τετρακόσιοι
tetrakósioi
G5071 determiner
SILEX Entry
Definition
An indeclinable numeral adjective expressing the quantity 'four hundred.' In texts, it marks a total of four hundred items, years, persons, or other countable entities. The term does not carry additional semantic nuance beyond quantification, but may appear in set phrases indicating periods of time or quantities in narratives or genealogies.
Semantic Range
denotes the number four hundred, used for counting persons, objects, years, or any discrete items; occurs in numerical lists, chronologies, population totals, time designations
Root / Etymology
From the combination of the cardinal numeral τέσσαρες ('four') and ἑκατόν ('hundred'). The compound formation follows typical Greek numeral construction for numbers above one hundred: [digit] + [hundreds].
Historical & Contextual Notes
τετρακόσιοι is part of the standard Greek system for forming numbers over one hundred by combining the appropriate numeral (τετρά-) with ἑκατόν. Its earliest attestations are in classical Greek prose and inscriptions. In the Septuagint and New Testament, it is used primarily to render Hebrew numbers in genealogies, chronologies, or census contexts (see Genesis 15:13 LXX or Acts 7:6). It has no theological or metaphorical sense and remains a neutral, mathematical term. English Bible translations consistently render it 'four hundred,' though the underlying Greek numeration occasionally differs in structure from vernacular numbering systems. Related numerals (e.g., πεντακόσιοι, ἑξακόσιοι) follow the same morphological pattern. Unlike some Greek cardinal numbers, τετρακόσιοι always signals an exact, literal amount rather than approximation or idiom.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
plural from τέσσαρες and ἑκατόν; four hundred:--four hundred.
Root Family
τετρά-, ἑκατόν (tetrakósioi) — to count, to number, to designate amount
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G5071-01 |
τετρακόσια | tetrakosia | DET ACC N PL |
four hundred | four hundred | four hundred | 2 |
G5071-02 |
τετρακοσίοις | tetrakosiois | DET DAT N PL |
four hundred | to four hundred | four hundred | 1 |
G5071-03 |
τετρακοσίων | tetrakosion | ADJ.S GEN M PL |
four hundred | of four hundred | four hundred | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
4 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G5071-03 |
Acts 5:36 | τετρακοσίων | tetrakosion | ADJ.S GEN M PL |
four hundred | of four hundred | four hundred |
G5071-01 |
Acts 7:6 | τετρακόσια | tetrakosia | DET ACC N PL |
four hundred | four hundred | four hundred |
G5071-02 |
Acts 13:20 | τετρακοσίοις | tetrakosiois | DET DAT N PL |
four hundred | to four hundred | four hundred |
G5071-01 |
Galatians 3:17 | τετρακόσια | tetrakosia | DET ACC N PL |
four hundred | four hundred | four hundred |