Bible Lexicons

This interesting word (derived from the classical ὀψωνέω), which is banned by the Atticists (Lob. Phryn. p. 420), is said to have entered the Greek language with Menander (Fr. 1051 : cf. Sturz. Dial. Mac. p. 187), and is freely used by Polybius (vi. 39.12 ὀψώνιον δ᾽ οἱ πεζοὶ λαμβάνουσι τῆς ἡμέρας δύο ὀβολούς : cf. Kälker, p. 294) and other late writers (see Wetstein ad Luke 3:14 and Durham Menander, p. 83). It is very common in the papyri and inscrr., and its various uses may be illustrated as follows : —(1) For the meaning ";provisions"; see P Oxy III. 531 (ii/A.D.) where, after various pieces of good advice, a father writes to his son—.20 ff. ἕως πρὸς σὲ ἔλθῃ Ἀνουβᾶς ἀπὸ τοῦ σοῦ χαλκοῦ τὸ ὀψώνιόν σου καὶ τῶν ἐξοδίασον ἕως πέμψω, ";until however Anoubas arrives, you must pay for the provisions of yourself and your household out of your own money, until I send you some"; (Edd.). (2) The reference is particularly to a soldier’s ";pay,"; ";ration-money,"; ";allowance"; (as in Luke 3:14, cf. 1 Corinthians 9:7), in P Lond 23 (a).26 (B.C. 158–157) (= I. p. 38), where a certain Ptolemy petitions King Ptolemy Philometer that his brother may obtain a place in a company stationed at Memphis, and receive the usual allowance—ὅσον καὶ αὐτοὶ λαμβάνουσιν μετρήματα καὶ ὀψό (= ώ)νια : cf. ib. 15 (8) .8, .10 (B.C. 131–130) (= I. pp. 55, 56). Similarly in BGU I. 69.8 (A.D. 120) (= Chrest. II. p. 155) a soldier writes promising the repayment of a loan of 140 drachmae τῷ ἔνγιστα δοθησομένῳ ὀψωνίῳ, ";with my next pay,"; and in OGIS 266.7 (iii/B.C.) provision is made for mercenary soldiers—ὅπως τὸ ὀψώνιον λαμβάνωσι τοῦ προειργασμένου χρόνου. (3) From this the transition is easy to ";pay,"; ";wages,"; ";salary"; in general. Thus for the sing. ὀψώνιον may be cited the early P Petr II. 13 (7).10 (B.C. 258–253) τοῦ χρηματισθέντος σοι ὀψωνίου, ib (17).6 διπλεῖον εἰληφέναι τοῦ διαγεγραμμένου ὀψωνίου, ";that I received double the allowance of provision-money,"; and Ostr 1538.3 (ii/B.C.) δοθήτω ́ Μέμνονι. . ρ ̄ τὸ καθῆ (κον) μέτρη (μα) καὶ ὀψώνιον. Cf. also P Oxy IV. 744.7 (B.C. 1) (= Selections, p. 33) ἐὰν εὐθὺς ὀψώνιον λάβωμεν (cf. 2 Corinthians 11:8) ἀποστελῶ σε ἄνω, ";as soon as we receive wages I will send them to you,"; P Grenf II. 43.18 (A.D. 92) the payment of an ὀψό (= ώ)νιον of 80 drachmae to a watchman, P Tebt II. 391.20 (A.D. 99) τὸ δὲ ὀψό (= ώ)νιον τοῦ μαχαιροφόρου, ";the salary of the sword-bearer,"; P Oxy VI. 898.31 (A.D. 123) οὐδὲ ὀψώνιόν μοι ἐχορήγησεν ἔτι πρὸ μηνῶν τριῶν, ";she has failed to supply my allowance for the last three months";—the complaint of a minor regarding his mother, and from the inscrr. Syll 790 (= .3 1157).27 (c. B.C. 100?) διδόσθω δὲ τῷ ῥαβδούχωι ἐκ τῶν λογευθησομένων χρημάτων ὀψώνιον ἡμερῶν δύο, and Magn 116.54 (time of Hadrian) ὀψωνίου, ";wages"; for the cultivation of arable land. The plur. ὀψώνια is seen in P Petr II. 33 (a)A. 27 (Ptol.) τὰ ὀψώνια τοῖς κατὰ τὴν οἰκίαν, P Par 62v. 3 (c. B.C. 170) τοῖς δ᾽ ἀναπληρώσουσιν τὰς ὠνὰς δοθήσεται ὀψώνια, P Ryl II. 153.25 (A.D. 138–161) ὀψώνια, ";allowances,"; to crowned athletes, P Tebt II. 420.24 (iii/A.D.) ἵνα καὶ αὐτὸς δῦ (l. δοῖ) ἀρτάβην κριθῆς εἰς λόγον ὀψωνίων, ";that he also may give an artaba of barley on account of wages,"; and for a wider sense Priene 121.34 (i/B.C.), where certain citizens are described as having rendered public services χωρὶς ὀψωνίων ̣, ";without recompense"; : cf. ib. 109.94, .106 (c. B.C. 120) ἄτερ ὀψωνίου, and the question to an oracle, P Oxy XII. 1477.1 (iii/iv A.D.) εἶ λήμψομαι τὸ ὀψώνιον; ";shall I receive the present?"; (Edd.) : see Romans 6:23. (4) In P Grenf II. 63.4 (iii/A.D.) ἔσχον παρὰ σοῦ εἰς λόγον ὀψωνίου ἐπὶ λόγου ὑπ (ὲρ) [. . .] δραχμὰς εἴκοσι τέσσαρες, the editors suggest that ὀψωνίου is perhaps = ";interest.";