Original Word: τελώνιον
Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter
Transliteration: telónion
Pronunciation: te-lo'-nee-on
Phonetic Spelling: (tel-o'-nee-on)
Definition: Tax booth, tax office
Meaning: a tax-collector's office, toll-house.

tax office

Neuter of a presumed derivative of telones; a tax-gatherer's place of business -- receipt of custom.

see GREEK telones

Word Origin
from telónés
Definition
a place of (collecting) toll
NASB Translation
tax (1), tax booth (2), tax collector's booth (1).

STRONGS NT 5058: τελώνιον

τελώνιον, τελωνιου, τό (τελώνης, cf. δεκατωνιον);

1. customs, toll: Strabo 16, 1, 27.

2. toll-house, place of toll, tax-office: the place in which the tax-collector sat to collect the taxes (Wycliffe, tolbothe): Matthew 9:9; Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27.

Word Origin: Derived from the Greek word τελώνης (telōnēs), meaning "tax collector."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: There is no direct Hebrew equivalent for τελώνιον, as it is a term specific to the Greco-Roman context of tax collection. However, the concept of tax collection and tax collectors can be related to the Hebrew term גַּבַּי (gabbai), which refers to a collector or treasurer, though this term is not directly linked to a specific Strong's entry.

Usage: The term τελώνιον is used in the New Testament to refer to a booth or station where tax collectors conducted their business, collecting taxes from the people.

Context: The term τελώνιον appears in the New Testament in the context of tax collection, a practice that was often viewed negatively by the Jewish populace due to its association with Roman occupation and perceived corruption. Tax collectors, or τελώνης, were often Jews employed by the Roman authorities to collect taxes from their fellow countrymen. This role was seen as traitorous, and tax collectors were generally despised by the Jewish community.

In the Gospel of Matthew, the term τελώνιον is specifically mentioned in Matthew 9:9: "As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax booth. 'Follow Me,' He told him, and Matthew got up and followed Him." (BSB) This passage highlights the calling of Matthew, a tax collector, to become one of Jesus' disciples. The use of τελώνιον here underscores the transformative power of Jesus' call, as Matthew leaves his post at the tax booth to follow Christ.

The presence of τελώνιον in the New Testament serves as a reminder of the social and religious tensions of the time, as well as the inclusive nature of Jesus' ministry, which reached out to those marginalized by society, including tax collectors. The calling of Matthew and other tax collectors, such as Zacchaeus, illustrates the theme of redemption and the breaking down of social barriers through the message of the Gospel.

έτεμνον ετμήθη τελωνιον τελώνιον τεμείς τεμένη τμηθή telonion telōnion telṓnionInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts