Lexical Summary paropsis: Dish, Platter Original Word: παροψίς Strong's Exhaustive Concordance platter. From para and the base of opsarion; a side-dish (the receptacle) -- platter. see GREEK para see GREEK opsarion NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom para and the same as opsarion Definition a side dish of delicacies NASB Translation dish (2). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 3953: παροψίςπαροψίς, παροψίδος, ἡ (παρά (which see IV. 1), and ὄψον, on which see ὀψάριον); 1. "a side-dish, a dish of dainties or choice food suited not so much to satisfy as to gratify the appetite; a side-accompaniment of the more solid food"; hence, equivalent to παροψημα; so in Xenophon, Cyril 1, 3, 4 and many Attic writings in Athen. 9, p. 367 d. following 2. the dish itself in which the delicacies are served up: Matthew 23:25, 26 (here T omits; WH brackets παροψίδος); Artemidorus Daldianus, oneir. 1, 74; Alciphron 3, 20; Plutarch, de vitand. aere alien. § 2. This latter use of the word is condemned by the Atticists; cf. Sturz, Lex. Xenophon, iii., 463f; Lob. ad Phryn., p. 176; (Rutherford, New Phryn., p. 265f); Poppo on Xenophon, Cyril 1, 3, 4. The term παροψίς designates a shallow serving dish or platter. Jesus employs it in Matthew 23:25 – 26 as an illustration of hypocrisy—outward religious polish masking inner corruption. Because the word appears only in this passage, its meaning is shaped almost entirely by the immediate context and by first-century dining customs. Historical and Cultural Background Households in the Greco-Roman world placed food upon a variety of vessels: deep cups (ποτήρια), small bowls (τράπεζαι), and flat dishes (παροψίδες). These platters were usually earthenware, bronze, or occasionally silver, and were washed after every meal. Rabbinic tradition added ceremonial rinsings (cf. Mark 7:4), so a ritually clean surface became a conspicuous marker of piety. Rabbis debated not only which foods defiled but also which utensils required immersion. Jesus turns that familiar scene into a spiritual parable. Old Testament Foundations Leviticus 11:32 – 35 and Numbers 31:22 – 24 regulate the purification of containers contacted by uncleanness. While the Mosaic Law addressed hygiene and symbolized holiness, later Jewish practice sometimes elevated the ritual above the moral demand for a purified heart (Psalm 24:3 – 4; Psalm 51:6). Jesus’ dish metaphor thus resonates with the prophetic call for inner holiness over mere external compliance (Isaiah 1:11 – 17; Amos 5:21 – 24). New Testament Usage Matthew 23:25 – 26 presents the only two uses: • Matthew 23:25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.” Together with the “cup,” the “dish” forms a pair: the visible and the hidden. The outside represents public religious performance; the inside represents motives and affections (cf. Matthew 15:18 – 20). Jesus presses for a holiness that begins within and inevitably reshapes external behavior. Theological Significance 1. Integrity of Holiness. Genuine sanctification starts in the heart (Jeremiah 31:33) and expresses itself outwardly, not vice-versa. Related Biblical Themes • Ritual versus Moral Purity: Mark 7:18 – 23; Titus 1:15. Ministry and Discipleship Application • Personal Examination. Believers are urged to evaluate motives as well as actions (2 Corinthians 13:5). Historical Reception Early Church writers such as Origen and Chrysostom cite Matthew 23 to warn against clerical ostentation. The Reformers drew upon the passage to confront externalized sacramentalism. Contemporary applications continue in calls for authentic spirituality, social justice grounded in personal holiness, and mission work guided by integrity. Summary Strong’s 3953, though rare, encapsulates a central biblical conviction: God desires vessels—human lives—made clean from the inside out, that His glory may shine without hypocrisy. Englishman's Concordance Matthew 23:25 N-GFSGRK: καὶ τῆς παροψίδος ἔσωθεν δὲ NAS: of the cup and of the dish, but inside KJV: and of the platter, but INT: and of the dish inside however Matthew 23:26 N-GFS |
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