στοιχεῖον

στοιχεῖον, ου, τό (since Aristoph., X., Pla.; also BGU 959, 2) in our lit. only pl.

① basic components of someth., elements

ⓐ of substances underlying the natural world, the basic elements fr. which everything in the world is made and of which it is composed (Pla. et al.; PGM 4, 440; Wsd 7:17; 19:18; 4 Macc 12:13; Ath., R. 3 p. 51, 17), to disappear in the world conflagration at the end of time 2 Pt 3:10, 12 (Ath. 22, 3; lit. s.v. καυσόω). The four elements of the world (earth, air, fire, water) Hv 3, 13, 3 (cp. Diog. L. 7, 137 [Zeno the Stoic] ἔστι δὲ στοιχεῖον, ἐξ οὗ πρώτου γίνεται τὰ γινόμενα καὶ εἰς ὸ̔ ἔσχατον ἀναλύεται … τὸ πῦρ, τὸ ὕδωρ, ὁ ἀήρ, ἡ γῆ; Plut., Mor. 875c; Philo, Cher. 127 τὰ τέσσαρα στοιχεῖα; Jos., Ant. 3, 183.—JKroll, Die Lehren des Hermes Trismegistos 1914, 178ff; ESchweizer, JBL 107, ’88, 455–68). πῦρ … ὕδωρ … ἄλλο τι τῶν στοιχείων Dg 8:2; cp. 7:2 (s. b).

ⓑ of basic components of celestial constellations, heavenly bodies (Ar. 3, 2; Just., A II, 5, 2; Diog. L. 6. 102 τὰ δώδεκα στοιχεῖα of the signs of the zodiac; POsl 4, 18 δώδεκα στ. τοῦ οὐρανοῦ; Ps.-Callisth. 13, 1.—PGM 4, 1303 the ‘Bear’ is called a στοιχεῖον ἄφθαρτον.—Rtzst., Poim. 69ff, Herr der Grösse 13ff; Diels [s. below] 53f; JvanWageningen, Τὰ στοιχεῖα τοῦ κόσμου: ThSt 35, 1917, 1–6; FColson, The Week 1926, 95ff) Dg 7:2.

ⓒ of things that constitute the foundation of learning, fundamental principles (X., Mem. 2, 1, 1; Isocr. 2, 16; Plut., Lib. Educ. 16, 2; Just., A I, 60, 11) or even letters of the alphabet, ABC’s (Pla. et al.) τὰ στ. τῆς ἀρχῆς τῶν λογίων τοῦ θεοῦ the very elements of the truths of God Hb 5:12. This mng. is also prob. for the passages in Gal (4:3, 9 NEB ‘elementary ideas belonging to this world’; cp. LBelleville, JSNT 26, ’86, 53–78) and Col; s. next.

② transcendent powers that are in control over events in this world, elements, elemental spirits. The mng. of στ. in τὰ στοιχεῖα τοῦ κόσμου Gal 4:3; Col 2:8, 20 (for the expr. στοιχ. τ. κόσμου cp. SibOr 2, 206; 3, 80f; 8, 337) and τὰ ἀσθενῆ καὶ πτωχὰ στοιχεῖα Gal 4:9 is much disputed. For a survey s. EBurton, ICC Gal 1921, 510–18. Some (e.g. Burton, Goodsp.) prefer to take it in sense 1c above, as referring to the elementary forms of religion, Jewish and polytheistic, which have been superseded by the new revelation in Christ (so also WKnox, St. Paul and the Church of the Gentiles ’39, 108f; RGrant, HTR 39, ’46, 71–3; ACramer, Stoicheia Tou Kosmou, ’61 [the unregenerate tendencies within humans]).—Others (e.g. WBauer, Mft., NRSV) hold that the ref. is to the elemental spirits which the syncretistic religious tendencies of later antiquity associated w. the physical elements (Herm. Wr. Κόρη κόσμου in Stob. I 409 W.=Sc. 486ff, esp. 486, 23; 25; 490, 14: the στοιχεῖα, fire, air, water, earth, complain to the deity who is over all; Orph. Hymn. 5, 4; 66, 4 Qu.; Ps.-Callisth. 1, 3 [s. below Pfister p. 416f]; Simplicius In Aristot. De Caelo 1, 3 p. 107, 15 Heiberg.—MDibelius, Geisterwelt 78ff; 228ff, Hdb. z. NT² exc. on Col 2:8; ELohmeyer, Col 1930, 4–8; 103–5; FPfister, Die στοιχεῖα τοῦ κόσμου in den Briefen des Ap. Pls: Philol. 69, 1910, 411–27; GMacgregor: ACPurdy Festschr. ’60, 88–104); they were somet. worshiped as divinities (Vett. Val. 293, 27; Philo, Vita Cont. 3 τοὺς τὰ στοιχεῖα τιμῶντας, γῆν, ὕδωρ, ἀέρα, πῦρ. Cp. Diels [s. below] 45ff; Schweizer 1a above). It is not always easy to differentiate betw. this sense and that of 1b above, since heavenly bodies were also regarded as personal beings and given divine honors.—HDiels, Elementum 1899; ABonhöffer, Epiktet u. das NT 1911, 130ff; OLagercrantz, Elementum 1911 (p. 41 στοιχεῖα τοῦ κόσμου=θεμέλια τοῦ κόσμου); BEaston, The Pauline Theol. and Hellenism: AJT 21, 1917, 358–82; KDieterich, Hellenist. Volksreligion u. byz.-neugriech. Volksglaube: Αγγελος I 1925, 2–23; on Gal 4 and Col 2, GKurze, D. στοιχεῖα τ. κόσμου: BZ 15, 1927, 335; WHatch, Τὰ στοιχεῖα in Paul and Bardaisân: JTS 28, 1927, 181f; JHuby, Στοιχεῖα dans Bardesane et dans St. Paul: Biblica 15, ’34, 365–68; on Gal 4:3, 9 and Col 2:8, 20, LScheu, Die ‘Weltelemente’ beim Ap. Pls: diss. Cath. Univ., Washington ’34; BReicke, JBL 70, ’51, 259–76 (Gal 4:1–11); WBrownlee, Messianic Motifs of Qumran and the NT, NTS 3, ’56/57, 195–210; MKiley, SBLSP 25, ’86, 236–45.—RAC IV 1073–1100; B. 1501. DELG s.v. στείχω. M-M. EDNT. TW. Sv.

στοιχεῖον

the shadow of the gnomon: neut nom /voc /acc sg

στοιχεῖον

the shadow of the gnomon: neut nom /voc /acc sg

στοιχεῖον, τό:

I in a form of sun-dial, the shadow of the gnomon, the length of which in feet indicated the time of day, ὅταν ᾖ δεκάπουν τὸ ς. when the shadow is ten feet long, Ar.Ec. 652, v. Sch.;

ὁπηνίκ' ἂν εἴκοσι ποδῶν.. τὸ σ. ᾖ Eub.119.7

, cf. Philem.83.

II element,

1 a simple sound of speech, as the first component of the syllable, Pl.Cra. 424d; τὸ ῥῶ τὸ ς. ib. 426d;

γραμμάτων σ. καὶ συλλαβάς Id.Tht. 202e

;

σ. ἐστι φωνὴ ἀδιαίρετος Arist.Po. 1456b22

;

φωνῆς σ. καὶ ἀρχαὶ δοκοῦσιν εἶναι ταῦτ' ἐξ ὧν σύγκεινται αἱ φωναὶ πρώτων Id.Metaph. 998a23

, cf.Gal.15.6:— στοιχεῖα therefore, strictly, were different from letters ([etym.] γράμματα), Diog.Bab.Stoic.3.213, Sch.D.T.p.32, al., but are freq. not clearly distd. from them, as by Pl.Tht.l.c., Cra. 426d;

τὰ σ. τῶν γραμμάτων τὰ τέτταρα καὶ εἴκοσι Aen.Tact.31.21

; σ. ε ¯ letter ε (in a filing-system), BGU959.2 (ii A.D.); ἀκουόμενα ς. letters which are pronounced, A.D.Adv.165.17; γράμματα and ς. are expressly identified by D.T.630.32; the ς. and its name are confused by A.D. Synt.29.1, but distd. by Hdn.Gr. ap. Choerob.in Theod.1.340, Sch.D.T. l.c.:—

κατὰ στοιχεῖον

in the order of the letters, alphabetically,

AP11.15

(Ammian.); dub.sens.in Plu.2.422e.

2 in Physics, στοιχεῖα were the components into which matter is ultimately divisible, elements, reduced to four by Empedocles, who called them ῥιζὤματα, the word στοιχεῖα being first used (acc. to Eudem. ap. Simp.in Ph.7.13 ) by Pl., τὰ πρῶτα οἱονπερεὶ ς, e)c w(=n h(mei=s te sugkei/meqa kai\ ta)/lla Tht. 201e; τὰ τῶν πάντων ς. Plt. 278d;

αὐτὰ τιθέμενοι σ. τοῦ παντός Ti. 48b

, cf. Arist.GC 314a29, Metaph. 998a28, Thphr.Sens.3, al., D.L.3.24;

σ. σωματικά Arist.Mete. 338a22

, Thphr.Fr.46; ἄτομα ς. Epicur.Ep.2p.36U.; equivalent to ἀρχαί, Thales ap.Plu.2.875c, Anaximand. ap. D.L.2.1, Anon. ap. Arist.Ph. 188b28, Metaph. 1059b23, al.; but Arist. also distinguishes ς. from ἀρχή as less comprehensive, ib.1070b23; τὰ σ. ὕλη τῆς οὐσίας ib.1088b27; τρία τὰ ς. Id.Ph. 189b16; distd. from ἀρχή on other grounds by Stoic.2.111; ς. used in three senses by Chrysipp., ib.136, cf. Zeno ib.1.24, al.; in Medicine, Gal.6.3, 420, al., 15.7, al.;

Αἰθέρ, κόσμου σ. ἄριστον Orph.H.5.4

; ἀνηλεὲς ς., of the sea, Babr.71.4; τὸ ς., of the sea, Polem.Cyn.44; ἄμφω τὰ ς., i.e. land and sea, ib.11, cf. Hdn.3.1.5, Him.Ecl.2.18.

3 the elements of proof, e.g. in general reasoning the πρῶτοι συλλογισμοί, Arist.Metaph. 1014b1; in Geometry, the propositions whose proof is involved in the proof of other propositions, ib. 998a26, 1014a36; title of geometrical works by Hippocrates of Chios, Leon, Theudios, and Euclid, Procl. in Euc.pp.66,67,68F.: hence applied to whatever is one, small, and capable of many uses, Arist.Metaph. 1014b3; to whatever is most universal, e.g. the unit and the point, ib.6; the line and the circle, Id.Top. 158b35; the τόπος (argument applicable to a variety of subjects), ib. 120b13, al., Rh. 1358a35, al.;

στοιχεῖα τὰ γένη λέγουσί τινες Id.Metaph. 1014b10

; τὸ νόμισμα σ. καὶ πέρας τῆς ἀλλαγῆς coin is the unit.. of exchange, Id.Pol. 1257b23; in Grammar, σ. τῆς λέξεως parts of speech, D.H.Comp.2; but also, the letters composing a word, A.D.Synt.313.7; letters of the alphabet, Diog. Bab.Stoic.3.213; σ. τοῦ λόγου the elements of speech, viz. words, or the kinds of words, parts of speech, Thphr. ap. Simp. in Cat.10.24, Chrysipp.Stoic.2.45, A.D.Synt.7.1, 313.6.

4 generally, elementary or fundamental principle, ἀρξάμενοι ἀπὸ τῶν ς. X.Mem.2.1.1;

σ. χρηστῆς πολιτείας Isoc.2.16

; τὸ πολλάκις εἰρημένον μέγιστον ς. Arist.Pol. 1309b16;

σ. τῆς ὅλης τέχνης Nicol.Com.1.30

, cf. Epicur. Ep.1p.10U., Ep.3p.59U., Phld.Rh.1.127S., Gal.6.306.

5 ἄστρων στοιχεῖα the stars, Man.4.624;

σ. καυσούμενα λυθήσεται 2 Ep.Pet.3.10

, cf. 12; esp. planets,

στοιχείῳ Διός PLond.1.130.60

(i/ii A.D.); so perh. in Ep.Gal.4.3, Ep.Col.2.8; esp. a sign of the Zodiac, D.L.6.102; of the Great Bear, PMag.Par.1.1303.

6 σ. = ἀριθμός, as etym. of Στοιχαδεύς, Sch.D.T.p.192 H.

See also: s. στείχω.

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See also: s. στείχω.

Page in Frisk: 2,800

στοιχεί̱ω, στοιχεῖον

the shadow of the gnomon: neut nom /voc /acc dual

στοιχεί̱ω, στοιχεῖον

the shadow of the gnomon: neut gen sg (doric aeolic)

στοιχεί̱ῳ, στοιχεῖον

the shadow of the gnomon: neut dat sg

στοιχεῖο, στοιχέω

to be drawn up in a line: pres opt mp 2nd sg (epic ionic)

στοιχεῖαι, στοιχέω

to be drawn up in a line: pres ind mp 2nd sg (epic ionic)

στοιχεῖα, στοιχεῖον

the shadow of the gnomon: neut nom /voc /acc pl

στοιχεῖο, στοιχέω

to be drawn up in a line: pres opt mp 2nd sg (epic ionic)

στοιχεῖαι, στοιχέω

to be drawn up in a line: pres ind mp 2nd sg (epic ionic)

στοιχεῖα, στοιχεῖον

the shadow of the gnomon: neut nom /voc /acc pl

στοιχεῖον

the shadow of the gnomon: neut nom /voc /acc pl

στοιχεῖον

the shadow of the gnomon: neut nom /voc /acc pl

στοιχεί̱οιν, στοιχεῖον

the shadow of the gnomon: neut gen /dat dual

στοιχεί̱οις, στοιχεῖον

the shadow of the gnomon: neut dat pl

στοιχεί̱ου, στοιχεῖον

the shadow of the gnomon: neut gen sg

στοιχεί̱ῳ, στοιχεῖον

the shadow of the gnomon: neut dat sg

στοιχεί̱ων, στοιχεῖον

the shadow of the gnomon: neut gen pl

δεῖπνον, τό,

A meal: in Hom. sts. noonday meal, Il.11.86; sts. = ἄριστον, morning meal, 2.381, 10.578, 19.171sq., Od.15.94sq., 500; sts. = δόρπον, evening meal, 17.176, 20.390sq.; later,the midday meal,

σῖτον εἰδέναι διώρισα, ἄριστα, δεῖπνα, δόρπα θ' αἱρεῖσθαι τρίτα A.Fr. 182

; later, the afternoon meal, dinner or supper,

σοὶ δὲ μελήσει, ὅτανᾖ δεκάπουν τὸ στοιχεῖον, λιπαρῷ χωρεῖν ἐπὶ δ. Ar.Ec. 652

: freq. in pl., S.OT 779, El. 203(lyr.);

δ. Θυέστου E.Or. 1008

(lyr.); ἀπὸ δείπνου straight-way after the meal,

ἀπὸ δ. αὐτοῦ θωρήσσοντο Il.8.54

, cf. Antipho 1.17; καλεῖν ἐπὶ δεῖπνον, κεκλῆσθαι ἐπὶ δ., Eub.72,119.2;

δ. παρασκευάζειν Pherecr.45

, 172;

παραθεῖναι Id.184

;

ποιεῖν Dionys.Com.2.4

; of animals, etc., Hom.Epigr.11, Ael.VH1.12, 12.27.

2 generally, food, provender,

ἵπποισιν δεῖπνον δότε Il.2.383

;

ὄρνισι δεῖπνον A. Supp. 801

; κοράκεσσιν Epigr. ap. Philostr.Her.19.17.

δίγαμμα, τό, indecl., Priscian.Inst.1.12, Donat.ad Ter.Andr.173: —also [full] δίγαμμος

A littera, Ter.Maur.163, cf. 645, and [full] δίγαμμον (sc. στοιχεῖον) Quint.Inst.1.4.7, Prob.ad Verg.G.1.70:—digamma, Trypho Pass.11;

δ. Αἰολικόν A.D.Pron.76.32

,al.; described, though not named, by D.H.1.20: ὥσπερ γάμμα διτταῖς ἐπὶ μίαν ὀρθὴν ἐπιζευγνύμενον ταῖς πλαγίοις, ὡς φελένη καὶ φάναξ καὶ φοῖκος καὶ φαήρ.

δίυγρος, ον,

A washed out, pale,

δ. τὴν εἰδέην Hp.Int.43

(A.Th. 990 is corrupt).

2 of a melting glance,

νεῦμα δ. AP12.68.7

(Mel.).

II liquid, moist, Arist.Pr. 887b25;

ἀναθυμίασις Porph. Sent.29

; στοιχεῖον δ., of the sea, Id. ap. Eus.PE3.11;

τὸ δ. τῆς ὕλης Jul.Or.5.165d

;

πνεῦμα Iamb.Myst.4.13

; watery,

αἷμα Steph. in Hp. 1.132

D.

δῠσανάλωτος [ᾱλ], ον,

A hard to destroy, consume,

στοιχεῖον Ph.2.505

.