Original Word: τελώνης
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: telónés
Pronunciation: te-lo'-nace
Phonetic Spelling: (tel-o'-nace)
Definition: Tax collector, publican
Meaning: a publican, collector of taxes.

Word Origin: Derived from the Greek word "telos" (meaning "tax" or "end") and "ōnéomai" (meaning "to buy" or "to purchase").

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: While there is no direct Hebrew equivalent for "telónés," the concept of tax collection can be related to the Hebrew word "מַס" (mas, Strong's Hebrew 4522), which refers to a levy or tribute.

Usage: The term "telónés" refers to a tax collector or publican in the context of the New Testament. These individuals were responsible for collecting taxes on behalf of the Roman government. In the Gospels, tax collectors are often depicted as sinners and outcasts due to their association with the Roman authorities and their reputation for extortion and dishonesty.

Cultural and Historical Background: In first-century Judea, tax collectors were generally despised by the Jewish population. They were seen as collaborators with the Roman occupiers and were often accused of exploiting their fellow Jews by overcharging taxes and pocketing the excess. This profession was considered socially and religiously unacceptable, leading to their marginalization. Despite this, Jesus frequently interacted with tax collectors, demonstrating His message of grace and redemption for all, regardless of social status or past sins.

5057 telṓnēs – a publican; a tax-collector, gathering public taxes from the Jews for the Romans.

[5057 /telṓnēs (literally, "paying-at-the-end") referred to the toll-house where the Romans collected taxes from the public. "Publican/tax-gatherer" (5057 /telṓnēs) is derived from telos ("a tax at the end") and ōneomai ("to buy").]

Word Origin
from telos and óneomai
Definition
a farmer of taxes, i.e. a tax collector
NASB Translation
collector (1), tax collector (5), tax collectors (15).

STRONGS NT 5057: τελώνης

τελώνης, τελωνου, ὁ (from τέλος ((which see 2)) tax, and ὠνέομαι to buy; cf. δημοσιώνης, ὀψώνης, δεκατωνης), from Aristophanes, Aeschines, Aristotle, Polybius down;

1. a renter or farmer of taxes (Latinpublicanus); among the Romans usually a man of equestrian rank.

2. a tax-gatherer, collector of taxes or tolls (Vulg.publicanus incorrectly: (so A. V. publican)), one employed by a publican or farmer-general in collecting the taxes. The tax-collectors were, as a class, detested not only by the Jews but by other nations also, both on account of their employment and of the harshness, greed, and deception, with which they prosecuted it; (hence, they are classed by Artemidorus Daldianus, oneir. 1, 23; 4, 57, with καπηλοις καί τοῖς μετά ἀναιδειας ζῶσι καί λῃσταῖς καί ζυγοκρουσταις καί παραλογισταις ἀνθρώποις; Lucian, necyom. c. 11 puts together μοιχοί, πορνοβοσκοι καί τελῶναι καί κολακες καί συκοφανται (Theophrastus, charact. 6 (περί ἀπονοίας) πανδοχευσαι, καί πορνοβοσκησαι, καί τελωνησαι)): Matthew 5:46, 47 Rec.; ; Luke 3:12; Luke 5:27, 29; Luke 7:29; Luke 18:10, 11, 13; the plural is joined with ἁμαρτωλοί, Matthew 9:10f; (); Mark 2:15; Luke 5:30; Luke 7:34; Luke 15:1; with πόρναι, Matthew 21:31f; ὁ ἐθνικός καί ὁ τελώνης, Matthew 18:17. Cf. Winers RWB, under the words, Zoll, Zöllner; (BB. DD., under the word ; Wetstein on Matthew 5:46; Edersheim, Jesus the Messiah, i. 515ff).

tax collector

From telos and oneomai; a tax-farmer, i.e. Collector of public revenue -- publican.

see GREEK telos

see GREEK oneomai

τελωναι τελώναι τελῶναι τελωνην τελώνην τελωνης τελώνης τελωνων τελωνών τελωνῶν telonai telônai telōnai telō̂nai telonen telōnēn telṓnen telṓnēn telones telōnēs telṓnes telṓnēs telonon telonôn telōnōn telōnō̂nInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts