Bible Lexicons

The word is very common in financial transactions. Thus it is = ";instalment"; in P Petr III.41.8, .19 τὴν β ̄ δόσιν, ";the second instalment," so ib. 46(1).27 τὴν δευτέραν δόσιν, P Oxy IV. 724.7 (A.D. 155) ἐξ ὧν ἔσχες τὴν πρώτην δόσιν ἐν δραχμαῖς τεσσαράκοντα, ";of which sum you have received the first instalment amounting to 40 drachmae"; (Edd.), ib. VIII. 1127.19 (A.D. 183) ἀποδότω τῷ μεμισθωκότι τὸ ἐνοίκιον κατ᾽ ἔτος ἐν δόσεσι δυσὶ διὰ ἑξαμήνου τὰς αἱρούσας δραχμὰς τριάκοντα, ";shall pay the rent annually in two half-yearly instalments of 30 drachmae"; (Ed.). Similarly ib. VI. 912.20 (A.D. 235). For δόσις in connexion with the payment of a rate or tax, see P Flor II. 133.5 (A.D. 257) ἔδι μὲν ὑμᾶς μηδὲ ὑπομνήσεως χρήζειν ἰδόντων ὑμῶν τὰς τακτὰς ἡμέρας τῆς δόσεως —a delicately worded reminder with reference to the dyke-tax : cf. Ostr 6.1 (ii/A.D.) in Fayûm Papyri p. 322, δόσις βαλ (ανευτικῶν ?). In a proposed lease of a vineyard, P Lond 163.32 (A.D. 88) (= II. p. 183) we find provision ε ̣ἰ ̣ς ̣ μισθῶν δώσ ̣ι ̣ν, and in BGU II. 473.9 (A.D. 200) ἕνεκεν χρηματικῆς δόσεως. Add P Oxy III. 474.25 (? A.D. 184) ἐπέσχεν ἂν τὴν δόσιν τοῦ φθάσαντος αὐτῷ ὑπὸ σοῦ ἐξοδιασθῆναι ἀργυρίου, and Syll 540.14 (B.C. 175–1) ἐργᾶται δὲ συνεχῶς μετὰ τὸ τὴν δόσιν λαβεῖν ἐντὸς ἡμερῶν δέκα, with the editor’s note where δόσις is explained as ";pensio pretii qua redemptor opus licitus est."; lb. 505.12 (early iii/B.C.) περὶ τὴν τοῦ σ [ί ]του δόσιν illustrates the use with other than money objects; while ib. 858.14 (ii/B.C.—Delphi) εἰ δέ τινι ζώων δόσιν ποέοιτο τῶν ἰδίων Σῶσος, shows it as a pure nomen actionis. So also BGU IV. 1151.33 (B.C. 13) οὐδεμί (αν) δόσιν κοιλὴ (ν) ποιούμενοι, ib. 1156.18 (B.C. 15) ἐὰν δέ τινα τῶν καθ᾽ ἡ [μέραν δ ]όσεων κοιλάνωσι. The combination with λῆμψις, as in Philippians 4:15, is of the same character : with this cf. the astrological fragment, P Tebt II. 277.16 (iii/A.D.) δόσις καὶ λήμψις (plur.). The distinction from δόμα is observed throughout the documents : we have not noticed any instances of the purely concrete use generally recognised in James 1:17. A form δόσιμος (MGr δόσιμο) is found in the long list of royal ordinances, P Tebt I. 5.176 (B.C. 118) τῶν δ᾽ ἄλλων τῶν δοσίμων μὴ πλεῖον ἐπισταθμεύεσθαι τοῦ ἡμίσους, where the editors render, ";and in the case of their other buildings which may be used for quarters, not more than half shall be occupied for that purpose.";