βραβεῖον

From the study of 1 Corinthians 9:24

Range of meaning

The prize awarded to the winner of a contest. It comes from brabeus, the umpire or judge who decided the contest and gave the award. In the NT it occurs only here and in Philippians 3:14 ("the prize of the upward call of God"). The related verb brabeuō ("to act as umpire, to rule") appears in Colossians 3:15.

Against the English

"Prize" is accurate. What English loses is the built-in figure of the judge: a brabeion is something an official awards after the contest, not something the runner simply picks up.

Used elsewhere in the period

It is common in inscriptions and literature for athletic awards (e.g. Menander; Oppian). 1 Clement 5:5 (about AD 96), writing from Rome, says that Paul himself "pointed out the prize (brabeion) of endurance." Martyr literature uses the same athletic picture: 4 Maccabees 17:11–16 calls the martyrs' death a divine contest whose prize was immortality.

From the study of Philippians 3:14

Range of meaning

The prize awarded at athletic or other contests by the brabeus, the umpire or judge. In practice it was usually a wreath of olive, pine, laurel or celery, often with a palm branch. Used figuratively, it means the reward at the end of a struggle.

Against the English

"Prize" is accurate. "To win the prize" (BSB, NIV) correctly draws out the athletic picture. A modern reader may picture a prize as cash, or as an extra bonus on top of something else. Here the prize is the very thing Paul has been describing.

Used elsewhere in the period

The only other New Testament use is 1 Cor 9:24 ("all the runners run, but only one receives the prize"). The related verb brabeuō, "to act as umpire", appears in Col 3:15. 1 Clement 5:5, written in Rome around AD 96, says that Paul "pointed out the prize (brabeion) of endurance". This shows that early readers linked the image with Paul.