Quick Definition
κόφινος, ου, ὁ n.m. a large basket
Strong's Definition
of uncertain derivation; a (small) basket
KJV Usage: basket
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
noun, m. | -ου
6.150 · Artifacts · Containers
large basket a relatively large basket used primarily for food or produce Translators often find it difficult to obtain satisfactory equivalents of σπυρίς (6.149) and κόφινος, since in various receptor languages there are highly specific terms for particular kinds of baskets depending upon type of construction and size. Unfortunately, there is no way of determining from the Greek text precisely the size or type of baskets involved in references to σπυρίς and κόφινος.
MAT 14:20 · MAT 16:9 · MRK 6:43 · MRK 8:19 · LUK 9:17 · JHN 6:13
1 Neither from NT contexts nor from extrabiblical usage can one determine precisely the differences in meaning between these three terms for baskets: σαργάνη (6.148), σπυρίς (6.149), and κόφινος (6.150).
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
κόφινος, -ov, 6, α basket, wicker basket, [cf. B. D. s. v. Basket]: Mt. xiv. 20; [xvi. 9]; Mk. vi. 43; [vili. 19]; Lk. ix.17; Jn. vi. 18. (Judg. vi. 19; Ps. Ixxx. (Ixxxi.) 7; Arstph. av. 1310; Xen. mem. 3, 8, 6; al.)
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
κόφινος kophinos 6x
a large basket, Mt. 14:20; 16:9; Mk. 6:43; 8:19; Lk. 9:17; Jn. 6:13*
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
κόφινος, -ου, ὁ,
[in LXX: Jg 6:19 (סַל), Ps 80 (81):6 (דּוּד)*;]
a basket, probably of wicker-work, such as were carried by Jews for food: Mt 14:20 16:9, Mk 6:43 8:19 Lk 9:17 13:8, Jo 6:13 (cf. σφυρίς).†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
κόφινος. In an interesting note in 77:5 x. p. 567 ff. Dr. Hort has shown that the distinction between κόφινος and σπυρίς is one of material rather than of size, for either basket might be of different sizes, to judge by the uses mentioned in classical and patristic writers. This conclusion can now be confirmed from the Κοινή, as when in certain military accounts, P Oxy I. 43 (A.D. 295) we hear of κόφινοι holding 40 λίτραι-- ἴδ] 7 ἔσχον παρὰ σοῦ κοφίνους δέκα ϑύο ἐκ λιτρῶν τεσσαράκοντα, and a little later ἵν. 16. of—Kodtvous ἀννῶνας, which contained only 20 λίτραι. For the contrast between the two words in Mk 8197. we may quote an ostrakon-letter from the middle of iii/z.c.—@Move Νίκωνος κόφινοι β Πτολεμαίωι ᾿Ασκληπιάδου σφυρίδιον (Archiv vi. p. 220, No. 841). Other exx. of κόφινος are—P Petr II. 39(2)* 44 (taxing accounts) εἰς κοφίνους, where the editor thinks the reference is to a box or basket set on wheels to form a cart, PSI IV. 428% (iii/B.c.) ἐν κοφίνωι με[γάλωι, P Oxy IV. 7398 (c a.D. 1) κοφίνων 7, P Tebt 11. 4055 (iii/A.D.) K6B(= φ)ινος καινός, BGU 11. 4172 (ii/iii a.p.) περὶ τοῦ κοφίνου τῆς σταφυλῆς, and P Flor IT. 269" (a.p. 257) ἐντολὰς λαβέτωσαν οἱ ὀνηλάται κομίσαι σοι τοὺς κοφίνους. The word, which is of Semitic origin (cf. Lewy Fremdwo; ter, p. 115), was used specially by Jews (cf. Juvenal iii. 14, vi. 542), and Hort (é.c.) thinks that it was equivalent to the κάρταλ(λ)ος in which Jews carried first-fruits to Jerusalem. See further s.vv. capyavy and σπυρίς. For a form κόφος, which Dr. Hunt suggests may be equivalent to κόφινος, see the verso of a i/A.p. Hawara papyrus reproduced in Archiv v. p. 381, No. 42, and for the dim. κοφίνιον see P Petr III. 53(7)® (B.c. 224). The widespread use of κόφινος in the ἹΚοινή is fully illustrated by Maidhof p. 308 ff. The word still survives in MGr along with such forms as * κόφα, * κοφοῦνι. κράββατος, ! the poor man’s bed or mattress, and therefore better suited to the narrative in Mk 2‘ than κλίνη which Mt (92) and Lk (578) substitute. In Ac 51° κράββατος is distinguished γί ΄ Κρανιον from κλινάριον : cf. 9% where Lk may have kept the original word of his informant. The word is late (Lob. Pry. p- 62 σκίμπους λέγε, ἀλλὰ μὴ κράββατος), and is probably rightly traced to Macedonian origin (Sturzius Dia/. Mac. p. 175 f.). With Mk 2! Norden (Ant. Kunstprosa ii. p. 532 n.2) contrasts Lucian Philops. 16 ἀράμενος τὸν σκίμποδα, ἐφ᾽ οὗ ἐκεκόμιστο, ᾧχετο ἐς τὸν ἀγρὸν ἀπιών. The spelling varies, but the form given above is found in the best NT MSS. (WSchm p. 56), though δὲ on 10 out of 11 occurrences prefers κράβακτος, for which we can now cite P Tebt II. 4061) (inventory of property—c. A.D. 266) κράβακτος ξύλινος τέλειος, ‘a wooden bedstead in good order,” P Gen 1. 6810 (A.D. 382) ἑρματικὼν χράβακτων (/. ἑρματικὸν κράβ.ακτον) : see also the late P Grenf II. 111%? (v/vi A.p.) (= Chrest. I. 135) κραβάκτίιον), where the editors note that κράββατος is used of a bier by Cedrenus, Jzstinian. an. 31 τοὺς k. τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν (Migne, P.G. cxxi. 736 c), and compare κραβατταρία in the same sense in Chron. Paschal, an. 605 (76. xcii. 976 a), αἱ. KpaéBBaros is found in an inventory of Trajan’s reign, P Lond 19118 (a.p. 103-117) (ΞΞ 11. p. 265): cf. Epict. i. 24. 14 and κραββάτιον in 2b. iii. 22. 74. In an ostracon, probably Ptolemaic, published in 776]. Nicole p. 184 we find κράβατος as in Mk 24 B*: cf. Lat. grabattus, showing that in the West the form with one B prevailed. WSchm p. 56 cites κραβάτριος from C/G II. 2114d@* in the sense of ἀρχικοιτωζε]ίτης (25. add. 2132a8 : cf. Ac 127°)” Jn the German edition of his Prolegomena (Zinleitung, p. 60) Moulton has a note on the significance of the orthographical peculiarities of the NT uncials in connexion with such a word as κράββατος in helping to fix the provenance of the MSS. : the note is reproduced in Lake’s Introduction to his edition of the Cod. Sinaiticus, p. xi. Add that Codex Washington (W) regularly spells the word κράβαττον. According to Thumb (/idog. Forsch. ii. p. 85) κρεββάτι is the normal form in MGr.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
κόφινος (kophinos) — basket. κόφῐν-ος, ὁ, basket, accusative to [Refs 5th c.BC+]; in later times used specially by Jews, [NT+1st c.AD+]
II. Boeotian measure, containing nine Attic choenices, i.e. about two gallons, κ. σίτου [Refs 5th c.BC+]