- ἐλεημοσύνη
- ἐλεημοσύνη, ης, ἡ (s. ἔλεος; Callim. 4, 152 w. mng. ‘compassion’; PAbinn 19, 25f; PGen 51, 26; LXX; TestJob) gener. ‘kind deed’, then① exercise of benevolent goodwill, alms, charitable giving w. focus on attitude and action as such (so Diog. L. 5, 17; Da 4:27; Tob; Sir) Mt 6:4; D 15:4. ποιεῖν ἐ. give alms (Tob 1:3, 16; 4:7f; Sir 7:10) Mt 6:2f; Ac 9:36 (JJeremias, ZNW 44, ’53, 103f); 10:2; 24:17; διδόναι ἐ. (Diog. L., loc. cit. πονηρῷ ἀνθρώπῳ ἐλεημοσύνην ἔδωκεν) Lk 11:41 (s. Black, Aramaic Approach, 2); 12:33. Alms ascend to God Ac 10:4; they are remembered before God vs. 31; cp. 2 Cl 16:4.② that which is benevolently given to meet a need, alms w. focus on material as such αἰτεῖν ἐ. ask for alms Ac 3:2 (TestJob 9:8); λαμβάνειν receive alms vs. 3; πρὸς τὴν ἐ. καθήμενος (the one who) sat begging vs. 10. ἱδρωσάτω ἡ ἐ. εἰς τὰς χεῖράς σου let your alms sweat in your hands, i.e., do not give them hastily D 1:6 (cp. SibOr 2, 79f).—Billerb. IV 536–58: D. altjüd. Privatwohltätigkeit; HBolkestein, Wohltätigkeit u. Armenpflege im vorchristl. Altertum ’39; Dodd 59–62; LCountryman, The Rich Christian in the Church of the Early Empire, ’80, RAC I 301–7.—DELG s.v. ἔλεος. M-M. TW.
Ελληνικά-Αγγλικά παλαιοχριστιανική Λογοτεχνία. 2015.