a gift that is grudgingly granted by avarice

πλεονεξία, ας, ἡ (πλεονέκτης) the state of desiring to have more than one’s due, greediness, insatiableness, avarice, covetousness (so Hdt., Thu.+; Aristoxenus, Fgm. 50 p. 23, 36ff [πλ. as the vice pure and simple]; Diod S 21, 1, 4 [πλ. as the μητρόπολις τῶν ἀδικημάτων]; Musonius 72, 9; 90, 10 H.; Dio Chrys., Or. 67 [17] περί πλεονεξίας: 6 μέγιστον κακῶν αἴτιον; 7 μέγιστον κακόν; Ael. Aristid. 39 p. 733 D.: πλ. is among the three most disgraceful things; Herm. Wr. 13, 7; pap, LXX; Test12Patr; GrBar 13:3; ApcMos 11; EpArist 277; Philo, Spec. Leg. 1, 173, Praem. 15 al.; Jos., Bell. 7, 256, Ant. 3, 67; 7, 37 al.; Just., D. 14, 2; Tat. 19, 2; Ath., R. 21 p. 74, 9; Theoph. Ant. 1, 14 [p. 92, 7]) B 10:4; w. other vices (as Diod S 13, 30, 4 in catalogues of vices. On these s. AVögtle, Die Tugend-u. Lasterkataloge im NT ’36) Ro 1:29; 1 Cl 35:5; B 20:1; D 5:1; Pol 2:2; Hm 6, 2, 5; 8:5. Used w. ἀκαθαρσία Eph 4:19; 5:3. Characterized as εἰδωλολατρία Col 3:5 (s. εἰδωλολατρία, πλεονέκτης and cp. TestJud 19:1. Chaeremon the Stoic, Nero’s teacher, in Porphyr., Abst. 4, 6 [=Chaeremon, Fgm. 10, p. 16 Horst] contrasts πλεονεξία with θεία γνῶσις). Of false teachers 2 Pt 2:3, 14 (s. γυμνάζω end). πρόφασις πλεονεξίας (subj. gen.) pretext for avarice 1 Th 2:5 (cp. Philostrat. I 362, 14 πρόσχημα τ. πλεονεξίας). φυλάσσεσθαι ἀπὸ πάσης πλ. guard against every form of greed Lk 12:15.—The pl. of the individual expressions of greed (B-D-F §142.—X., Cyr. 1, 6, 29; Plut., Pomp. 640 [39, 6]; 2 Macc 4:50; Philo, Agr. 83, Vi. Cont. 70; Jos., Ant. 17, 253; Tat. 19, 2) Mk 7:22.—In 2 Cor 9:5 the context calls for the pregnant mng. a gift that is grudgingly granted by avarice (εὐλογία 4); extortion (Plummer, ICC ad vs. 10c).—WSedgwick, ET 36, 1925, 478f; TManson, JTS 44, ’43, 86f; EKlaar, Πλεονεξία,-έκτης,-εκτεῖν TZ 10, ’54, 395–97.—DELG s.v. ἔχω and πλείων. M-M. TW. Spicq. Sv.