- ὀψώνιον
- ὀψώνιον, ου, τό (since Menand., Fgm. 1051 J.=Fgm. 896 Kö.; freq. used fr. Polyb. on, in sing. and pl.; oft. in ins; pap; ostraca; only three times in LXX, all pl. The Atticists rejected it [Lob., Phryn. p. 420]) ‘ration-(money)’ paid to a soldier, then① pay, wages (a dominant usage; s. also SIG 410, 19 pl.; LXX; EpArist 20:22=Jos., Ant. 12:28 pl.). The more general mng. provisions may fit 1 Macc 14:32 (cp. SIG 700, 25) and all NT occurrences (CCaragounis, NovT 16, ’74, 35–37).ⓐ lit. ἀρκεῖσθε τ. ὀψωνίοις ὑμῶν (said by J. the Baptist to στρατευόμενοι) Lk 3:14. στρατεύεσθαι ἰδίοις ὀψωνίοις serve as a soldier at one’s own expense 1 Cor 9:7.ⓑ in imagery of Christians as soldiers (on the Christian life as military service s. πανοπλία 2), whose wages are paid by the heavenly general: ἀρέσκετε ᾧ στρατεύεσθε, ἀφʼ οὗ καὶ τὰ ὀψώνια κομίζεσθε IPol 6:2.—The military viewpoint seems to pass over into a more general one in λαβὼν ὀψώνιον πρὸς τὴν ὑμῶν διακονίαν accepting support so that I might serve you 2 Cor 11:8 (on λαμβάνειν ὀψώνιον cp. Polyb. 6, 39, 12; OGI 266, 7 [III B.C.]; PPetr II, 13 [17], 6 [258–253 B.C.]; PLond I, 23 [a], 26f, p. 38 [158–157 B.C.]; POxy 744, 7; cp. PWisc 68, 4 al. ‘allowance’).—Ro 6:23 is still further fr. the military scene, and it is prob. better to class it under the foll.② compensation (IPriene 121, 34 [I B.C.], public services χωρὶς ὀψωνίων; 109, 94; 106 [II B.C.] ἄτερ ὀψωνίου) τὰ ὀψώνια τ. ἁμαρτίας θάνατος the compensation paid by sin (for services rendered to it) is death Ro 6:23.—DELG s.v. ὄψον. M-M. TW. Spicq.
Ελληνικά-Αγγλικά παλαιοχριστιανική Λογοτεχνία. 2015.