Greek word · G5564

χωρίον

chōrion

place

A place or spot; especially a piece of land, a plot, a field or small estate (BDAG). In the papyri it is common in property documents for a parcel of farmland. The plural can mean landed property.

Appears 10 times in 9 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

χωρίον, -ου, τό

(dimin. of χώρα, χῶρος), [in LXX: 1 Chronicles 27:27 (כֶּרֶם), 2Ma.11:5 2Mac 12:7 2Mac 12:21, 4Ma.15:20 * ;]

1. a place, region.

2. an estate, property, piece of land: Matthew 26:36, Mark 14:32, John 4:5, Acts 1:18-19 4:34 5:3, 8 28:7.†

(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 Acts 1:19

Range of meaning

A place or spot; especially a piece of land, a plot, a field or small estate (BDAG). In the papyri it is common in property documents for a parcel of farmland. The plural can mean landed property.

Against the English

Translated 'field' (BSB, KJV, WEB, ESV), 'piece of land' (NASB), 'place' (YLT). 'Field' is fine, but 'plot of land' better reflects the sense of property owned or acquired.

Used elsewhere in the period

Used for the 'place' Gethsemane (Matt 26:36; Mark 14:32), and for lands sold by believers in Acts 4:34 and 5:3, 8 (Ananias and Sapphira's 'piece of land'). Matthew's account of this field uses ἀγρός instead (Matt 27:7–8, 10). Matthew's wording echoes the 'field' of Jeremiah 32 and Zechariah 11.

From the study of John 4:5

Range of meaning

A piece of land, field, estate or plot; more loosely, a place or spot. Formally it is a diminutive of chōra ('land, country'), but by New Testament times the 'small' sense had mostly faded. It meant simply a particular piece of land.

Against the English

BSB and NIV have 'plot of ground'. KJV and WEB have 'parcel of ground', ESV and NLT have 'field', and YLT has 'place'. All are fair. 'Plot' or 'parcel' best captures a bounded property that could be bought, sold and inherited.

Used elsewhere in the period

In the New Testament it is used for Gethsemane (Matt 26:36; Mark 14:32), for the land Judas' money bought (Acts 1:18–19), and for property sold by early believers (Acts 4:34; 5:3, 8). It is common in the papyri for farm plots in property documents.

From the study of Mark 14:32

Range of meaning

A defined piece of land: a field, a plot, a small farm or estate, a piece of property (BDAG). The word is smaller and more specific than chōra ("region, country").

Against the English

"A place" (KJV, BSB, WEB) and "a spot" (YLT) sound like a point on a map. Some modern versions say "a place". The Greek means a piece of land with an owner and a use.

How it drifted

"Place" is not wrong, but it is weaker than the Greek. Popular images of a public garden or park fill the gap.

Used elsewhere in the period

In the NT: John 4:5 (the field Jacob gave Joseph), Acts 1:18–19 (the "Field of Blood"), Acts 4:34 and 5:3, 8 (land sold by believers). In the papyri it is a standard word for a landholding.

Where it appears

Matthew · 1

  1. Matthew 26:36 χωρίον a place

    Then Jesus went with His disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and He told them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.”

    Here: Not a vague 'spot' but a piece of land, a field or property. Matthew and Mark do not call it a garden. John 18:1 calls the place a kēpos, a cultivated garden or orchard, across the Kidron valley.

Mark · 1

  1. Mark 14:32 χωρίον a place

    Then they came to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus told His disciples, “Sit here while I pray.”

    Here: Not a vague "spot". The word normally means a particular piece of land: a field, a small farm or a property. Here it is a working olive plot on the slope of the Mount of Olives.

John · 1

  1. John 4:5 χωρίου plot of ground

    So He came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph.

    Here: A defined piece of land, a property or field. The same word is used for Gethsemane (Matt 26:36) and for the 'Field of Blood' (Acts 1:18–19).

Acts · 7

  1. Acts 1:18 χωρίον a field

    (Now with the reward for his wickedness Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong and burst open in the middle, and all his intestines spilled out.

    Here: A plot of ground or small piece of property, not necessarily farmland. It is the same word used in v.19 for the place named Akeldama.

  2. Acts 1:19 χωρίον χωρίον field, Field

    This became known to all who lived in Jerusalem, so they called that field in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)

    Here: A particular piece of land: a plot or small property. This is the 'field' Judas acquired (v. 18).

  3. Acts 4:34 χωρίων of lands

    There were no needy ones among them, because those who owned lands or houses would sell their property, bring the proceeds from the sales,

    Here: Plots of land, fields or small estates. It is the same word used for the 'field' of Akeldama in Acts 1:18–19 and for Ananias's property in 5:3, 8.

  4. Acts 5:3 χωρίου; land?

    Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and withhold some of the proceeds from the land?

    Here: A plot of land or field. The same word is used for Judas's 'Field of Blood' (1:18–19) and Barnabas's sale (4:34).

  5. Acts 5:8 χωρίον land

    “Tell me,” said Peter, “is this the price you and your husband got for the land?” “Yes,” she answered, “that is the price.”

  6. Acts 28:7 χωρία lands

    Nearby stood an estate belonging to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us and entertained us hospitably for three days.

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