κριθή
krithḗ
G2915 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Barley; a cereal grain of the genus Hordeum widely cultivated for its seeds, used as a staple food. In Hellenistic and Roman contexts, denoting the plant or its harvested grain, especially as a basic foodstuff, as animal feed, and as a unit of measure or economic value. The term primarily refers to the grain itself, but at times may be used metonymically for offerings, provisions, or symbolic references to simplicity and poverty.
Semantic Range
barley (the cereal grain), barley as food, barley as animal feed, barley as an offering, barley as a measure of value or currency, symbol of simple subsistence or poverty
Root / Etymology
Uncertain; possibly related to the root κρι- as in κρῖ (krî, 'barley', in earlier Greek), but the specific form κριθή may reflect a dialectal or later Koine development. The relationship to the more common classical form κρίθη (krithē) is likely, as the word is attested with variation in vowel length and sometimes with an iota (κρίθη) or short eta (κριθή) in manuscripts. Cognate with Hebrew שְׂעוֹרָה (se'orah, 'barley') but not directly borrowed.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical Greek, the standard word for barley is κριθή (krithē), attested in Homer and subsequent literature. Koine Greek shows some variation in spelling (κριθή, κριθή, κριθάι), but the meaning remains consistent. In the Septuagint, κριθή is used to translate Hebrew terms for barley, especially in ritual or offering contexts, as well as in narratives relating to food scarcity or common provision. By the New Testament period, barley was considered a basic, inexpensive food compared to wheat, with connotations of simplicity, poverty, or rural subsistence (e.g., John 6:9, 'barley loaves'). In Roman-era Greece and Judea, barley was also used as fodder for livestock and sometimes as a unit of measurement or currency (e.g., in medical or legal contexts). English translations consistently render the term as 'barley', but this may obscure metaphoric or economic connotations present in Greek usage.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
of uncertain derivation; barley:--barley.
Root Family
κριθή (krithē) — barley, grain
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2915-01 |
κριθῶν | krithon | N GEN F PL |
of barley | of barley grains | of barley | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2915-01 |
Revelation 6:6 | κριθῶν | krithon | N GEN F PL |
of barley | of barley grains | of barley |