G5585 — ψηφίζω (psēphízō)¶

Core Data¶

Strong's: G5585
Original: ψηφίζω
Transliteration: psēphízō
Pronunciation: psay-fid'-zo
Part of Speech: Verb
Root: ψῆφος G5586 — a worn smooth pebble (used as a voting token or counting stone)
Occurrences: 2 in NT
First Occurrence: Luke 14:28 — "sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost"
Hapax Legomenon: No (appears twice, in 2 different books)

Lexicon Definition¶

From Thayer's: To count with pebbles, to compute, calculate, reckon. Specifically: to reckon up a cost (τὴν δαπάνην, Luke 14:28); to explain by computing a number (τὸν ἀριθμόν, Rev 13:18). In classical Greek, commonly in the middle voice: to give one's vote by casting a pebble into an urn; to decide by voting. Compare compounds: συμψηφίζω (G4860), συγκαταψηφίζομαι (G4785).

(From ψῆφος — the small worn pebble used in counting boards and voting urns in ancient courts.)

Semantic Domains¶

Louw-Nida: - 60.1 — Number, Countless - 32.2 — Come To Understand (by reckoning/working out)

Other words in 60.1: ἀναρίθμητος (G382), ἀριθμέω (G705), ἀριθμός (G706), μυριάς (G3461), μύριοι (G3463), συγκαταψηφίζομαι (G4785), συμψηφίζω (G4860)

UBS Semantic Domains: - [060] Number - [032] Understand

Translation Distribution (KJV)¶

Translation	Count	%
counteth	1	50%
count	1	50%

(All 2 occurrences rendered as some form of "count.")

Distribution by Book¶

Book	Count	Per 100 Verses
Luke	1	0.1
Revelation	1	0.2

Both occurrences are in the NT only. No LXX occurrences. Extremely rare — only 2 verses in the entire Bible.

Semantic Categories¶

1. Practical Calculation — Counting Cost Before Acting¶

The word describes the rational, deliberate act of calculating before undertaking a project.

Luke 14:28 — "For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?" [V-PAI-3S: Present Active Indicative — ongoing/customary action of reckoning]

Context: Jesus' parable on the cost of discipleship. The act of ψηφίζω is presented as standard prudence — you count before you commit.

2. Eschatological Computation — Calculating a Symbolic Number¶

The word is used as an imperative: a command to exercise discernment by calculating.

Rev 13:18 — "Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six." [V-AAM-3S: Aorist Active Imperative — a one-time act of discernment]

Context: The reader is called to ψηφίζω — to reckon out, to calculate — the number 666. The pairing with σοφία (wisdom) and νοῦς (understanding) frames calculation as an act of spiritual insight.

Common Collocations¶

Word	Strong's	Co-occurrences	Typical Pattern
δαπάνη (dapanē)	G1160	1x	"counteth the cost" (Luke 14:28)
πύργος (pyrgos)	G4444	1x	"build a tower" (Luke 14:28)
ἀριθμός (arithmos)	G706	1x	"count the number" (Rev 13:18)
σοφία (sophia)	G4678	1x	"here is wisdom… count" (Rev 13:18)
νοῦς (nous)	G3563	1x	"him that hath understanding, count" (Rev 13:18)
θηρίον (therion)	G2342	1x	"number of the beast" (Rev 13:18)

Word Family / Cognates¶

G5586 ψῆφος (psēphos) — root noun: a small worn pebble; used as a voting stone (Acts 26:10) and promised as a "white stone" to the overcomer (Rev 2:17)
G4785 συγκαταψηφίζομαι (sygkatapsephizomai) — "to vote/count together with" → Acts 1:26 (Matthias was numbered with the eleven apostles)
G4860 συμψηφίζω (sumpsephizo) — "to reckon up together, total up" → Acts 19:19 (they counted the price of the burned books = 50,000 pieces of silver)

Synonyms¶

None listed by search_relationships.py for this lemma.

Antonyms¶

None listed by search_relationships.py for this lemma.

Easily Confused Words¶

Word	Strong's	Shared Translation	Key Difference
λογίζομαι (logizomai)	G3049	"count, reckon"	logizomai = to reason/impute/consider (theological reckoning, imputation of righteousness); psēphízō = concrete arithmetical calculation
ἀριθμέω (arithmeo)	G705	"number, count"	arithmeo = count/enumerate items or people; psēphízō = calculate a sum or total (more like "compute")

Domain Neighbors (Louw-Nida 60.1 — Number, Countless)¶

Strong's	Lemma	Total Verses	Primary KJV Translation
G382	ἀναρίθμητος	1	innumerable
G705	ἀριθμέω	4	numbered
G706	ἀριθμός	15	number
G3461	μυριάς	4	ten thousand / innumerable multitude
G3463	μύριοι	3	ten thousand
G4785	συγκαταψηφίζομαι	1	he was numbered
G4860	συμψηφίζω	1	they counted

Hebrew Source¶

No Hebrew source found — ψηφίζω does not appear to translate a Hebrew OT word through the LXX. It is a native Greek NT coinage for this context.