Greek word · G3463

μύριοι

myrioi

myriad

'Ten thousand', the largest number with its own word in Greek, hence 'a myriad'. It was also used freely for 'countless, innumerable'. Ancient grammarians tied the exact sense to the accent: μύριοι (accent on the first syllable) meant 10,000 and μυρίοι meant 'countless'.

Appears 3 times in 3 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

μυρίος, -α, -ον

1. numberless, countless, infinite: 1 Corinthians 4:15 14:19.

2. As a definite numeral, in pl., μύριοι, -αι, -α, ten thousand: Matthew 18:24.†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of 1 Corinthians 4:15

Range of meaning

'Ten thousand', the largest number with its own word in Greek, hence 'a myriad'. It was also used freely for 'countless, innumerable'. Ancient grammarians tied the exact sense to the accent: μύριοι (accent on the first syllable) meant 10,000 and μυρίοι meant 'countless'. The printed text here has μυρίους, the 'countless' form, though the accent distinction was not always kept.

Against the English

'Ten thousand' (KJV, BSB, WEB, NIV, ESV) is accurate but can sound like an exact figure. YLT's 'a myriad' keeps the vague, huge sense.

Used elsewhere in the period

In the NT it appears also at Matt 18:24 (ten thousand talents, an absurd debt) and 1 Cor 14:19 ('ten thousand words in a tongue'). Both are clearly exaggeration for effect.

From the study of Matthew 18:24

Range of meaning

As a number: exactly ten thousand. It was the highest number with its own name in ordinary Greek, so it served as the 'top of the scale.' As an adjective (with a different accent, myrioi) it means 'countless, innumerable,' and English 'myriad' comes from it.

Against the English

'Ten thousand' is accurate. YLT's 'a myriad of talents' keeps the double sense better, since a Greek ear would hear both the precise number and 'beyond counting.'

Used elsewhere in the period

LXX: Deut 32:30 ('two put ten thousand to flight'), 1 Sam 18:7 ('David his ten thousands'), Dan 7:10 ('ten thousand times ten thousand'). These show 'ten thousand' used as the stock word for a vast amount.

Where it appears

Matthew · 1

  1. Matthew 18:24 μυρίων of ten thousand

    As he began the settlements, a debtor owing ten thousand talents was brought to him.

    Here: Ten thousand. This was the largest number that had its own word in Greek, and the same word also meant 'countless.' Its effect is like saying 'a zillion' with an exact figure attached.

1 Corinthians · 2

  1. 1 Corinthians 4:15 μυρίους ten thousand

    Even if you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.

    Here: The largest number Greek had a single word for, used here as deliberate exaggeration: 'any number you like', 'countless'.

  2. 1 Corinthians 14:19 μυρίους ten thousand

    But in the church, I would rather speak five coherent words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.