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πράκτωρ

práktōr

G4233 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

An agent or executor, specifically one who carries out official tasks, often in the capacity of a collector or enforcer of dues and penalties. In certain contexts, denotes a public official responsible for executing judicial or administrative decisions, especially pertaining to the collection of fines, taxes, or debts. Rarely used in broader sense for one who practically accomplishes or executes an action.

Semantic Range

an agent or executor, an official collector (of debts, fines, taxes), enforcer of legal penalties, bailiff, functionary charged with carrying out official mandates

Root / Etymology

Formed from the root πράσσω (to do, to accomplish, to effect) with the agentive suffix -τωρ, indicating a person who acts or does. Cognate with other agentive forms in Greek; directly related to the root for practical action. No known Semitic influence; the formation is native to Greek morphology.

Historical & Contextual Notes

πράκτωρ is a rare term in classical Greek, with most attestations appearing in Hellenistic and Roman administrative contexts. In the Roman period, especially in the New Testament (e.g. Luke 12:58), the word describes an official tasked with the enforcement of court judgments, often collecting debts or administering penalties. The term attracted a specialized financial-administrative sense under Roman influence, where public officials (practors, exactors) managed monetary penalties and enforcement. English translations as 'officer' or 'bailiff' may not capture the specific connotation of financial enforcement. In contrast to more generalized terms for enforcers or officials (e.g., ἄρχων, ὑπηρέτης), πράκτωρ always implies active collection or enforcement of sums owed, reflecting evolving Greco-Roman judicial practice. In later Byzantine usage, the term could refer to tax collectors or government agents more broadly. The general English term 'officer' lacks the nuance of financial and legal enforcement inherent in the Greek.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from a derivative of πράσσω; a practiser, i.e. (specially), an official collector:--officer.

Root Family

πράκτωρ (praktōr) — agent, executor, accomplisher, official collector

Root πράκ- to do, to accomplish, to effect

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G4233-02 πράκτορι praktori N DAT M SG officer to the enforcing official enforcing official 1
G4233-01 πράκτωρ praktor N NOM M SG officer official enforcer official enforcer 1

Occurrences in Scripture

2 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G4233-02 Luke 12:58 πράκτορι praktori N DAT M SG officer to the enforcing official enforcing official
G4233-01 Luke 12:58 πράκτωρ praktor N NOM M SG officer official enforcer official enforcer
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