Treasure; Treasurer; Treasury

trezh´ū́r, trezh´ū́r-ẽr, trezh´ū́r-i (אוצר, ’ōcār, גּנז, g^enaz, גּנז, genez, גּנזך, ganzakh, חסן, ḥōṣen מטמון, maṭmōn, מסכּנה, miṣk^enāh, מכמן, mikhman, עתוּד, ‛āthūdh, שׂפן, sāphan; γάζα, gáza, θησαυρός, thēsaurós):

I. In the Old Testament.

1. Treasure

The English word “treasure” has in the Old Testament at least five somewhat distinct meanings as expressed in the words: “treasure,” g^enaz (Aramaic) or genez (Hebrew), usually meaning “the thing stored”; translated “treasures” in Ezr 6:1, but in Ezr 5:17 and Ezr 7:20 translated “treasure-house”: “search made in the king’s treasure-house.” In Est 3:9; Est 4:7 the Hebrew form is translated “treasury,” as is ganzakh in 1Ch 28:11.

2. Storehouse:

“Storehouse,” not the thing stored but the place of storage; ’ōcār means depository, cellar, garner, armory, store or treasure-house. In several places it ought to be translated by some of these words. It is the most frequent word for treasure. the English Revised Version and the American Standard Revised Version both translate in some instances by other words, e.g. 1Ki 7:51, “treasuries of the house of Yahweh,” so also 2Ch 5:1; “treasury” in Neh 7:70, Neh 7:71, “gave to the treasury a thousand darics of gold”; in Job 38:22, “treasuries of the snow” (compare Pro 8:21; Jer 10:13; Jer 51:16; Ezr 2:69).

3. Hidden Riches:

“Treasure” or something concealed. There are 3 Hebrew words with this meaning and all in the King James Version translated “treasure.” (1) Maṭmōn, which literally means “a secret storehouse” and so a secreted valuable, usually money buried, and so hidden riches of any kind, hid treasures: “treasure in your sacks” (Gen 43:23); “dig for it more than for hid treasures” (Job 3:21); “search for her as for hid treasures” (Pro 2:4); “We have stores hidden in the field, of wheat,” etc. (Jer 41:8). (2) Mikhman, treasure as hidden, used only in Dan 11:43: “have power over the treasures of gold and silver.” (3) Sāphan, meaning hidden treasure or valuables concealed: “hidden treasures of the sand” (Deu 33:19).

4. Strength:

Perhaps the strength of riches and so treasure, the Hebrew word being ḥōṣen, from a root meaning to hoard or lay up: “In the house of the righteous is much treasure” (Pro 15:6); “They take treasure and precious things” (Eze 22:25).

5. Something Prepared:

“Something prepared,” made ready, the Hebrew word being ‛āthūdh, meaning “prepared,” “ready,” therefore something of value and so treasure: “have robbed their treasures,” fortifications or other things “made ready” (Isa 10:13).

In the Old Testament the Hebrew word most often translated “treasure” is ’ōcār. It occurs in the sing. as follows: Deu 28:12; 1Ch 29:8; Neh 10:38; Psa 17:14; Psa 135:4; Pro 15:16; Pro 21:20; Ecc 2:8; Isa 33:6; Dan 1:2; Hos 13:15; in the pl.: Deu 32:34; 1Ki 14:26; 1Ki 15:18; 2Ki 12:18; 2Ki 14:14; 2Ki 16:8; 2Ki 18:15; 2Ki 20:13, 2Ki 20:15; 2Ki 24:13, etc.

The same word is in the King James Version translated “treasuries” in 1Ch 9:26; 1Ch 28:12; 2Ch 32:27; Neh 13:12, Neh 13:13; Psa 135:7; and “treasury” in Jos 6:19, Jos 6:24; Jer 38:11.

II. In the New Testament.

1. Gaza:

There are two words translated “treasure”: Gáza is of Persian origin, meaning “treasure.” Found only once in Act 8:27 concerning the Ethiopian “who was over all her (Queen Candace’s) treasure.” In the compound γαζοφυλάκιον, gazophulákion, “guarding of gaza,” the same word appears and the compound is translated “treasury” in Mar 12:41, Mar 12:43 parallel Luk 21:1; Joh 8:20. See TEMPLE; TREASURY (OF TEMPLE).

2. Thesauros:

The word thēsauros means literally, a “deposit,” so wealth and treasure. Evidently throughout the New Testament it has a twofold usage as describing (1) material treasure, either money or other valuable material possession, and (2) spiritual treasure, e.g. “like unto treasure hid in a field” (Mat 13:44); “good treasure of the heart” (Mat 12:35). Other references to material treasure are Mat 6:21; Mat 13:52; Luk 12:21, Luk 12:34, etc. References to spiritual treasure are Mat 19:21; Mar 10:21; Luk 6:45; Luk 12:33; Luk 18:22; plural Mat 6:20; Col 2:3.

In Mat 27:6 the word for “treasury” is κορβανᾶς, korbanás; compare the Revised Version margin. See CORBAN.

Treasurer

(אצר, ’ācar, גּדבר, g^edhābhār, גּזבּר, gizbār, סכן, ṣākhan; οἰκονόμος, oikonómos): (1) ’Acar, meaning primarily “to store up,” and hence, one who lays up in store, i.e. a “treasurer”: “I made treasurers over the treasuries” (Neh 13:13). (2) G^edhābhār (Aramaic), used only in Dan 3:2, Dan 3:3: “treasurers,” named with judges and counselors as recognized officials. (3) Gizbār, used in Ezr 7:21 (Aramaic) and equivalent in Ezr 1:8 (Hebrew): “treasurers beyond the river” and “Mithredath the treasurer.” (4) Ṣākhan, primarily meaning “one who ministers to,” and hence, a keeper of treasure, treasurer: “Get thee unto this treasurer” (Isa 22:15). Perhaps the idea of steward is here intended. (5) Oikonomos, by the King James Version translated “chamberlain,” more properly in the American Standard Revised Version translated “treasurer”: “Erastus the treasurer of the city saluteth you” (Rom 16:23).

Three times in the literature of the apostolic period (2Co_4:7, Col_2:3, Heb_11:26) we find èçóáõñüò in the sense of ‘treasure.’ The word is from ôßèçìé with the paragogic termination -áõñïò and means primarily ‘the receptacle for valuables’ (cf. Mat_2:11). But in the sense of ‘treasury’ we do not find it in the NT outside of Mat_12:35; Mat_13:52 and Luk_6:45. Elsewhere it is used of the things in the receptacle, the valuables, the treasure. In Heb_11:26 the word is applied to ‘the treasures of Egypt’ which Moses gave up for the reproach of Christ, which he considered greater riches. Here the term wavers between the literal and the metaphorical. But in the other two examples the metaphorical alone appears. In 2Co_4:7 it is the ministry of the gospel of Christ, and in Col_2:3 it is the riches of wisdom in Christ, far in excess of human wisdom or the wisdom offered in the so-called ‘mystery-religions’ of the time. In Act_8:27 ãÜæá is a Persian word current in the êïéíÞ (see 2Es_5:17; 2Es_7:20; Polyb., Diod., Plut., etc.). The Persians used it for both ‘treasury’ and ‘treasure,’ as the Greeks did èçóáõñüò (see above); cf. Curt. III. xiii. 5.

‘Treasurer’ occurs only in Rom_16:23 : ‘Erastus the treasurer of the city.’ Here the word is ïἰêïíüìïò (ïἶêïò ‘house,’ and íÝìù, ‘manage’), ‘manager of a house,’ ‘steward,’ ‘superintendent.’ So ὁ ïἰêïíüìïò ôῆò ðüëåùò means ‘superintendent of the city’s business,’ ‘treasurer’ (Vulg. [Note: Vulgate.] arcarius civitatis); cf. Est_8:9, 1Es_4:49, Jos. Ant. XII. iv. 7. The term is applied to apostles and ministers as God’s stewards (1Co_4:1, Tit_1:7). As a matter of fact the Eunuch of Ethiopia was queen Candace’s treasurer ‘over all her treasure’ (Act_8:27).

A. T. Robertson.