Lexicon kapéleuó: To peddle, to huckster, to trade deceitfully Original Word: καπηλεύω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance corrupt. From kapelos (a huckster); to retail, i.e. (by implication) to adulterate (figuratively) -- corrupt. HELPS Word-studies 2585 kapēleúō – properly, to act as an unscrupulous merchant, i.e. "a huckster" who profits by "peddling the Word of God" for personal gain. 2585 /kapēleúō ("peddler") is only used in 2 Cor 2:17 – of people "marketing the ministry" (the Word of God) for fast gain. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom kapélos (a huckster, peddler) Definition to make a trade of NASB Translation peddling (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 2585: καπηλεύωκαπηλεύω; (κάπηλος, i. e. a. an inn-keeper, especially a vintner; b. a petty retailer, a huckster, pedler; cf. Sir. 26:29 οὐ δικαιωθήσεται κάπηλος ἀπό ἁμαρτίας); a. to be a retailer, to peddle; b. with the accusative of the thing, "to make money by selling anything; to get sordid gain by dealing in anything, to do a thing for base gain" (οἱ τά μαθήματα περιαγοντες κατά πόλεις καί πωλοῦντες καί καπηλεύοντες, Plato, Prot., p. 313 d.; μάχην, Aeschylus the Sept. 551 (545); Latincauponari bellum, i. e. to fight for gain, trade in war, Ennius quoted in Cicero, offic. 1, 12, 38; ἑταιραν τό τῆς ὥρας ἄνθος καπηλευουσαν, Philo de caritat. § 14, cf. leg. ad Gaium § 30, and many other examples in other authors). Hence, some suppose that καπηλεύειν τόν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ in 2 Corinthians 2:17 is equivalent to to trade in the word of God, i. e. to try to get base gain by teaching divine truth. But as pedlers were in the habit of adulterating their commodities for the sake of gain (οἱ κάπηλοί σου μίσγουσι τόν οἶνον ὕδατι, Isaiah 1:22 the Sept.; κάπηλοί, οἱ τόν οἶνον κεραννύντες, Pollux, onomast. 7, 193; οἱ φιλοσοφοι ἀποδιδονται τά μαθήματα, ὥσπερ οἱ κάπηλοί, κερασάμενοι γέ οἱ πολλοί καί δολωσαντες καί κακομετρουντες, Lucian. Hermot. 59), καπηλεύειν τί was also used as synonymous with to corrupt, to adulterate (Themistius, or. 21, p. 247, Hard. edition says that the false philosophers τό θειοτατον τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων ἀγαθῶν κιβδηλεύειν τέ καί αἰσχύνειν καί καπηλεύειν); and most interpreters rightly decide in favor of this meaning (on account of the context) in 2 Corinthians 2:17, cf. δολουν τόν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ, 2 Corinthians 4:2. (Cf. Trench, § lxii.) Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: There is no direct Hebrew equivalent for καπηλεύω in the Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, as the concept of peddling or corrupting the word of God in this specific manner is more explicitly addressed in the New Testament context. However, related themes of deceit and falsehood can be found in Hebrew words such as שֶׁקֶר (sheqer, Strong's 8267) meaning "falsehood" or "deception," and רָמָה (ramah, Strong's 7411) meaning "to beguile" or "to deceive." Usage: The term is used in the New Testament to describe the act of corrupting or peddling the word of God for profit or personal advantage. It appears in 2 Corinthians 2:17. Context: The Greek verb καπηλεύω (kapēleuō) is used in the New Testament to convey the idea of handling something with a mercenary spirit, particularly in the context of the gospel message. In 2 Corinthians 2:17, the Apostle Paul contrasts his own ministry with those who "peddle" the word of God. The Berean Standard Bible translates this verse as: "For we are not like so many others, who peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as men sent from God." |
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