δέκᾰτος G1181
tenth; (as noun) a tithe, tenth part
Dekatos means 'tenth' and as a substantive (dekate) refers to the tenth part or tithe. All four New Testament occurrences appear in Hebrews 7, where the author argues for the superiority of Melchizedek's priesthood over the Levitical order. Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils to Melchizedek (Heb 7:2, 4), the Levites collect tithes yet are themselves 'tithed' through Abraham (Heb 7:9), and those who receive tithes are mortal while Melchizedek is attested as living (Heb 7:8). The tithe becomes a tool for priestly-order argumentation.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Tenth or tithe, the tenth portion given as an offering or due. In Hebrews 7:2-9, all four uses serve the argument that Melchizedek's priesthood surpasses Levi's: Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek (Heb 7:2, 4), and the Levites who collect tithes were symbolically tithed through their ancestor (Heb 7:9). Spanish 'diezmos,' French 'Zehnten,' and German 'Zehnten' all derive from their respective words for 'ten,' preserving the transparent etymology of giving a tenth. 4×
AR["أَعْشَارًا", "الأَعْشَارَ", "عُشْرًا"]·ben["দশমাংশ"]·DE["Zehnten"]·EN["tenth", "tithes"]·FR["Zehnten"]·heb["מַעֲשֵׂר", "מַעַשְׂרוֹת", "מַעַשְׂרוֹת-"]·HI["दशमांश", "दशमांश,"]·ID["persepuluhan"]·IT["dekatas", "dekatēn"]·jav["sapersepuluh"]·KO["십일조를"]·PT["dízimo", "dízimos"]·RU["десятину", "десятины"]·ES["diezmos", "décima"]·SW["anayepokea-zaka", "zaka"]·TR["onda-birini", "onda-birleri"]·urd["دسواں-حصہ"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
δέκᾰτος Refs 4th c.AD+ δέκοτος Refs 5th c.BC+, also Aeolic dialect in Refs, η, ον: (δέκα):— tenth, Ἠώς Refs 8th c.BC+; as a round number, Refs 8th c.BC+ __II δεκάτη (i.e. μερίς), ἡ, tenth part, tithe, τᾶς δεκάτας δεκάταν Refs 5th c.BC+; τὰ ἐκ τῆς δ. the produce of the tenth, Refs 4th c.BC+ __II.2 δεκάτη (i.e. ἡμέρα), ἡ, the tenth day, Refs 8th c.BC+ __II.2.b δ. προτέρα· ἡ πρὸ εἰκάδος, ὡς ὑστέρα·…