ὠνέομαι
ōnéomai
G5608 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To buy, to acquire something by paying a price. ὠνέομαι is commonly used in Koine Greek to denote the act of purchasing, particularly in a commercial or economic context, focusing on the transaction aspect rather than the possession of the item. While its core meaning is 'to buy,' the verb also carries the sense of obtaining something through a monetary exchange, whether literal or metaphorical, and sometimes implies the process and negotiation inherent in purchasing.
Semantic Range
to buy, to purchase, to acquire by monetary transaction, to obtain through the payment of a price
Root / Etymology
The verb ὠνέομαι derives from the noun ὤνη (purchase, price, profit), itself of uncertain origin but attested in earlier Greek. The verb is used in the middle voice, which is the standard form; no passive or active forms are attested. There is no clear Indo-European cognate, making its ultimate etymology uncertain.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical Greek, ὠνέομαι appears from Homer onwards, consistently meaning 'to buy' or 'to purchase.' It contrasts with πωλέω ('to sell'), and its antonym is ἀποδίδωμι ('to sell' or 'to give back'). In the Hellenistic and Koine periods, the term remained common in everyday and legal-economic discourse, including documentary papyri (e.g., sales records, contracts) and literary sources. In the New Testament, ὠνέομαι is comparatively rare, appearing in contexts involving the act of commercial exchange (Acts 8:20; 22:28), where it emphasizes the actual giving of money for acquisition. The Septuagint tends to use other verbs (esp. ἀγοράζω, 'to acquire in the market'), but ὠνέομαι sometimes appears as well, denoting a formal or deliberate purchase. English translations usually render it as 'to buy' or 'to purchase', which directly reflects the core meaning but may not always represent nuance regarding negotiation or formality typical in Greek economic texts. There is no significant theological usage or specialized connotation.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
middle voice from an apparently primary (a sum or price); to purchase (synonymous with the earlier πίμπρημι):-- buy.
Root Family
ὠν- (ōnéomai) — to buy, to purchase
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G5608-01 |
ὠνήσατο | onesato | V AOR MID IND 3P SG |
bought | he purchased for himself | he purchased for himself | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G5608-01 |
Acts 7:16 | ὠνήσατο | onesato | V AOR MID IND 3P SG |
bought | he purchased for himself | he purchased for himself |