Bible Lexicons

For δωρεά = ";gift,"; ";largess,";cf. BGU I. 140.28 (A.D. 119), a copy of an Imperial letter of the time of Hadrian, where reference is made to the Emperor’s beneficium to the soldiers—ταύτην μου τὴν δωρεὰν καὶ τοῖς στρατιώταις ἐμοῦ καὶ τοῖς οὐετρανοῖς εὐγνωστόν σε ποιῆσαι δεήσει : cf. P Oxy IX, 1202.7 (A.D. 217) ἐκ τῆς τῶν [κυρί ]ων Σεουήρου καὶ μεγάλου Αντωνίνου [δω ]ρεᾶς, and from the inscr. OGIS 333.3 (ii/B.C.) ἐν τῆι. δωρεᾷ ταύτηι, ";per hanc munificentiam"; (Ed.), Syll 306.14 (mid. ii/B.C.) ὅπως ὑπάρχῃ ἁ δωρεὰ εἰς πάντα τὸν χρόνον ἀίδιος. P Lille I. 19.9 (mid. iii/B.C.) π ]αρὰ Σαραπίωνος τοῦ προεστηκότος τῆς Καλλιξέ [νους ] δωρεᾶς, ";ancien régisseur du bénéfice de K."; (Edd.). Syll 746.3 ἔδωκε δωρεάν. and P Lond 1171 verso (c).3 (A.D. 42) (= III. p. 107) μηδὲ ἐφόδια ἢ ἄλλο τι δω ̣ρ ̣εὰν αἰ ̣τεῖν ἄτερ ἐμο [ῦ ] διπλώματος, afford a link with the special use of the acc. = ";freely,"; ";gratis"; as in Romans 3:24, 2 Corinthians 11:7, 2 Thessalonians 3:8. This is common, e.g. Syll 489.18 (B.C. 304–3) ἐπιδέδω [κε ]ν ἑαυτὸν δημοσιεύειν δωρε [ά ]ν, ";has offered his services as an honorary physician,"; Michel 1001iv. 28 (c. B.C. 200) λειτουργεν ἅπαξ, ἀνὰ πρεσβύτατα, δωρεὰν πάντας, with which cf.v. 11 εἰ δέ κα ἐγ δωρεᾶς ἐπιμήνιοι μηκέτ᾽ ὦντι, making provision for the roll of compulsory free service being exhausted. So Priene 4.17 (B.C. 332–26) λ ̣εληιτούρκηκε δ., Cagnat IV. 783.7 πρεσβεύσαντα πρὸς τοὺς Σεβαστοὺς δωρεά, ib. 914.2 (i/A.D.) similarly. From the papyri, e.g. P Tebt I. 5.187 (B.C. 118) μηδὲ συναναγκάζειν ἔργα δωρεὰν συντελεῖν παρευρέσει μηδεμιᾷ, ";nor oblige them to work without payment on any pretext whatever"; (Edd.), 250 δωρεὰν μηδὲ μισθῶν ὑφειμένων, ";gratis or at reduced wages"; (Edd.). For the tax δωρεά, which suggests a ";benevolence,"; and that on γῆ ἐν δωρεᾷ, see the editors’ note on P Hib I. 66.1 and P Lille I. 19.9. In two tablets of B.C. 252, quoted by Wilcken Ostr. i. p. 66 f., we find the adj.—τῆς δωρεαίας γῆς. The slightly developed meaning of δωρεάν ";for nothing,"; ";in vain,"; which Grimm notes as unparalleled in Greek writers, seems to be regarded by Nägeli, p. 35 f., as sufficiently accounted for by the instances where it means ";gratis"; : Grimm’s own parallel with uses of gratuitus in Latin shows how easily it would arise. For the form, see Mayser Gr. p. 68 : the older δωρειά (Meisterhans Gr. p. 40) does not occur in our documents.