Bible Lexicons

In P Petr II. 33A. .24 (a steward’s account) we have mention of δοκοί in a fragmentary context, but following τὰ ξύλα. Cf. P Lond 280.11 (A.D. 55) (= II. p. 194, Chrest. I. p. 371) ἐκ τῶν ἐμ ]ῶν δαπανῶ [ν μ ]ηχανὴν ἐλαιου [ργικὴν καὶ τ ]ῆς αὐτῆς θυίαν καὶ τὰ ἀνήκοντα ξυλικὰ ἀργαλεῖ [α ] καὶ δοκὸν τὴν ὑπὲρ τ [ὴ ]ν μηχανὴν προσανγέλλω, τοῦτο κτλ., Chrest. I. 176.15 (middle i/A.D.) ἐπεὶ οὖν καὶ αὐτὸ τὸ ἐλαιουργῖον συνεχυτρώθη καὶ ἠναγκάσθην δοκοὺς καὶ ἐρείσματα παρατιθένα [ι, ";props"; for the repair of an oil-press, P Flor II. 127.5 (A.D. 256) τὸ βαλανεῖον παντὶ τρόπῳ ποίησον ὑποκαυθῆναι καὶ δοκοὺς εἰς αὐτὸ παρενεχθῆναι ποιήσας, ";logs"; for the heating of a bath. Syll 587.62 (B.C. 329–8) mentions δοκοί and στρωτῆρες together in the accounts for the building of a temple τοῖν θεοῖν : Dittenberger shows that the prices indicate the former to be heavy beams on which the latter were laid transversely. It is obvious that the Oriental hyperbole in Matthew 7:3 ff. will admit of no tempering from the usage of the word. A new verb δοκόω, ";furnish with beams,"; occurs in the P Grenf II. 35.6 (B.C. 98), P Amh II. 51.13, .28 (B.C. 88), P Ryl II. 249.8 (B.C. 118).