What does ἀργύριον (argýrion) mean in the Bible?
Argyrion names silver or money as a concrete medium of value. The New Testament uses it in ordinary stewardship, mission dependence, betrayal, bribery, apostolic poverty, and redemption contrast.
Greek · G694
ἀργύριον
Money
Reading a lexicon entry
What this page is: Each lexicon entry shows the original Hebrew or Greek word behind the English translation: its meaning, its range of use, and where it appears in Scripture.
Strong's number: The Strong's code (H- or G-) is the standard reference number for this word. It connects this entry to chapter and passage language tabs.
Where it appears: The witness passages show where this word is used in context. Click any to open the study page for that passage.
This lexicon entry is part of our ongoing editorial review. If you notice missing content, unclear wording, or a possible correction, please send us a note through the Connect page. Screenshots are helpful.
ἀργύριον G694
Pronunciation argýrion
What does ἀργύριον (argýrion) mean in the Bible?
Argyrion names silver or money as a concrete medium of value. The New Testament uses it in ordinary stewardship, mission dependence, betrayal, bribery, apostolic poverty, and redemption contrast.
Reader summary
Full entry for ἀργύριον (G694) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G694?
The BSB source-word alignment has 20 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include money (8), pieces of silver (4), silver (4), [such as] silver (1), drachmas (1).
Where does ἀργύριον (argýrion) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 25:18. Its strongest book concentrations include Matthew (9), Acts (5), Luke (4), 1 Peter (1).
What This Word Actually Means
Argyrion names silver or money as a concrete medium of value. The New Testament uses it in ordinary stewardship, mission dependence, betrayal, bribery, apostolic poverty, and redemption contrast. In Jesus' parable, money can be buried or stewarded. Judas receives pieces of silver to hand Jesus over. The chief priests give money to soldiers to protect a false story.
Jesus sends the Twelve without money so mission rests on God's provision. Peter has no silver to give the lame man, but gives what he has in Jesus' name. Simon's silver cannot buy the gift of God. Peter later says believers were not redeemed with perishable silver or gold. Argyrion therefore helps the church read money as real but limited, useful but dangerous, and powerless to purchase grace or redemption.
How the Bible Uses It
Argyrion is concrete money or silver. It appears in stewardship, mission, betrayal, bribery, healing, false purchase of spiritual power, and redemption by something better than silver.
- Matt.25.18
But the servant who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money.
The servant hides his master's money, making argyrion part of a stewardship parable about fear, trust, and accountability.
- Matt.26.15
And asked, “What are you willing to give me if I hand Him over to you?” And they set out for him thirty pieces of silver.
Judas receives pieces of silver for handing Jesus over, so money becomes tied to betrayal of the Lord.
- Matt.28.12
And after the chief priests had met with the elders and formed a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money
The leaders give soldiers a large sum of money, using argyrion to protect a false resurrection story.
- Luke.9.3
“Take nothing for the journey,” He told them, “no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no second tunic.
Jesus sends the Twelve without money for the journey, teaching mission dependence on God's provision.
- Acts.3.6
But Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!”
Peter lacks silver and gold but gives healing in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
- Acts.8.20
But Peter replied, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!
Peter says Simon's silver should perish with him because he thought God's gift could be bought with money.
- 1Pet.1.18
For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life you inherited from your forefathers,
Peter says believers were not redeemed with perishable things such as silver or gold, but by Christ's precious blood.
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 8× Matthew 25:18, Matthew 25:27, Matthew 28:15, Mark 14:11
pieces of silver 4× Matthew 26:15, Matthew 27:3, Matthew 27:6, Matthew 27:9
silver 4× Matthew 27:5, Acts 3:6, Acts 8:20, Acts 20:33
[such as] silver 1× 1 Peter 1:18
drachmas 1× Acts 19:19
in silver 1× Acts 7:16
sum of money 1× Matthew 28:12
Show sample aligned rows
Matthew 25:18 ἀργύριον to money Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular Matthew 25:27 ἀργύριά to money Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural Matthew 26:15 ἀργύρια to pieces of silver Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural Matthew 27:3 ἀργύρια to pieces of silver Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural Matthew 27:5 ἀργύρια to silver Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural Matthew 27:6 ἀργύρια to pieces of silver Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural Matthew 27:9 ἀργύρια to pieces of silver Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural Matthew 28:12 ἀργύρια to sum of money Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural Matthew 28:15 ἀργύρια to money Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural Mark 14:11 ἀργύριον to money Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Matthew 25:18
Aligned rows 20
Books represented 5
Matthew 9 Mark 1 Luke 4 Acts 5 1 Peter 1
Source forms
ἀργύρια 7x argyria Matthew 26:15, Matthew 27:3, Matthew 27:5, Matthew 27:6
ἀργύριον 6x argyrion Matthew 25:18, Mark 14:11, Luke 9:3, Luke 19:15
ἀργυρίου 2x argyriou Acts 7:16, Acts 19:19
ἀργύριά 1x argyria Matthew 25:27
Ἀργύριον 1x Argyrion Acts 3:6
ἀργύριόν 1x argyrion Acts 8:20
Ἀργυρίου 1x Argyriou Acts 20:33
ἀργυρίῳ 1x argyriō 1 Peter 1:18
Parsing patterns
Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural 8x Matthew 25:27, Matthew 26:15, Matthew 27:3, Matthew 27:5
Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular 6x Matthew 25:18, Mark 14:11, Luke 9:3, Luke 19:15
Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular 3x Acts 7:16, Acts 19:19, Acts 20:33
Noun - Nominative Neuter Singular 2x Acts 3:6, Acts 8:20
Noun - Dative Neuter Singular 1x 1 Peter 1:18
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Use this word to examine what money can and cannot do before God.
- When applying money texts, avoid shaming poverty or excusing greed; let the passage set the pastoral aim.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim that argyrion means all possession or use of money is corrupt.
- Do not claim that financial giving can purchase spiritual standing, power, forgiveness, or redemption.
Evidence Summary
Greek word. Silver or money, but often specifically a coin unit—not generic wealth but tangible currency.
Strong's G694
Lexical occurrences 20 verses Greek text appearances 20 times 16 shown below Word forms 5 forms 20 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Luke 21:37–22:6 Source Gloss
money
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
16 of 20 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Matthew 25:18 Noun Accusative Singular Neuter
ἀργύριον argurion
silver, a shekel, money in general
Read verse Matthew 25:27 Noun Accusative Singular Neuter
ἀργύριόν argurion
silver, a shekel, money in general
Read verse Matthew 26:15 Noun Accusative Plural Neuter
ἀργύρια. arguria
silver, a shekel, money in general
Read verse Matthew 27:3 Noun Accusative Plural Neuter
ἀργύρια arguria
silver, a shekel, money in general
Read verse Matthew 27:5 Noun Accusative Plural Neuter
ἀργύρια arguria
silver, a shekel, money in general
Read verse Matthew 27:6 Noun Accusative Plural Neuter
ἀργύρια arguria
silver, a shekel, money in general
Read verse Matthew 27:9 Noun Accusative Plural Neuter
ἀργύρια, arguria
silver, a shekel, money in general
Read verse Matthew 28:12 Noun Accusative Plural Neuter
ἀργύρια arguria
silver, a shekel, money in general
Read verse Matthew 28:15 Noun Accusative Plural Neuter
ἀργύρια arguria
silver, a shekel, money in general
Read verse Mark 14:11 Noun Accusative Singular Neuter
ἀργύριον argurion
silver, a shekel, money in general
Read verse Luke 9:3 Noun Accusative Singular Neuter
ἀργύριον, argurion
silver, a shekel, money in general
Read verse Luke 19:15 Noun Accusative Singular Neuter
ἀργύριον, argurion
silver, a shekel, money in general
Read verse Luke 19:23 Noun Accusative Singular Neuter
ἀργύριόν argurion
silver, a shekel, money in general
Read verse Luke 22:5 Noun Accusative Singular Neuter
ἀργύριον argurion
silver, a shekel, money in general
Read verse Acts 3:6 Noun Nominative Singular Neuter
Ἀργύριον argurion
silver, a shekel, money in general
Read verse Acts 7:16 Noun Genitive Singular Neuter
ἀργυρίου arguriou
silver, a shekel, money in general
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 5 case and number patterns. The form changes show how the word functions in a sentence; they do not change the basic lexical meaning by themselves.
Form patterns 5 Aligned forms 20 Case pattern Accusative (14) Number pattern Singular (12)
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Nominative · Singular · Neuter Acts 3:6 · Acts 8:20 2×
Genitive · Singular · Neuter Acts 7:16 · Acts 19:19 · Acts 20:33 3×
Dative · Singular · Neuter 1 Pet 1:18 1×
Accusative · Plural · Neuter Matt 25:27 · Matt 26:15 · Matt 27:3 · Matt 27:5 · Matt 27:6 · Matt 27:9 · Matt 28:12 · Matt 28:15 8×
Accusative · Singular · Neuter Matt 25:18 · Mark 14:11 · Luke 9:3 · Luke 19:15 · Luke 19:23 · Luke 22:5 6×
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
New Testament Witnesses
silver
Additional Occurrences
Luke 22:1–6 ἀργύριον argýrion
Silver, money
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 20 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
ἀργύριον is built from this root:
Why This Word Matters
Reflects prophetic betrayal language and human greed. Luke 21:37–22:6
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
For the Preacher and Teacher
The core insight of argyrion is that money is a powerful but limited creaturely good. It can be entrusted by a master and should be stewarded faithfully. It can support ordinary life and travel. Yet the New Testament repeatedly shows silver failing at the points where fallen hearts want it to be strongest. It can purchase betrayal but not loyalty. It can purchase silence but not truth.
It can be offered for spiritual power but cannot buy the gift of God. It can symbolize value but cannot redeem a soul. This word gives teachers a concrete way to speak about money without abstraction: money reveals worship, fear, trust, and corruption, and it must bow before the grace and redemption that only God gives in Christ.
Anchor passage
Acts.8.20
Doctrinal connections
- Matthew.25.18: money entrusted by a master exposes stewardship and fear.
- Matthew.26.15: silver becomes the price attached to Judas's betrayal.
- Matthew.28.12: money is used to support a false witness against the resurrection.
- Luke.9.3: Jesus sends the Twelve without money to train mission dependence.
- Acts.3.6: apostolic poverty does not limit the power of Jesus' name.
- 1 Peter.1.18: redemption is not purchased with perishable silver or gold.
Argyrion is a noun related to silver and can refer to silver pieces or money more generally. Its theological force comes from the narrative setting, not from silver as a material by itself.
From Old to New Testament
Silver appears throughout Scripture in commerce, temple service, ransom language, bribery warnings, and betrayal anticipation. The New Testament brings those threads to a sharp point by contrasting silver's value with Christ's priceless redemption.
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