Priceless Worth: τιμή (Strong’s G5092: time) Reveals Redemption’s Cost

Strong’s G5092: A noun meaning “price, value, or honor,” used for both monetary worth and abstract honor. Appears in crucial contexts about Christ’s redemptive price, honor due to God and others, and the value God places on His people.

U- Unveiling the Word

τιμή embodies both material and spiritual value in the New Testament, bridging the concepts of price and honor. Its usage spans from literal monetary worth to the profound honor due to God and the value He places on human souls. Particularly significant is its appearance in contexts of redemption, where it connects the price paid for salvation with the honor bestowed on the redeemed. The early church saw in this word the perfect expression of both Christ’s sacrificial cost and the dignity He restores to believers. Today, it continues to remind us that true value and honor find their source in God’s redemptive work.

N – Necessary Information

• Greek Word: τιμή, time, /tee-MAY/
• Detailed pronunciation: tee-MAY (emphasis on MAY)
• Part of Speech: Noun

Etymology:

• From Proto-Indo-European *kʷey- meaning “to pay, compensate”
• Root word for terms relating to value and honor
• No prefixes or suffixes in base form

D – Defining Meanings

• Price
• Value
• Honor
• Worth
• Dignity

For compound words:
Not a compound word, but serves as root for many compounds

Translation Options:

• “Honor” – When emphasizing respect or dignity
• “Price” – When referring to monetary value
• “Worth” – When combining material and abstract value

E – Exploring Similar Words

• δόξα (doxa) /DOK-sa/ – glory, more focused on visible splendor. See G1391
• ἀξία (axia) /ak-SEE-a/ – worth, merit. See G515
• σεβασμός (sebasmos) /se-bas-MOS/ – reverence, religious honor. See G4574

R – Reviewing the Word’s Morphology

Morphological features as a Noun:

• Case: Nominative/Genitive/Dative/Accusative
• Number: Singular/Plural
• Gender: Feminine
• Declension: First

Case forms:

• Nominative: τιμή
• Genitive: τιμῆς
• Dative: τιμῇ
• Accusative: τιμήν

S – Studying Lexicon Insights

BDAG emphasizes τιμή’s dual meaning of price and honor, particularly in redemptive contexts. Thayer’s traces its development from material worth to moral value. LSJ documents its broad semantic range in classical usage. Vine’s highlights its significance in expressing both divine honor and human worth. Strong’s connects it to fundamental concepts of value. Moulton and Milligan provide evidence of its use in commercial and honorific contexts. The synthesis reveals a term that uniquely bridges material and spiritual worth, particularly in understanding redemption’s cost and result.

T – Tracing the Scriptures

First appearance:
“And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in. And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the [price] [τιμή] of blood.” Matthew 27:6

Additional References:
Acts 4:34
1 Corinthians 6:20
1 Timothy 5:17
1 Peter 2:7

A – Analyzing Classical Usage

N – Noteworthy Summary

τιμή powerfully expresses both the cost of redemption and the value God places on His people. It proclaims the good news that King Jesus paid the ultimate price to restore honor to humanity. This word reminds us that our worth is established not by human standards but by the precious blood of Christ, and that the honor He bestows calls us to live worthy of our high calling.

D – Did You Know?

1. The word was used in ancient slave markets for redemption prices.
2. Early Christians used it to discuss both martyrdom and church leadership.
3. It appears in ancient honorary inscriptions for civic benefactors.

Strong’s G5092: A noun meaning “price, value, or honor,” used for both monetary worth and abstract honor. Appears in crucial contexts about Christ’s redemptive price, honor due to God and others, and the value God places on His people.

Part of speech: Noun

Tags: value, honor, price, worth, dignity, redemption, sacrifice, cost, respect, worship, esteem, reward​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​