πῆχυς

πῆχυς, εως, ὁ (Hom.+; ins, pap, LXX, En, TestSol, TestAbr; TestJud 3:7; GrBar, ApcEsdr, EpArist, Philo, Joseph., apolog.) gen. pl. πηχῶν (un-Att.: X., An. 4, 7, 16; Polyb., Diod S, Hero Alex., Plut.; SIG 1231, 14; pap [Mayser p. 267]; LXX [s. Thackeray p. 151, 21]; En 7:2; Jos., Bell. 6, 166, C. Ap. 2, 119; SibOr 5, 57.—Phryn. p. 245 Lob.; Schwyzer I 573; Dssm., B 152 [BS 153f]; B-D-F §48; Mlt-H. 140f) orig. ‘forearm’ then cubit or ell as a measure of length (Poll. 2, 158: ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ ὠλεκράνου πρὸς τὸ τοῦ μέσου δακτύλου ἄκρον, τὸ διάστημα πῆχυς=a cubit is the distance from the elbow to the end of the middle finger; about 45–52 cm.—KHermann, Lehrb. der griech. Antiquitäten IV³ 1882, 438ff; FHultsch, APF 3, 1906, 438ff) Rv 21:17 (Lucian’s marvelous city [Ver. Hist. 2, 11] is measured not by the ordinary human cubit, but by the πῆχυς βασιλικός). ὡς ἀπὸ πηχῶν διακοσίων about ninety meters away (s. ἀπό 4) J 21:8. προσθεῖναι πῆχυν (cp. Epicharmus in Diog. L. 3, 11 μέτρον παχυαῖον ποτθέμειν): προσθεῖναι ἐπὶ τὴν ἡλικίαν αὐτοῦ π. (ἔνα) Mt 6:27; Lk 12:25 (Damasc., Vi. Isid. 166 of spiritual growth: αὔξεσθαι κατὰ πῆχυν; Epict. 3, 2, 10 γέγονέ σου τὸ ψυχάριον ἀντὶ δακτυλιαίου δίπηχυ=your little soul, as long as a finger, has become two cubits in length [because you were praised]). This expression has produced two major lines of interpr.: as ref. to length of life (s. ἡλικία 1a and cp. Mimnermus 2, 3 Diehl² πήχυιον ἐπὶ χρόνον=‘for only a cubit of time’) add a single hour to your span of life NRSV; cp. Betz, SM p. 475f; as ref. to bodily growth add one cubit to your height / add a cubit to your stature NRSV mg. The former has been commended because the addition of a cubit in the sense of time appears to be a small matter, whereas a πῆχυς of bodily stature is monstrously large (Alcaeus, Fgm. 50 D.² gives the measurement of an enormous giant as less than 5 cubits). But this objection fails to take account of freq. use of hyperbole in the dominical discourse. Moreover, the context of both pass. deals with food and clothing. Food provides the nourishment that sustains growth as well as life. Disciples do not grow to their present heights by worrying. The description ἐλάχιστον (Lk 12:26) appears to be an exquisite bit of irony climaxing the hyperbole.—B. 236f. DELG. M-M.

Grammatical information: m.

Meaning: `forearm, arm' (cf. βραχίων), also as measure = `cubit' and metaph. in diff. meanings (Il.).

Other forms: Dor. Aeol. πᾶχυς, - εος, - εως.

Compounds: Often as 2. member, e.g. δί-πηχυς `two cubits long' (IA.).

Derivatives: 1. dimin. πηχίσκος m. (Anon. ap. Suid.); 2. adj. πηχυ-αῖος (IA., παχυ- Epich.), - ιος (Mimn., A. R.) `cubits long'; 3. verbs: πηχίζω `to measure by the cubit' (LXX) with πηχ-ισμός m. `measuring by the cubit' (LXX, pap.), - ισμα n. `cubit-measure' (Sm.); πηχύνω ( περι-πῆχυς) `to embrace' (hell. a. late epic).

Origin: IE [Indo-European] [108] * bʰeh₂gʰu- `lower arm, elbow'

Etymology: Old inherited name of a member, in several languages retained: Skt. bāhú-, Av. bāzu- m. `lower arm, arm, foreleg of an animal', Germ., e.g. OWNo. bōgr, OHG buog m. `the upper part of the foreleg, Bug'; IE *bhāǵhu-; here, with unclear transformation of the stem, Toch. A poke, B obl. pokai `arm' (on the phonetics v. Windekens Orbis 11, 191 f. a. 12, 190). Also on Italic bottom the word was once alive, if with Pisani KZ 71, 44 Lat. trifāx, - ācis `a three ell long weapon' as Oscan LW [loanword] belongs here. -- A basic verb, IE *bhaǵh-, Benveniste BSL 52, 60 ff. wants to see on Iran. soil in Oss. i-væz- `stretch out' (Iran. *băz-); not very credible, cf. Mayrhofer s. bāhúḥ w. lit. (the short vowel makes a problem.

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πῆχυς

forearm: masc nom sg

πῆχυς

forearm: masc nom sg

πῆχυς ([dialect] Aeol. [full] πᾶχυς Alc.33), ὁ, gen.

A

πήχεος Hp.Fract.2

, al., Hdt. 1.178, Pl.Alc.1.126d, Arist.Mir. 813a10, LXXEx.25.9, al., Plb.10.44.2, Ph.Bel.73.42,

πήχεως Arist.HA 606a14

(v.l. - εος), PCair.Zen.484.10 (iii B.C.), πήχως (condemned by Phryn.222) corrected to

πήχεος PCair.Zen.665.1

(iii B. C.) : gen. pl.

πήχεων IG12.314.39

, 22.1673.15, PCair.Zen.353.10 (iii B. C.); later [var] contr.

πηχῶν X.An.4.7.16

codd., Arist.Pol. 1302b37, PCair.Zen.54.4 (iii B. C.), PStrassb.85.20 (ii B. C.), Phld.Sign.2, Phryn.222, Moer.p.327 P.:— forearm, from wrist to elbow, Hp.Fract.2, 3, al., Poll.2.140 ; opp. βραχίων, Pl.Ti. 75a, X. Eq.12.5: in Poets, generally, arm,

ἀμφὶ δ' ἑὸν φίλον υίὸν ἐχεύατο πήχεε λευκώ Il.5.314

, cf. Od.17.38, 23.240 ; λευκὸν ἀντείνασα π. B.Fr.13.4, cf. E.Or. 1466 (lyr.) ; λαιὸν ἔπαιρε π. Id.Heracl. 728.

2 Anat., ulna, Ruf.Onom.80, Gal.UP2.2, Sor.Fract.20.

II centrepiece, which joined the two horns of the bow,

τόν ῥ' [ὀϊστὸν] ἐπὶ πήχει ἑλὼν ἕλκεν νευρήν Od.21.419

;

ὁ δὲ τόξου πῆχυν ἄνελκε Il.11.375

, 13.583.

III in pl., horns of the lyre, opp. ζυγόν (the bridge), Hdt.4.192 ;

πήχεις ἐναρμόσας καὶ ζυγώσας Luc.DDeor.7.4

.

2 also, = ζυγόν, crosspiece or bridge in which the horns were fitted, Artemo Hist.12.

IV in the balance, beam, IG22.1013.32, Theol.Ar. 29.

V as a measure of length, distance from the point of the elbow to that of the middle finger, = 6 παλασταί = 24 δάκτυλοι, Poll.2.158 ;

π. μέτριος Hdt.1.178

; π. ἰδιωτικός, κοινός, Sch.Luc.Cat.16 ; but π. βασιλήϊος, = 27 δάκτυλοι, Hdt.1.178, 7.117 ;

ὁ Αἰγύπτιος π. τυγχάνει ἴσος ἐὼν τῷ Σαμίῳ Id.2.168

, cf. Luc. l. c. ; for later measurements, Hero Deff.131, Geom.4.2,al.

2 cubit-rule, as we say 'foot-rule', Ar. Ra. 799, Gal.1.47 ;

π. ἀκαμπής AP6.204

(Leon.) ; as epith. of Nemesis, APl.4.223, 224.

3 metaph. of any small amount (cf. πήχυιος), Ev.Matt.6.27 ; κατὰ πῆχυν little by little, Marin.Procl.26.

VI πήχεις, οἱ, the cubits (of inundation), represented in pictures as children one cubit high playing round the Nile, Luc.Rh.Pr.6, Philostr. Im.1.5. (Cf. Skt. bāhú-, Avest. bāzu- (masc.) 'arm', ONorse bógr 'shoulder'.)

-εως ⁺ ὁ N 3 51-68-103-12-11=245 Gn 6,15(ter).16; 7,20

arm Prv 31,19; cubit (measure of length) Gn 6,15

πῆχυς

forearm: masc nom /voc /acc dual (attic epic)

πῆχυς

forearm: masc dat sg

πῆχυς

forearm: masc gen pl (epic doric ionic aeolic)

πῆχυς

forearm: masc acc pl (homeric ionic)

πῆχυς

forearm: masc nom /voc /acc dual (epic ionic)

πῆχυς

forearm: masc nom /voc pl (epic ionic)

πῆχυς

forearm: masc nom /voc pl (attic epic)

πῆχυς

forearm: masc gen sg (epic)

πῆχυς

forearm: masc dat pl

πῆχυς

forearm: masc dat pl

πῆχυς

forearm: masc nom /voc /acc dual (doric aeolic)

βρᾰχ-ίων [ῑ], ονος, ὁ,

A arm (opp. πῆχυς, Pl.Ti. 75a, but = πῆχυς, Arist.MA 698b2), Il.13.529, Hdt.5.12, X.Eq.12.5, Arist.HA 493b26, etc.; πρυμνὸς βραχίων the shoulder, Il.13.532, 16.323; also, shoulder of beasts, ib. 594b13:—Poet. as a symbol of strength, ἐκ βραχιόνων by force of arm, E.Supp. 478.

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βρᾰχίων [[dialect] Ion. [pron. full] ῐ, [dialect] Att. [pron. full] ῑ], [full] βράχιστος, [comp] Comp. and [comp] Sup. of βραχύς.

οἰκοπεδ-ικὸς πῆχυς,

A rectangle measuring 1 cubit ([etym.] πῆχυς) x 100 cubits, Mitteis Chr. 31 v 9 (ii B. C.), PPar.15.42 (ii B. C.), POxy.669.9 (iii A. D.).

ἡλικία, ας, ἡ (Hom.+)

① the period of time that one’s life continues, age, time of life

ⓐ gener. of time that is past. Mt 6:27=Lk 12:25 προσθεῖναι ἐπὶ τ. ἡλικίαν αὐτοῦ πῆχυν ἕνα, where acc. to the context the ref. is to someth. insignificant (Lk 12:26 has expressly ἐλάχιστον.—Paus. Attic. ς, 22 evaluates as τὸ ἐλάχιστον the expression σπιθαμὴ τοῦ βίου=a span [the distance between thumb and little finger of the extended hand] of life), may refer to length of life (so Goodsp. Probs. 24–26, following Wetstein), not to bodily size, and πῆχυς is then a measure of time (cp. Hebr. Ps 39:6 and s. πῆχυς). Likew. perh. in the par. Ox 655, 13–15 (GTh 67, 34; Fitzmyer 544) τίς ἄν προσθ‹εί›η| ἐπὶ τὴν εἱλικίαν| ὑμῶν; ‘who could add to your time of life?’ On the other hand, the context also speaks of nourishment and growth, and the saying may be one of the typically bold dominical sayings w. the sense: ‘Who grows by worrying about one’s height?’ (s. 3 below).—Fr. the context, ἡλ. in the sense of ‘age’ can be more closely defined as youthfulness (4 Macc 8:10, 20) IMg 3:1; MPol 3:1, or old age 7:2; 9:2 (cp. 4 Macc 5:6, 11, 36).

ⓑ of age gener., including the years lying ahead προκόπτειν ἐν (missing in many mss.) τ. ἡλικίᾳ increase in years (but s. 3 below) Lk 2:52 (cp. SIG 708, 17–19: ins in honor of a young man of Istropolis [II B.C.] [τῇ] τε ἡλικίᾳ προκόπτων καὶ προαγόμενος εἰς τὸ θεοσεβεῖν ὡς ἔπρεπεν αὐτῷ πρῶτον μὲν ἐτείμησεν τοὺς θεοὺς ‘advancing in years and growing in piety as became him, he showed honor first to the gods’; Biogr. p. 266.—On σοφία, ἡλικία, χάρις: AFridrichsen, SymbOsl 6, 1928, 33–38).

② the age which is sufficient or requisite for certain things, maturity (Jos., Ant. 1, 68; 2, 230a).

ⓐ the age of strength (2 Macc 5:24; 7:27; En 106:1), also of women (αἱ ἐν ἡλ. παρθένοι or γυναῖκες in Hippocr., Pla., Plut.) παρὰ καιρὸν ἡλικίας past the normal age (παρά C3) Hb 11:11 (s. καταβολή 1 and 2 and s. Philo, Abr. 195). Thus fig. Eph 4:13: εἰς ἄνδρα τέλειον, εἰς μέτρον ἡλικίας τοῦ πληρώματος τ. Χριστοῦ, ἵνα μηκέτι ὦμεν νήπιοι to the measure of the full maturity of Christ, who is a mature person (τέλειος), not a (νήπιος) minor (cp. Diod S 18, 57, 2 εἰς ἡλικίαν ἔρχεσθαι); but s. 3 below.

ⓑ the age of legal maturity, majority (oft. in pap) ἡλικίαν ἔχειν be of age (Pla., Euthd. 306d; Plut., Mor. 547a; BGU 168, 5 τοῖς ἀτελέσι ἔχουσι τ. ἡλικίαν) J 9:21, 23.

③ bodily stature (Hdt. 3, 16; Pla., Euthd. 271b; Demosth. 40, 56; Diod S 3, 35, 6; Plut., Philop. 362 [11, 2]; Lucian, Ver. Hist. 1, 40; Jos., Ant. 2, 230b) τῇ ἡλικίᾳ μικρὸς ἦν small of stature Lk 19:3. Some scholars hold that Mt 6:27; Lk 12:25 should be listed here (s. Field, Notes, 6f); many would prefer stature for Lk 2:52; Eph 4:13.—B. 956. DELG s.v. ἧλιξ. M-M. TW. Sv.