Exploring the Meaning of Chorion in Greek

χωρίον refers to a “place,” and in the New Testament it appears in scenes that range from a named prayer-location to a plot of land acquired, sold, or owned. The passages where it occurs show how a “place” can be identified by name, described by proximity, or treated as property with a price and a history.

Occurrences

Matthew 26:36 — “Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go there and pray.””

Here χωρίον marks a definite location reached by movement (“came with them”), and that location is specified by name (“called Gethsemane”). Within the scene it functions as the setting for a deliberate pause: the disciples are told to remain (“Sit here”), while Jesus goes elsewhere within that same setting (“while I go there and pray”). The “place” is not merely a point on a map; it frames a division of roles and a short separation in space connected with prayer.

Mark 14:32 — “They came to a place which was named Gethsemane. He said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I pray.””

As in Matthew, χωρίον identifies the destination of the group (“They came”) and is again tied to a proper name (“named Gethsemane”). The instruction “Sit here” makes the place a temporary station: a spot where waiting is appropriate while another action occurs. Mark’s wording keeps attention on the place as an arrival point and as the immediate environment for Jesus’ praying.

John 4:5 — “So he came to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son, Joseph.”

In this narrative the “place” is expressed as a “parcel of ground” used to locate the city named Sychar (“near the parcel of ground…”). χωρίον contributes a sense of a defined piece of land that serves as a geographical reference point. The description ties the parcel to a remembered act of giving (“that Jacob gave to his son, Joseph”), so the place is anchored not only in space (“near”) but also in relational history—land associated with a transfer from one person to another.

Acts 1:18 — “Now this man obtained a field with the reward for his wickedness, and falling headlong, his body burst open, and all his intestines gushed out.”

Here χωρίον is a “field” that is obtained, and its mention sets up the story that follows. The field’s acquisition is connected with “the reward for his wickedness,” so the place is bound to the circumstances by which it came into someone’s possession. The verse then narrates a shocking event (“falling headlong… burst open”), and the field stands as the locale tied to that grim outcome.

Acts 1:19 — “It became known to everyone who lived in Jerusalem that in their language that field was called ‘Akeldama,’ that is, ‘The field of blood.’”

In the next verse the same place is publicly recognized (“known to everyone who lived in Jerusalem”) and given a name in local speech (“in their language… called ‘Akeldama’”). The naming of the field shows how a “place” can carry a remembered interpretation, explained here with a translated designation (“that is, ‘The field of blood.’”). χωρίον thus participates in communal memory: a particular location becomes identified by a title that preserves what people associate with it.

Acts 4:34 — “For neither was there among them any who lacked, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold,”

χωρίον appears in a plural sense as “lands,” paired with “houses,” and placed within a social practice of selling property. The word contributes the idea of real, owned places that can be transferred for the sake of meeting needs (“neither was there among them any who lacked”). A “place” here is not described by name or scenery; it is an asset that can be sold, and its sale produces “proceeds” brought for distribution.

Acts 5:3 — “But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the price of the land?”

In this confrontation χωρίον is “the land” whose sale price is at issue. The word helps specify what kind of value is being withheld: it is not an abstract sum but “part of the price” connected to a concrete place that has been sold. The land stands behind the moral and communal tension of the scene; the dispute concerns what is done with the value generated from that place.

Acts 5:8 — “Peter answered her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much.” She said, “Yes, for so much.””

Again χωρίον is “the land,” now in a question meant to establish the facts of the transaction (“whether you sold the land for so much”). The “place” is treated as a definable item of sale with an agreed figure attached to it. The exchange is brief and pointed: the land is the object whose sale anchors the inquiry, and the stated amount becomes the basis for evaluating the truthfulness of the speakers.

Acts 28:7 — “Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the chief man of the island, named Publius, who received us, and courteously entertained us for three days.”

Here χωρίον occurs first as “that place,” a location already established in the story (“in the neighborhood of that place”), and then closely alongside “lands” belonging to Publius. The word contributes spatial orientation—there is a center point (“that place”) and an area around it (“the neighborhood”). It also touches on ownership (“lands belonging to the chief man of the island”), linking place to hospitality: the narrative moves from geography and property to reception and care (“received us… entertained us for three days”).

Sense and Usage

Across these passages χωρίον consistently points to a concrete location, but it does so with different kinds of specificity. In the Gethsemane scenes (Matthew 26:36; Mark 14:32), the place is singled out by name and functions as a setting for a deliberate action: arriving, stopping, and praying. The word marks the kind of location that can be entered and inhabited for a time, where a command like “Sit here” makes sense because the place is immediately present and shared by the group.

In John 4:5 the “place” is a “parcel of ground” used as a landmark to situate a city. The emphasis falls on nearness and on how land can retain a remembered association with past giving. A place can therefore be described not only by what happens there in the moment but also by how it is linked to persons and relationships through acts of transfer.

Acts uses χωρίον heavily in connection with property: a “field” obtained (Acts 1:18), a “field” publicly named (Acts 1:19), “lands” sold (Acts 4:34), and “the land” whose price becomes a matter of truthful reporting (Acts 5:3, 5:8). In these contexts a place is something that can be acquired, owned, sold, and assigned a monetary value. Yet even in this property-focused usage, place is more than economic: it can become widely known and labeled in the speech of a community, so that the location itself carries a fixed identity (“called ‘Akeldama’”).

Finally, Acts 28:7 shows χωρίον serving as an anchor point in a broader landscape (“in the neighborhood of that place”), while also moving naturally into the sphere of ownership and social relations (“lands belonging to… Publius… who received us”). The word easily spans these domains: physical location, surrounding district, landed property, and the human interactions that unfold on and around such places.

Imagery

The passages give χωρίον a grounded, tangible feel: a named spot where people sit while one prays (Matthew 26:36; Mark 14:32), a remembered parcel that locates a city (John 4:5), and a field whose acquisition and naming become public knowledge (Acts 1:18–19). When the word shifts to “lands” and “the land” in Acts, the imagery becomes transactional—selling, proceeds, price—yet it remains concrete, keeping moral and communal questions tied to an actual place that can be owned and transferred (Acts 4:34; Acts 5:3, 5:8). Even “that place” on the island is pictured with a surrounding neighborhood and nearby lands, setting a hospitable scene within real geography (Acts 28:7).

Sources: Lexical data from Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance and the Translators Brief Lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (STEPBible, CC BY). Occurrence data from the Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament (STEPBible, CC BY). Scripture quotations from the World English Bible (public domain).