κοινωνός (G2844) — Greek Lexicon

κοινωνός

koinōnós

G2844 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

One who shares in, participates with, or is a partner in something held in common with others; an associate or companion sharing a specific benefit, enterprise, activity, or circumstance. In various contexts, it can denote both personal sharing (such as in affection, relationships, joys, or sufferings) and formal participation (such as joint participation in financial contributions, religious obligations, or communal enterprises).

Semantic Range

partner, sharer, participant, associate, companion, partaker, joint participant, one sharing in benefit/responsibility/event

Root / Etymology

From the root κοινός ('common, shared') and the agentive suffix -ός, denoting a person involved in an activity connected to sharing or joint participation. Thus, κοινωνός literally means 'the one who participates in what is common.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, κοινωνός refers broadly to anyone who takes part in something with others: a partner, sharer, or fellow participant—whether in property, enterprise, actions, or even emotions. In Hellenistic and Koine usage (including the Septuagint and the New Testament), the sense extends both to practical associations (business partners, co-workers, co-religionists) and to more abstract forms of association (joint participation in sufferings, spiritual benefits, or religious actions). The term is especially prominent in texts emphasizing communal identity, shared obligations, or mutual beneficence. In the New Testament, it is often used for: (1) one who shares in a spiritual blessing or responsibility (e.g., κοινωνοὶ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου, Phil 1:7), (2) someone who participates in an offering, hardship, or task with others; and (3) a companion or partner in any relationship of mutual endeavor. English translation traditions have used 'partner,' 'companion,' 'partaker,' and 'sharer,' but no single English term uniformly captures the breadth of κοινωνός, which always implies active, intentional participation in a shared reality. Distinct from σύντροφος ('companion by nurture') or συγκοινωνός ('co-participant'), although these terms can overlap. There is no inherent religious connotation in the word; its specific usage depends on context.

Translation Consistency

primary "partner" 9 occurrences

“Partner” best captures the full semantic range of κοινωνός: someone who shares in benefits, responsibilities, experiences, or enterprises. It works naturally for both personal companionship (partner in suffering, partner in joy) and formal participation (financial or ministerial partners), is idiomatic modern English, and reads smoothly across contexts where the SILEX senses appear. While “sharer” and “partaker” occur in the sources, “partner” is the most natural and versatile choice for consistent rendering.

Alternatives (1 occurrence):

"joint participants" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from κοινός; a sharer, i.e. associate:--companion, X fellowship, partaker, partner.

Root Family

κοινωνός (koinōnos) — share, participate, have in common, associate

Root κοινός to share, participate, have in common, associate

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`G2844-01`	κοινωνοὶ	koinonoi	`N NOM M PL`	partakers	sharers	partners	6
`G2844-03`	κοινωνὸς	koinonos	`N NOM M SG`	partaker	joint participant	a partner	2
`G2844-04`	κοινωνοὺς	koinonous	`N ACC M PL`	partakers	joint participants	joint participants	1
`G2844-02`	κοινωνόν	koinonon	`N ACC M SG`	a partner	a fellow participant	a partner	1

Occurrences in Scripture

10 occurrences

Filter by SIDANCE:

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`G2844-01`	Matthew 23:30	κοινωνοὶ	koinonoi	`N NOM M PL`	partners	sharers	partners
`G2844-01`	Luke 5:10	κοινωνοὶ	koinonoi	`N NOM M PL`	partners	sharers	partners
`G2844-01`	1 Corinthians 10:18	κοινωνοὶ	koinonoi	`N NOM M PL`	partakers	sharers	partners
`G2844-04`	1 Corinthians 10:20	κοινωνοὺς	koinonous	`N ACC M PL`	partakers	joint participants	joint participants
`G2844-01`	2 Corinthians 1:7	κοινωνοί	koinonoi	`N NOM M PL`	partakers	sharers	partners
`G2844-03`	2 Corinthians 8:23	κοινωνὸς	koinonos	`N NOM M SG`	partner	joint participant	a partner
`G2844-02`	Philemon 1:17	κοινωνόν	koinonon	`N ACC M SG`	a partner	a fellow participant	a partner
`G2844-01`	Hebrews 10:33	κοινωνοὶ	koinonoi	`N NOM M PL`	sharers	sharers	partners
`G2844-03`	1 Peter 5:1	κοινωνός	koinonos	`N NOM M SG`	partaker	joint participant	a partner
`G2844-01`	2 Peter 1:4	κοινωνοὶ	koinonoi	`N NOM M PL`	partakers	sharers	partners

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