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πολυτελής

polytelḗs

G4185 attributive adjective

SILEX Entry

Definition

of great value, especially indicating material objects of considerable worth or expense; denotes something costly, luxurious, or characterized by considerable expenditure or rarity, often with an implication of being prized or esteemed.

Semantic Range

costly, of great price, very precious, luxurious, characterized by high expense, of great worth

Root / Etymology

Compound of πολύς ('much, many') and τέλος ('cost, end, fulfillment'); literally, 'of much cost' or 'of great expense.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

πολυτελής is rare in classical literature but is found in Hellenistic Greek and Koine, typically describing items of high monetary value or luxury, such as precious ointments, garments, or stones. In the LXX and the New Testament, it most often appears with reference to objects used in ritual or domestic contexts, emphasizing their high cost or desirability (e.g., Matthew 26:7, describing expensive ointment). The term emphasizes the objective value or remarkable expense rather than subjective admiration. Translators often use 'costly,' 'very precious,' or 'of great price,' but these equivalents may obscure the term's inherent reference to significant expenditure or luxury. It stands in contrast to terms indicating ordinary, common, or cheap items (e.g., ταπεινός, 'humble, lowly').

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from πολύς and τέλος; extremely expensive:--costly, very precious, of great price.

Root Family

πολυτελ- (polytelḗs) — much-valued, costly, expensive

Root πολυτελ- much-valued, costly, expensive

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G4185-01 πολυτελεῖ polutelei ADJ.A DAT M SG costly to a costly one costly 1
G4185-02 πολυτελές poluteles ADJ.P NOM N SG precious costly precious 1
G4185-03 πολυτελοῦς polutelous ADJ.A GEN F SG very costly of great cost very costly 1

Occurrences in Scripture

3 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G4185-03 Mark 14:3 πολυτελοῦς polutelous ADJ.A GEN F SG very costly of great cost very costly
G4185-01 1 Timothy 2:9 πολυτελεῖ polutelei ADJ.A DAT M SG costly to a costly one costly
G4185-02 1 Peter 3:4 πολυτελές poluteles ADJ.P NOM N SG precious costly precious
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