Acts of Sent Away Ones 1

τεκμήριον, ου (τό)

1. Sign of recognition (signe de reconnaissance):
Originally, the term referred to a distinctive mark or sign by which something could be recognized or identified. Examples include uses in Herodotus (Hdt. 2,13) and tragedy such as Aeschylus (Agamemnon 1366), Sophocles (Electra 744). It carries the sense of a visible or noticeable indication — a symptom or token that serves as evidence of something.

2. Mark, testimony, evidence, proof (marque, témoignage, preuve):
By extension, τεκμήριον came to mean any form of proof or demonstration — an argument or piece of evidence presented to establish a fact or truth. It can be something that provides or yields proof (παρέχεσθαι, διδόναι), as seen in Xenophon (Agesilaus 6.1) or the philosophical dialogues of Plato (Theaetetus 185b, 158b).

• It can mean to demonstrate or prove something by logical or empirical means (ἀποδεικνύναι, ἀποφαίνειν).

• In rhetoric and logic, τεκμήριον is understood as a conclusive proof, distinguished from less certain signs such as σημεῖον (sign) or εἰκός (probability). Aristotle treats it as a form of proof that yields certainty, contrasting with these other types of evidence that might be fallible or probabilistic (see Aristotle, Analytica Posteriora 2.27.7; Rhetoric 1.2.16 and 2.25.8).

Typical usage in discourse:
It is common for a speaker or writer to introduce a τεκμήριον with the phrase τεκμήριον δέ τούτο (“and here is the proof for this”), sometimes followed by the particle γάρ to explain or justify the assertion with evidence, as seen in Herodotus (2.58), Thucydides (2.50), or Demosthenes (459, 28).

Etymology:
The word derives from τέκμαρ, which also denotes a fixed, established sign or limit, something that marks certainty or serves as a criterion.

Summary:

• τεκμήριον began as a recognizable sign or mark, a symptom or distinctive token.

• It evolved to signify a piece of evidence, proof, or testimony that can establish the truth of a claim.

• Philosophically and rhetorically, it indicates conclusive proof (as opposed to probable signs).

• Often introduced in argumentation as a clear and authoritative demonstration of the point under discussion.

(cf. LSJ, Bailley)

The phrase τῇ ἰδίᾳ ἐξουσίᾳ employs the feminine singular dative article τῇ with ἰδίᾳ, an adjective meaning “own” or “private,” modifying ἐξουσίᾳ (dative singular of ἐξουσία), which denotes “authority” or “power.” The construction thus literally means “by (or with) his/her own authority,” emphasizing the personal, inherent, or non-delegated nature of the authority in question. Such phrasing is commonly found in classical Greek texts to distinguish between an individual’s intrinsic right or power versus externally conferred or collective authority. The dative case here is instrumental, indicating the means or basis by which an action is undertaken.

Traditional biases reflecting the assumption of male agency in matters of power and control led to the traditional translation of "his own authority." However, the grammatical form itself is gender-neutral, allowing for either masculine or feminine reference depending on context or bias.

The verb ἐπήρθη is the aorist passive form of ἐπαίρω (also found as ἐπᾰείρω in Ionian and poetic contexts), which classical usage consistently attests to the specific meaning of "lifting up and setting on" or "raising from below." As detailed in LSJ, examples from Homer (e.g., Il. 7.426, 9.214) illustrate the physical lifting of objects such as chariots and spits, emphasizing an upward motion starting from beneath the object. The semantic field extends to raising the head, lifting the veil, or elevating one’s gaze (Il. 10.80; Sophocles, Philoctetes 889).

This verbal root often conveys not “taking up” but the deliberate and physical action of lifting from a supporting base or ground, implying spatial and mechanical elevation (cf. ἐπαίρω with κεφαλὴν ἐπαείρας). The passive aorist form, ἐπήρθην, similarly denotes being “lifted up” or “raised,” frequently with a clear sense of upward motion from underneath (e.g., Euripides Iphigenia in Tauris 1276c).

Beyond literal lifting, ἐπαίρω also acquires metaphorical senses of stirring up, exciting, or exalting, but in contexts of physical motion the core meaning remains grounded in raising or lifting from below. Thus, the usage of ἐπήρθη in contexts describing an object or person being "lifted up" should be understood as emphasizing elevation from beneath, rather than a neutral or generic "taken up."

This word contrasts with ἀνελήμφθη just used in v1:2 "picked up/caught up/taken up."

Working for Hire

The phrase μισθοῦ τῆς ἀδικίας is best understood not merely as the condemnatory “wages of injustice” or "reward of unrighteousness" (a very abstract sense), but more precisely as “the wages received from the unjust one.” Note the usage of the definite article. The genitive τῆς ἀδικίας functions here as a possessive or personal genitive, indicating the source or agent—namely, an unjust person or master. This reading implies a concrete social relationship in which the subject is employed by, or working for, an unjust employer rather than simply engaging in wrongful activity for any reward. Such a genitive construction, denoting the giver or possessor of the wages, is common in classical Greek usage (cf. Thuc. 1.123; Soph. Aj. 968). Consequently, μισθοῦ τῆς ἀδικίας connotes a transactional dynamic wherein the individual receives compensation from an unjust principal, thus emphasizing servitude or employment under unjust authority rather than abstract injustice. This interpretation accords with broader semantic patterns of μισθός and genitive agency in ancient Greek literature.

Won a Plot, Acquired by effort

Cf. Pind. Nem. 9.52: φιάλαις, ἅς ποθʼ ἵπποι κτησάμεναι Χρομίῳ πέμψαν, where κτάομαι (aor. mid. part.) denotes the acquisition of victory prizes in equestrian contests; Isthm. 9.4: σὺν θεῶν δέ νιν αἴσᾳ Ὕλλου τε καὶ Αἰγιμιοῦ Δωριεὺς ἐλθὼν στρατὸς ἐκτήσατο (mss.; ἐκτίσσατο Herm.), describing the Dorian conquest of territory, with the verb connoting military acquisition; and Pae. 2.59: τοὶ σὺν πολέμῳ κτησάμ[ενοι] χθόνα πολύδωρον, where κτάομαι again refers to winning land by force. These passages illustrate a semantic range centered on the procurement of land or goods through effort, contest, or divine favor. This usage informs the reading of ἐκτήσατο χωρίον in Acts 1:18, where the phrase carries ironic overtones. The verb traditionally connotes heroic or noble acquisition, yet here it is paired with μισθὸς τῆς ἀδικίας, a wage of an unjust one.

The verb λάσκω (with imperfect ἔλασκον, future λᾰκήσομαι, and perfect λέληκα) primarily denotes the production of sharp or loud sounds and is especially used to describe vocal utterances by humans. Rather than signifying any physical action of “bursting open,” it is attested in classical and tragic literature as meaning “to shout,” “to scream,” or “to cry aloud.”

This usage includes the utterance of oracles or prophetic proclamations (e.g., Aeschylus Agamemnon 1426; Sophocles Trachiniae 824; Aristophanes Plutus 39). The verb’s semantic domain thus centers on the emission of vocal sounds conveying emotion, alarm, or divine communication, rather than any material rupture or explosion of the body or objects.

Summary of meanings of λάσκω:

1. Ring, rattle, crash (of things):
   Describes sharp, resonant sounds made by objects when struck or stressed, such as metal clanging, shields ringing, bones cracking, wood crackling by fire, or creaking under weight. This sense primarily occurs in the second aorist active forms.

2. Scream or howl (of animals):
   Refers to sharp vocal sounds made by animals—falcons screaming, nightingales in distress, or dogs howling or baying. This sense is mostly found in the perfect tense and aorist medial forms.

3. Shout, scream, or cry aloud (of humans):
   Applies to human vocalizations including shouting, screaming, crying out in fear or alarm, uttering oracles or prophetic pronouncements, and singing. Frequently used in tragic and comic contexts to denote loud vocal expression or proclamation.

4. Utter aloud or shriek forth (with accusative cognate):
   In tragic drama, it specifically means to vocally express or proclaim something intensely, such as a lament, announcement, or dreadful news.

(cf. LSJ λάσκω)

The term ἔπαυλις exhibits a range of meanings depending on context. In Demades (On the Twelve Years 1.14), it denotes an enclosure or pasture for cattle and sheep, emphasizing an agricultural pen.

In Acts 1, the Septuagint uses ἔπαυλις metaphorically for a dwelling place or habitation, reflecting a settled estate (Psalm 69:25 LXX). טירה is fortress, encampment, battlement. 

Plutarch (Marcus Cato 2) employs it to signify a country estate or rural property associated with landed wealth. Chariton (De Chaerea et Callirhoe 1.13) describes an ἔπαυλις as a luxurious country house or villa, emphasizing comfort and status. Thus, the term ranges from a simple animal pen to an expansive rural residence, illustrating its semantic breadth in classical and Hellenistic Greek literature.