μεριστής
meristḗs
G3312 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
One who divides, apportions, or distributes; primarily, an agent responsible for the allocation of property, inheritance, resources, or tasks. The term refers to someone who settles divisions or portions, often in a legal or administrative context. Depending on circumstances, the word also denotes one who acts as an arbiter or mediator in the distribution of goods or responsibilities.
Semantic Range
one who divides, apportioner of inheritance or property, arbitrator in matters of division, legal distributor, administrator of shares, agent of allocation
Root / Etymology
From the verb μερίζω (to divide, to distribute, to apportion). Formed from the root μερισ- (division, portion) with the agentive suffix -της.
Historical & Contextual Notes
μεριστής is a rare substantive, attested in Hellenistic and Koine Greek, including the New Testament (e.g., Luke 12:14, where Jesus refuses to act as a μεριστής, i.e., a legal divider or arbiter of an inheritance). The term’s concrete sense is that of a divider or apportioner, typically of material goods or legal shares, and it can be contrasted with κριτής, which refers to a judge in a more general judicial sense; μεριστής is specifically an official or person whose role is to oversee divisions or distributions. Standard English translations often render μεριστής as "divider" or "arbiter," but the nuance of a legal administrator—one overseeing the proper apportionment or division of property—can be overlooked. Unlike μεριδαρχης (one who holds charge over a division), μεριστής emphasizes the act of division or allocation itself. The term was not used as a formal office but more as a description of the function performed, especially in matters of inheritance or property laws—practices particularly relevant within Israelite and wider Greco-Roman contexts.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from μερίζω; an apportioner (administrator):--divider.
Root Family
μερισ- (meristḗs) — to divide, to apportion, to distribute
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3312-01 |
μεριστὴν | meristen | N ACC M SG |
divider | an apportioner | an apportioner | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3312-01 |
Luke 12:14 | μεριστὴν | meristen | N ACC M SG |
divider | an apportioner | an apportioner |