χαλκεύς (G5471) — Greek Lexicon

χαλκεύς

chalkeús

G5471 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A worker or craftsman who fabricates, shapes, or manufactures items made from copper or bronze, including household utensils, tools, and weapons; by extension, may denote a metalworker who works with various copper alloys or, less precisely, a smith in general in some contexts. The core sense involves artisanal and technical skill applied to metal, particularly copper and its alloys.

Semantic Range

copper-worker, bronzesmith, maker or repairer of copper/bronze vessels, metalworker, craftsman specializing in copper alloys, manufacturer of copper/bronze arms and tools, smith in general (rare or context-specific)

Root / Etymology

From χαλκός (chalkós, 'copper, bronze') with the agent suffix -εύς, forming a term for a person professionally engaged in working with copper or bronze.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, χαλκεύς primarily referred to an artisan skilled in making weapons, tools, vessels, or ornaments from copper or bronze, materials widely used before the prevalence of iron. The word appears in Homer for smiths who fabricate bronze arms and implements. By the Hellenistic and Roman periods (including the New Testament era), the term continues to denote craftsmen who work with copper and bronze, and occasionally with other metals if the context suggests a broader sense of 'metalworker.' In the Septuagint, χαλκεύς renders Hebrew terms for smiths or craftsmen (e.g., חָרָשׁ, חרש; צוֹרֵף, צורף) with a focus on copper or bronze. In the New Testament (2 Tim 4:14), the word occurs in the phrase Ἀλέξανδρος ὁ χαλκεύς, translated traditionally as 'Alexander the coppersmith,' but the semantic range may include one who works with various copper alloys due to the technological and linguistic overlap between copper and bronze in antiquity. English translations usually render it as 'coppersmith,' but 'bronzesmith' or 'metalworker' may better represent the possible range. The suffix -εύς is productive for agent nouns in Greek (e.g., γραμματεύς, 'scribe'), denoting someone professionally engaged in the named activity or craft. The presence of separate Greek terms for ironworkers (σιδηρουργός or σιδηροπράτης) indicates that χαλκεύς was not ordinarily used for iron smiths unless context specifically indicated broader application of the term.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from χαλκός; a copper-worker or brazier:--coppersmith.

Root Family

χαλκεύς (chalkeus) — copper-worker, bronze-craftsman, metal fabricator

Root χαλκ- to work with copper, to fabricate with bronze, to craft metal objects

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`G5471-01`	χαλκεὺς	chalkeus	`N NOM M SG`	coppersmith	copper-smith	copper-smith	1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 occurrence

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`G5471-01`	2 Timothy 4:14	χαλκεὺς	chalkeus	`N NOM M SG`	coppersmith	copper-smith	copper-smith

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