What does γλωσσόκομον (glōssókomon) mean in the Bible?
γλωσσόκομον names a money box or moneybag. In John, it appears only in connection with Judas.
Greek · G1101
γλωσσόκομον
Moneybag
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γλωσσόκομον G1101
Pronunciation glōssókomon
What does γλωσσόκομον (glōssókomon) mean in the Bible?
γλωσσόκομον names a money box or moneybag. In John, it appears only in connection with Judas.
Reader summary
Full entry for γλωσσόκομον (G1101) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G1101?
The BSB source-word alignment has 2 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include money bag (2).
Where does γλωσσόκομον (glōssókomon) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at John 12:6. Its strongest book concentrations include John (2).
What This Word Actually Means
γλωσσόκομον names a money box or moneybag. In John, it appears only in connection with Judas. The term is ordinary, but John uses it to expose a hidden contradiction: Judas speaks as if he cares for the poor, while the narrator tells us he was a thief and used to take from what was put into the money box.
The word helps readers see that discipleship danger can hide behind religious speech. The money box is not evil in itself. The problem is the heart that handles trust while masking greed. John 13:29 shows that the other disciples still interpret Judas through the role he held, but John 12:6 has already revealed what was underneath.
How the Bible Uses It
John 12:6 uses γλωσσόκομον when John explains Judas' objection to Mary's costly devotion and exposes his theft.
- John 12:6 connects the money box with Judas' hidden theft and false concern for the poor.
- John 13:29 shows the disciples assuming Judas may be buying festival needs or giving to the poor because he had the money box.
- The word marks trusted responsibility, not merely possession of money.
- John contrasts Mary's costly love with Judas' calculating greed.
γλωσσόκομον is a practical word. It names the container where shared money was kept. John makes that ordinary detail morally revealing by attaching it to Judas.
At Bethany, Judas sounds practical and compassionate. The ointment could have been sold and given to the poor. John interrupts that surface reading and tells the reader what is true: Judas was stealing from the money box.
At the supper, the disciples still read Judas through the office he holds. That contrast is pastoral gold. A person can occupy a trusted role and still be spiritually divided. John does not use the money box to attack stewardship; he uses it to expose hypocrisy and honor Mary's costly love.
γλωσσόκομον in John belongs to the Judas thread. It helps readers see how public religious concern can mask private theft, and how the Gospel contrasts costly devotion with concealed greed.
Passage contextPastoral applicationBook contexttheological_synthesis
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It money bag 2× John 12:6, John 13:29
Show sample aligned rows
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row John 12:6
Aligned rows 2
Books represented 1
John 2
Source forms
γλωσσόκομον 2x glōssokomon John 12:6, John 13:29
Parsing patterns
Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular 2x John 12:6, John 13:29
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Use this word to slow down over John's passage logic, not to replace that logic with a word-study shortcut.
- Let the immediate passage set the weight of the claim before moving to canonical or pastoral synthesis.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not use γλωσσόκομον to imply money itself is corrupt. John targets Judas' theft and hypocrisy.
- Do not preach stewardship apart from Mary's devotion and Judas' contrast. The passage places both side by side.
Pastoral application
Evidence Summary
Greek word. moneybag
Strong's G1101
Lexical occurrences 2 verses Greek text appearances 2 times Word forms 1 form 2 references Verse guides 0 guides
Source Gloss
moneybag
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
2 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
John 12:6 Noun Accusative Singular Neuter
γλωσσόκομον glwssokomon
bag, purse, box, chest
Read verse John 13:29 Noun Accusative Singular Neuter
γλωσσόκομον glwssokomon
bag, purse, box, chest
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
This word appears as a noun across 1 case and number pattern. The form changes show how the word functions in a sentence; they do not change the basic lexical meaning by themselves.
Form patterns 1 Aligned forms 2 Case pattern Accusative (2) Number pattern Singular (2)
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Accusative · Singular · Neuter John 12:6 · John 13:29 2×
Word Origins
γλωσσόκομον is built from these roots:
For the Preacher and Teacher
What this word opens up
This word opens the contrast between Mary's costly devotion and Judas' hidden greed. It helps readers see how trusted responsibility can become a place of concealed sin.
What it corrects
It corrects sentimental readings of Judas' words in John 12 and cynical readings that treat all financial stewardship as suspect. The passage exposes Judas, not faithful stewardship itself.
Framing suggestions
Frame γλωσσόκομον with John 12:6 and John 13:29. Let the narrator's disclosure govern the interpretation, and keep Mary's devotion in view.
Illustrations
- A locked box can protect what is entrusted, but it cannot purify the person holding the key. John exposes the heart behind the role.
- A good cause can become a cover story for a bad motive. Judas talks about the poor while protecting his greed.
Watch points
- Do not use γλωσσόκομον to imply money itself is corrupt. John targets Judas' theft and hypocrisy.
- Do not preach stewardship apart from Mary's devotion and Judas' contrast. The passage places both side by side.
Passage contextPastoral applicationBook context
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain