Bible Lexicons

† ἐλεημοσύνη , -ης , ἡ

(< ἐλεέω ),

[in LXX chiefly for H2617, H6666;]

1. mercy, pity.

2. almsgiving, alms (like the German Almosen, a corruption of the Greek word ἐ ): Matthew 6:4; ποιεῖν ἐ ., Matthew 6:2-3, Acts 9:36; Acts 10:2; Acts 24:17; ἐ . διδόναι , Luke 11:41 (cf. Matthew 23:36; Dalman, Words, 62 f.) 12:33; αἰτεῖν , Acts 3:2; λαβεῖν , Acts 3:3; πρὸς (in order to ask) ἐ ., Acts 3:10; pl., Acts 10:4; Acts 10:31 (Cremer, 711).†

In the Christian P Gen I. 51.26 the writer, after petitioning a certain Amminaeus to use his influence in preventing a widow’s only son from being taken on military service, continues—καὶ ὁ θ (εὸ)ς ἀποδιδῖ (l. ἀποδιδοῖ) σ [ο ]ι πρὸς τὴν ἐ [λ ]εημωσύνην σου. McNeile’s statement (ad. Matthew 6:2) that the word is not used specifically for ";almsgiving"; earlier than B. Sira will require modification if the early date ascribed to Tobit, in which the word is very frequent, is accepted (cf. Oxford Apocrypha i. p. 183 ff.). The word survives in this sense in MGr.

 

ελεημοσυναι ελεημοσύναι ἐλεημοσύναι ελεημοσύναις ελεημοσυνας ελεημοσύνας ἐλεημοσύνας ελεημοσυνη ελεημοσύνη ἐλεημοσύνη ελεημοσυνην ελεημοσύνην ἐλεημοσύνην ελεημοσύνης ελεημοσυνων ελεημοσυνών ἐλεημοσυνῶν eleemosunai eleēmosunai eleemosunas eleēmosunas eleemosune eleēmosunē eleemosunen eleēmosunēn eleemosunon eleēmosunōn eleemosynai eleemosýnai eleēmosynai eleēmosýnai eleemosynas eleemosýnas eleēmosynas eleēmosýnas eleemosyne eleemosýne eleēmosynē eleēmosýnē eleemosynen eleemosýnen eleēmosynēn eleēmosýnēn eleemosynon eleemosynôn eleēmosynōn eleēmosynō̂n