Lexical Summary peinaó: To hunger, to be hungry Original Word: πεινάω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance be hungry From the same as penes (through the idea of pinching toil; "pine"); to famish (absolutely or comparatively); figuratively, to crave -- be an hungered. see GREEK penes NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom peina (hunger) Definition to hunger, be hungry NASB Translation going hungry (1), hunger (4), hungry (18). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 3983: πεινάωπεινάω, πείνω, infinitive πεινᾶν (Philippians 4:12); future πεινάσω (Luke 6:25; Revelation 7:16); 1 aorist ἐπείνασα — for the earlier forms πεινην, πεινήσω, ἐπείνησα; cf. Lob. ad Phryn., pp. 61 and 204; Winers Grammar, § 13, 3 b.; (Buttmann, 37 (32); 44 (38)); see also διψάω; (from πεινᾷ hunger; (see πένης)); from Homer down; the Sept. for רָעֵב; to hunger, be hungry; a. properly: Matthew 4:2; Matthew 12:1, 3; Matthew 21:18; Matthew 25:35, 37, 42, 44; Mark 2:25; Mark 11:12; Luke 4:2; Luke 6:3, 25; equivalent to to suffer want, Romans 12:20; 1 Corinthians 11:21, 34; to be needy, Luke 1:53; Luke 6:21; Philippians 4:12; in this same sense it is joined with δίψαν, 1 Corinthians 4:11; in figurative discourse, οὐ πεινᾶν καί οὐ δίψαν is used to describe the condition of one who is in need of nothing requisite for his real (spiritual) life and salvation, John 6:35; Revelation 7:16. b. metaphorically, to crave ardently, to seek with eager desire: with the accusative of the thing, τήν δικαιοσύνην, Matthew 5:6 (in the better Greek authors with a genitive as χρημάτων, Xenophon, Cyril 8, 3, 39; συμμαχων, 7, 5, 50; ἐπαινου, oec. 13, 9; cf. Winers Grammar, § 30, 10, b. at the end; (Buttmann, § 131, 4); Kuinoel on Matthew 5:6, and see διψάω, 2). πινάω regularly describes literal deprivation of food. The disciples “were hungry and began to pick heads of grain” (Matthew 12:1), illustrating ordinary bodily need. Jesus used the same verb for His own experience after forty days of fasting: “He was hungry” (Matthew 4:2; Luke 4:2). The historical note in Matthew 21:18 and Mark 11:12—“He became hungry”—underscores His true humanity. Paul likewise testifies, “To this very hour we go hungry” (1 Corinthians 4:11), revealing the apostolic willingness to endure physical hardship. Hunger and the Compassionate Ministry of Christ Because He Himself experienced hunger, Jesus showed tangible concern for the hungry. In the parable of the sheep and the goats He identifies Himself with those lacking food: “I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat” (Matthew 25:35, 37, 42, 44). Meeting physical hunger thus becomes a criterion of authentic discipleship; neglect of the need is tantamount to neglect of Christ. Hunger as a Figure of Spiritual Desire Beyond bodily need, πινάω describes the soul’s longing for righteousness and for Christ Himself. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6; Luke 6:21). The promise centers on a future satisfaction that God alone provides. Jesus applies the term directly to faith in Him: “Whoever believes in Me will never be thirsty, and the one who comes to Me will never hunger” (John 6:35). Here hunger depicts the deepest cravings of the heart that are met only in union with the Bread of Life. Ethical Implications in the Church Paul draws on the everyday reality of hunger to correct abuses in Corinth. Some believers “remain hungry” while others indulge (1 Corinthians 11:21). The solution is practical: “If anyone is hungry, he should eat at home” (1 Corinthians 11:34). The table of the Lord must not reinforce social divisions; care for the hungry is an expression of gospel unity. Hunger and Enemy-Love Romans 12:20 employs πινάω within the call to repay evil with good: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him.” The verb lays bare a tangible need that love is obliged to meet, echoing Proverbs 25:21 and embodying the way of Christ. Contentment in All Circumstances Philippians 4:12 presents hunger as one side of the believer’s apprenticeship in contentment: “I know how to live in humble means, and I know how to abound… I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.” Hunger becomes a classroom where dependence on Christ’s empowering grace (Philippians 4:13) is learned. Eschatological Reversal of Hunger Mary’s Magnificat celebrates God’s redemptive pattern: “He has filled the hungry with good things” (Luke 1:53). Revelation 7:16 extends the promise into eternal glory: “Never again will they hunger.” In the age to come every craving—physical and spiritual—finds full satisfaction in the Lamb’s presence, validating the prophetic assurances of Isaiah 49:10. Warnings against Complacency Luke 6:25 cautions, “Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will hunger.” Present self-sufficiency can give way to future deprivation when one ignores God. The warning balances the beatitude of hunger, challenging hearers to value dependence on the Lord over temporal abundance. Pastoral and Missional Application 1. Ministry to the needy mirrors Christ’s compassion and substantiates the gospel message (Matthew 25:35; Romans 12:20). Summary Strong’s Greek 3983 traces a theological arc from the ordinary pangs of physical need to the profound yearning of the soul, revealing God’s concern for both. The verb binds together Christ’s humanity, His call to compassionate action, the ethics of the church, and the grand promise of final satisfaction in His kingdom. Englishman's Concordance Matthew 4:2 V-AIA-3SGRK: τεσσεράκοντα ὕστερον ἐπείνασεν NAS: nights, He then became hungry. KJV: nights, he was afterward an hungred. INT: forty afterward he hungered Matthew 5:6 V-PPA-NMP Matthew 12:1 V-AIA-3P Matthew 12:3 V-AIA-3S Matthew 21:18 V-AIA-3S Matthew 25:35 V-AIA-1S Matthew 25:37 V-PPA-AMS Matthew 25:42 V-AIA-1S Matthew 25:44 V-PPA-AMS Mark 2:25 V-AIA-3S Mark 11:12 V-AIA-3S Luke 1:53 V-PPA-AMP Luke 4:2 V-AIA-3S Luke 6:3 V-AIA-3S Luke 6:21 V-PPA-NMP Luke 6:25 V-FIA-2P John 6:35 V-ASA-3S Romans 12:20 V-PSA-3S 1 Corinthians 4:11 V-PIA-1P 1 Corinthians 11:21 V-PIA-3S 1 Corinthians 11:34 V-PIA-3S Philippians 4:12 V-PNA Revelation 7:16 V-FIA-3P Strong's Greek 3983 |
    |