ταλαντιαῖος (talantiaios)
talantiaios
weighing a talent
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The adjective talantiaios describes something that weighs as much as a talent, an ancient unit of currency and mass. In Revelation 16:21, it modifies the hailstones falling from heaven, emphasizing their crushing physical weight rather than their monetary value. This usage highlights the sheer destructive power of the storm, grounding the apocalyptic imagery in tangible, heavy reality.
Derived from talanton, the word shifts focus from worth to mass. A talent of silver weighed roughly 100 pounds, while gold was significantly heavier. By using talantiaios, the text conveys a sense of overwhelming burden and force, illustrating the severity of divine judgment through the lens of immense physical pressure.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word talantiaios appears only once in Scripture, describing hailstones that weighed as much as a talent. In Revelation 16:21, this adjective shifts our focus from monetary value to crushing physical weight. A single talent could weigh over one hundred pounds, turning gentle snow into devastating projectiles.
This imagery reminds us of the seriousness of divine judgment. The text does not use vague language but grounds apocalyptic events in tangible reality. When we read about such severe plagues, it is easy to feel distant from the ancient world. Yet the message remains clear: God’s justice is real and powerful.
While these verses speak of judgment, they also point to the need for humility before God. We are called to recognize His sovereignty over all creation, including storms and seasons. This awareness invites us to trust in His wisdom, even when we cannot fully understand the reasons behind suffering or hardship.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- a talent weight1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ταλαντιαία1×
Key Verses
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Revelation of John 16:21
Great hailstones, about the weight of a talent, came down out of the sky on people. People blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, for this plague was exceedingly severe.
This verse uses talantiaios to specify that hailstones weighed approximately one talent, emphasizing their destructive physical force rather than any financial value.