ἀγοράζω (G59) — Greek Lexicon

ἀγοράζω

agorázō

G59 verb

SILEX Entry

Root ἀγορ- to purchase, to buy, to acquire (through transaction)

Definition

To purchase or acquire something, primarily through commercial exchange or trade; by extension, in some contexts to redeem or gain possession by means of a transaction. The term generally refers to the act of buying or acquiring goods or services in a marketplace setting, but may take on extended senses of obtaining or securing something (including more abstract connotations, such as securing freedom or release via payment).

Semantic Range

to buy goods, to purchase animals or property, to acquire by paying, to secure release or freedom via payment (redeem), to obtain via commercial exchange, to buy in the marketplace

Root / Etymology

Derived from ἀγορά (agorá, 'marketplace', 'public square') with the verbal ending -ζω, indicating an action associated with the marketplace: 'to engage in market activity', hence 'to buy, purchase'.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical and Hellenistic Greek, ἀγοράζω referred straightforwardly to acting in the marketplace: to buy, purchase, or trade. In the Septuagint, it translates various Hebrew verbs for buying, purchasing, or redeeming (such as קנה or גאל), sometimes also conveying redemption or the act of regaining possession. In the New Testament, the primary sense remains 'to buy' (e.g., goods in John 4:8; 6:5; Revelation 13:17), but the verb also acquires an extended, figurative sense in some passages (e.g., 1 Corinthians 6:20; 7:23; Revelation 5:9), where it refers to being 'acquired' or 'redeemed' at a price. Some English translations use 'redeem' in these contexts, but the Greek word does not inherently carry the theological nuance of 'atonement'—the context must clarify any extended or metaphorical sense. The principal reference is always to the commercial act of purchasing, whether concrete or metaphorical. In Koine and papyrological sources, as well as in the Septuagint, ἀγοράζω remains the standard term for buying in everyday, legal, and economic transactions, and it should not be confused with λυτρόω (which more specifically means 'to ransom' or 'to free by payment').

Translation Consistency

primary "buy" 12 occurrences

"Buy" is the most natural, common English verb for commercial acquisition and easily covers the main SILEX senses (purchase, acquire, and extended senses like buying release or buying back). It is more idiomatic than "purchase," fits the majority of attested renderings, and can be inflected consistently for all forms (buys, bought, buying) while allowing context to supply nuance (e.g., "buy back" or "buy freedom").

Alternatives (18 occurrences):

"purchased" (7x) "purchase" (4x) "bought" (2x) "having bought" (1x) "him purchase" (1x) "purchasing" (1x) "who bought" (1x) "having been purchased" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from ἀγορά; properly, to go to market, i.e. (by implication) to purchase; specially, to redeem:--buy, redeem.

Root Family

ἀγοράζω (agorazō) — to purchase, to buy, to acquire through transaction

Word Forms

19 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`G59-06`	ἀγοράσωμεν	agorasomen	`V AOR ACT SUBJ 1P PL`	and buy	let us purchase	let us buy	3
`G59-01`	ἀγοράσαι	agorasai	`V AOR ACT INF`	to buy	to purchase	to purchase	3
`G59-08`	ἀγοράσωσιν	agorasosin	`V AOR ACT SUBJ 3P PL`	buy	they may purchase	they may buy	3
`G59-10`	ἀγοράζοντας	agorazontas	`V PRS ACT PTCP ACC M PL`	buying	purchasing	those buying	2
`G59-09`	ἀγοράζει	agorazei	`V PRS ACT IND 3P SG`	buys	he/she buys	buys	2
`G59-18`	ἠγοράσθητε	egorasthete	`V AOR PASS IND 2P PL`	you were bought	you were purchased	you were purchased	2
`G59-13`	ἠγόρασαν	egorasan	`V AOR ACT IND 3P PL`	had bought	they purchased	they purchased	2
`G59-12`	ἠγόρασα	egorasa	`V AOR ACT IND 1P SG`	I have bought	I purchased	I bought	2
`G59-14`	ἠγόρασας	egorasas	`V AOR ACT IND 2P SG`	you purchased	you purchased	you purchased	1
`G59-02`	ἀγοράσαντα	agorasanta	`V AOR ACT PTCP ACC M SG`	one who bought	having purchased	the one who bought	1
`G59-07`	ἀγόρασον	agorason	`V AOR ACT IMP 2P SG`	Buy	Purchase	Buy	1
`G59-16`	ἠγορασμένοι	egorasmenoi	`V PRF PASS PTCP NOM M PL`	were redeemed	having been purchased	having been purchased	1
`G59-04`	ἀγοράσατε	agorasate	`V AOR ACT IMP 2P PL`	buy	Purchase!	purchase	1
`G59-03`	ἀγοράσας	agorasas	`V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M SG`	having bought	having purchased	having bought	1
`G59-17`	ἠγοράσθησαν	egorasthesan	`V AOR PASS IND 3P PL`	were redeemed	they were purchased	were purchased	1
`G59-11`	ἀγοράζοντες	agorazontes	`V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M PL`	who buy	those purchasing	purchasing	1
`G59-05`	ἀγορασάτω	agorasato	`V AOR ACT IMP 3P SG`	let him buy	let him purchase	let him purchase	1
`G59-15`	ἠγόρασεν	egorasen	`V AOR ACT IND 3P SG`	bought	he purchased	he purchased	1
`G59-19`	ἠγόραζον	egorazon	`V IMPF ACT IND 3P PL`	they were buying	they were purchasing	they were buying	1

Occurrences in Scripture

30 occurrences

Filter by SIDANCE:

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`G59-09`	Matthew 13:44	ἀγοράζει	agorazei	`V PRS ACT IND 3P SG`	buys	he/she buys	buys
`G59-15`	Matthew 13:46	ἠγόρασεν	egorasen	`V AOR ACT IND 3P SG`	bought	he purchased	he purchased
`G59-08`	Matthew 14:15	ἀγοράσωσιν	agorasosin	`V AOR ACT SUBJ 3P PL`	buy	they may purchase	they may buy
`G59-10`	Matthew 21:12	ἀγοράζοντας	agorazontas	`V PRS ACT PTCP ACC M PL`	buying	purchasing	those buying
`G59-04`	Matthew 25:9	ἀγοράσατε	agorasate	`V AOR ACT IMP 2P PL`	buy	Purchase!	purchase
`G59-01`	Matthew 25:10	ἀγοράσαι	agorasai	`V AOR ACT INF`	to buy	to purchase	to purchase
`G59-13`	Matthew 27:7	ἠγόρασαν	egorasan	`V AOR ACT IND 3P PL`	they bought	they purchased	they purchased
`G59-08`	Mark 6:36	ἀγοράσωσιν	agorasosin	`V AOR ACT SUBJ 3P PL`	they may buy	they may purchase	they may buy
`G59-06`	Mark 6:37	ἀγοράσωμεν	agorasomen	`V AOR ACT SUBJ 1P PL`	and buy	let us purchase	let us buy
`G59-10`	Mark 11:15	ἀγοράζοντας	agorazontas	`V PRS ACT PTCP ACC M PL`	buying	purchasing	those buying
`G59-03`	Mark 15:46	ἀγοράσας	agorasas	`V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M SG`	having bought	having purchased	having bought
`G59-13`	Mark 16:1	ἠγόρασαν	egorasan	`V AOR ACT IND 3P PL`	had bought	they purchased	they purchased
`G59-06`	Luke 9:13	ἀγοράσωμεν	agorasomen	`V AOR ACT SUBJ 1P PL`	buy	let us purchase	let us buy
`G59-12`	Luke 14:18	ἠγόρασα	egorasa	`V AOR ACT IND 1P SG`	I have bought	I purchased	I bought
`G59-12`	Luke 14:19	ἠγόρασα	egorasa	`V AOR ACT IND 1P SG`	I have bought	I purchased	I bought
`G59-19`	Luke 17:28	ἠγόραζον	egorazon	`V IMPF ACT IND 3P PL`	they were buying	they were purchasing	they were buying
`G59-05`	Luke 22:36	ἀγορασάτω	agorasato	`V AOR ACT IMP 3P SG`	let him buy	let him purchase	let him purchase
`G59-08`	John 4:8	ἀγοράσωσιν	agorasosin	`V AOR ACT SUBJ 3P PL`	they might buy	they may purchase	they may buy
`G59-06`	John 6:5	ἀγοράσωμεν	agorasomen	`V AOR ACT SUBJ 1P PL`	shall we buy	let us purchase	shall we buy
`G59-07`	John 13:29	ἀγόρασον	agorason	`V AOR ACT IMP 2P SG`	Buy	Purchase	Buy
`G59-18`	1 Corinthians 6:20	ἠγοράσθητε	egorasthete	`V AOR PASS IND 2P PL`	you were bought	you were purchased	you were purchased
`G59-18`	1 Corinthians 7:23	ἠγοράσθητε	egorasthete	`V AOR PASS IND 2P PL`	you were bought	you were purchased	you were purchased
`G59-11`	1 Corinthians 7:30	ἀγοράζοντες	agorazontes	`V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M PL`	who buy	those purchasing	purchasing
`G59-02`	2 Peter 2:1	ἀγοράσαντα	agorasanta	`V AOR ACT PTCP ACC M SG`	one who bought	having purchased	the one who bought
`G59-01`	Revelation 3:18	ἀγοράσαι	agorasai	`V AOR ACT INF`	to buy	to purchase	to purchase
`G59-14`	Revelation 5:9	ἠγόρασας	egorasas	`V AOR ACT IND 2P SG`	you purchased	you purchased	you purchased
`G59-01`	Revelation 13:17	ἀγοράσαι	agorasai	`V AOR ACT INF`	to buy	to purchase	to purchase
`G59-16`	Revelation 14:3	ἠγορασμένοι	egorasmenoi	`V PRF PASS PTCP NOM M PL`	were redeemed	having been purchased	having been purchased
`G59-17`	Revelation 14:4	ἠγοράσθησαν	egorasthesan	`V AOR PASS IND 3P PL`	were redeemed	they were purchased	were purchased
`G59-09`	Revelation 18:11	ἀγοράζει	agorazei	`V PRS ACT IND 3P SG`	buys	he/she buys	buys

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