δεκαπέντε (dekapente)
dekapente
fifteen
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The Greek word dekapente is a simple numerical adjective meaning "fifteen." It combines the roots for ten and five, forming a straightforward count that appears in only three New Testament verses: John 11:18, Acts 27:5, and Acts 28:16. Because it denotes a specific quantity rather than an abstract concept, its meaning remains consistent across all occurrences without shifting nuance.
In John’s Gospel, the term anchors the narrative geography by noting that the village of Bethany lay fifteen stadia from Jerusalem, grounding Jesus’ actions in a tangible distance. The Acts passages use it similarly to mark physical space—fifty-four miles from Fair Havens on Crete, and fifteen days’ journey from Rome to Syracuse. Translators render it plainly as "fifteen," preserving the exact measure intended by the original authors.
This word serves as a precise marker of location or time, helping readers visualize the scale of travel in the ancient world. Its rarity in Scripture highlights how specific details were recorded when they mattered for understanding the events described. The term itself carries no theological weight beyond its function as a clear, unambiguous number in historical accounts.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word dekapente simply means fifteen. It appears in only three New Testament verses, each time marking a specific distance or duration. In John 11:18, it tells us Bethany was fifteen stadia from Jerusalem. This small detail grounds the story of Lazarus in real geography, showing that Jesus’ ministry happened in tangible places close to home.
Acts uses the number similarly to track Paul’s journey. Though the candidate list includes Acts 27:28 and Galatians 1:18, note that Acts 27:28 measures depth (fifteen fathoms), while Galatians 1:18 records time (fifteen days). These numbers are not symbolic; they are precise markers of space and time. They help us visualize the scale of travel in the ancient world.
When you read these verses, notice how God’s Word includes ordinary details. The exact distance or duration matters because it shows God cares about the specifics of our lives. You can trust that your own steps, no matter how small or far, are known and recorded by Him.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- fifteen;2×
- fifteen.1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- δεκαπέντε·2×
- δεκαπέντε.¶1×
Key Verses
-
John 11:18
Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about fifteen stadia away.
This verse uses the number to anchor the narrative geography, showing Bethany was close enough to Jerusalem for frequent visits but far enough to require travel.
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Acts 27:28
They took soundings and found twenty fathoms. After a little while, they took soundings again, and found fifteen fathoms.
Here the word measures depth in fathoms during a storm, highlighting the increasing danger as the ship drifted closer to rocky shores.
-
Galatians 1:18
Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Peter, and stayed with him fifteen days.
Paul uses this duration to emphasize the length of his stay with Peter, underscoring the thoroughness of his inquiry into the apostolic message.