Bible Lexicons

χρῆσις, εως, ἡ, (χράομαι)

I employment, use made of a thing, ἀνέμων Pi. O. 11(10).2; χρημάτων Democr. 282; οἰκίας Pl. Erx. 394d, cf. SIG 987.33 (Chios, iv B. C.); τὴν κατ' ἀξίαν χ. ποιοῦνται ἑκάστῳ (fort. leg. ἑκάστου) Iamb. Protr. 5; use, practice, Hp. VM 4; in pl., uses, advantages, Pi. N. 1.30; αἱ ἐς τὰ πολεμικὰ χ. the uses of war, X. Cyr. 8.5.7; αἱ πολιτικαὶ χ. Arist. Pol. 1267a23; opp. κτῆσις, Pl. Mx. 238b, Arist. EN 1098b32, Cic. Fam. 7.29.1; opp. πώλησις, X. Oec. 3.9.

2. usefulness, Th. 7.5; opp. ἀχρηστία, Pl. R. 333d; ἐς χρῆσιν κρατύνεσθαι so as to become useful, Hp. Art. 27; ἔχειν χρῆσιν to be useful, D. 11.8.

3. intimacy, acquaintance, ἡ οἰκειότης καὶ ἡ χ. [τῆς πόλεως ] Isoc. Ephesians 2:14; ἡ χ. ἡ πρὸς ἀλλήλους Arist. Pol. 1280a36; αἱ οἴκοι χρήσεις Isoc. 19.11; ἡ τῶν ἀφροδισίων χ. Pl. Lg. 841a, Arist. HA 581b13, cf. Pol. 1262a34 (pl.), Romans 1:26; τὰ ἐν χρήσει familiar objects, Plot. 4.4.37.

4. Gramm., usage, of words, ἡ ἐξαλλαγὴ τῆς συνήθους χ. D.H. Amm. 2.3; ἀναστρέφων τὰς χ. ib.2, cf. A.D. Synt. 119.24, al.; ἡ Πλάτωνος χ. Id. Pron. 72.18; in concrete sense, example of a word or use, πυκνῶς αἱ χ. παρὰ Αἰολεῦσιν ib. 66.3; passage cited, f. l. for κρίσει in D.H. Rh. 4.3; indicated by the symbol [*], Anon. Oxy. 1611.56 (iii A. D.); [*] Ἀριστοφάνους (referring to Av. 1181) An.Ox. 2.452.

II (χράω (B) A), oracular response, ἀπὸ κείνου χρήσιος at his bidding, Pi. O. 13.76.

III (χράω (B) B), lending, loan, Arist. EN 1131a4, Plb. 31.23.4, Ps.-Phoc. 106.