ἀντάλλαγμα (antallagma)
antallagma
in exchange
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun antallagma refers to something given in exchange for another thing, specifically a purchasing price or the equivalent value received in a transaction. Derived from roots meaning "in place of" and "to change," it captures the concrete reality of a trade where one item is surrendered to acquire another. In the New Testament, this term appears only twice, both times within the Synoptic Gospels.
Jesus employs this commercial language to illustrate the supreme cost of discipleship in Matthew 16:26 and Mark 8:37. He asks what profit a person gains if they secure the whole world yet lose their soul, noting that nothing can be given as an antallagma—a sufficient exchange price—to redeem it. The word underscores the impossibility of balancing such a spiritual loss with any earthly gain.
Its usage highlights a stark economic metaphor: the soul has infinite value that no finite resource can match. Translators typically render this as "price" or "exchange," emphasizing that there is no market rate high enough to buy back what has been forfeited. The term serves as a reminder that some losses are irreversible and cannot be compensated by any temporal wealth.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word antallagma describes a specific transaction: giving one thing to get another. It is the price paid in a trade. Jesus uses this clear, everyday language in Matthew and Mark to ask a hard question. He asks what profit there is in gaining everything the world offers if you lose your soul.
The point is simple but deep. No amount of money, status, or power can be given as an antallagma to buy back a lost life. The soul has a value that no earthly currency can match. This reminds us that our worth is not defined by what we accumulate, but by the One who holds us.
When you feel pressured to trade your peace for success, remember this word. Your life is too precious to be bartered away for temporary gain. Rest in the truth that you are valued beyond measure, and no exchange can diminish that reality.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- [as] an exchange for1×
- [as] an exchange1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἀντάλλαγμα2×
Key Verses
-
Matthew 16:26
For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what will a man give in exchange for his life?
Jesus uses this term to highlight the impossibility of compensating for the loss of one's soul with any earthly wealth.
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Mark 8:37
For what will a man give in exchange for his life?
This verse reinforces the same truth, emphasizing that no payment exists large enough to redeem a forfeited life.