appears in Koine sources, including the New Testament (e.g., Matt 22:17, Mark 12:14), referring specifically to the 'census tax' imposed by Roman authorities upon inhabitants of provinces like Judea. This tax, sometimes called the 'poll tax,' was deeply unpopular and could provoke political and social unrest, as in the revolt of Judas the Galilean (mentioned in Acts 5:37). While standard English translations often render κῆνσος as 'tribute' or 'tax,' the term is more precisely linked to the census-based tax instituted by Roman imperial policy, distinct from native Judean or Israelite systems of tribute. In earlier classical Greek, the term is unattested or rare, appearing primarily in Roman and post-classical contexts; it is not found in the Septuagint but occurs in New Testament and later Hellenistic texts that reflect contact with Roman rule. It is distinct from φόρος (phoros), 'tribute,' in that κῆνσος is explicitly connected to Roman practice of census and tax assessment.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

of Latin origin; properly, an enrollment ("census"), i.e. (by implication) a tax:--tribute.

Root Family

κῆνσος (kēnsos) — census, registration, enumeration

Root κῆνσος census, registration, enumeration

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G2778-01 κῆνσον kenson N ACC M SG tribute census tax census tax 3
G2778-02 κήνσου kensou N GEN M SG the poll tax of the census census 1

Occurrences in Scripture

4 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G2778-01 Matthew 17:25 κῆνσον kenson N ACC M SG tribute census tax census tax
G2778-01 Matthew 22:17 κῆνσον kenson N ACC M SG tribute census tax census tax
G2778-02 Matthew 22:19 κήνσου kensou N GEN M SG the poll tax of the census census
G2778-01 Mark 12:14 κῆνσον kenson N ACC M SG tribute census tax census tax
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