Lexical Summary ploutos: Riches, wealth, abundance Original Word: πλοῦτος Strong's Exhaustive Concordance riches. From the base of pletho; wealth (as fulness), i.e. (literally) money, possessions, or (figuratively) abundance, richness, (specially), valuable bestowment -- riches. see GREEK pletho HELPS Word-studies Cognate: 4149 ploútos (from 4183 /polýs, "much in number, quantity") – properly, abundance, possessions of many kinds; riches. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originprobably from pleó in an early sense of to flow, abound Definition wealth NASB Translation riches (18), wealth (4). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4149: πλοῦτοςπλοῦτος, πλούτου, ὁ, and (according to L T Tr WH in 2 Corinthians 8:2; Ephesians 1:7; Ephesians 2:7; Ephesians 3:8, 16; Philippians 4:19; Colossians 1:27; Colossians 2:2, but only in the nominative and accusative; cf. (Tdf. Proleg., p. 118; WHs Appendix, p. 158); Winers Grammar, 65 (64); Buttmann, 22f (20)) τό πλοῦτος (apparently equivalent to πλεοτος, from πλέος full (cf. πίμπλημι)), from Homer down, the Sept. for עֹשֶׁר, and also for הָמון, a multitude, חַיִל, הול; riches, wealth; a. properly, and absolutely, abundance of external possessions: Matthew 13:22; Mark 4:19; Luke 8:14; 1 Timothy 6:17; James 5:2; Revelation 18:17 (16). b. universally, fullness, abundance, plenitude: with a genitive of the excellence in which one abounds, as τῆς χρηστότητος, Romans 2:4; Romans 9:23; 2 Corinthians 8:2; Ephesians 1:7, 18; Ephesians 2:7; Ephesians 3:16; Colossians 1:21; Colossians 2:2. the πλοῦτος of God is extolled, i. e. the fullness of his perfections — of which two are mentioned, viz. σοφία and γνῶσις, Romans 11:33 (for σοφίας καί γνώσεως here depend on βάθος, not on πλούτου (cf. B. 155 (135); Winer's Grammar, § 30, 3 N. 1)); the fullness of all things in store for God's uses, Philippians 4:19; in the same sense πλοῦτος is attributed to Christ, exalted at the right hand of God, Revelation 5:12; in a more restricted sense, πλοῦτος τοῦ Χριστοῦ is used of the fullness of the things pertaining to salvation with which Christ is able to enrich others, Ephesians 3:8. c. universally equivalent to a good ((to point an antithesis)): Hebrews 11:26; equivalent to that with which one is enriched, with a genitive of the person enriched, used of Christian salvation, Romans 11:12. The noun πλοῦτος appears twenty-two times in the Greek New Testament, spanning Gospel parables, Pauline epistles, General epistles, and Revelation. The contexts fall into two broad categories: (1) material wealth possessed by humans, and (2) inexhaustible spiritual wealth possessed and dispensed by God in Christ. The term is therefore pivotal for articulating both the peril of misplaced trust in earthly treasure and the majesty of divine generosity. Riches as Divine Attribute Paul repeatedly depicts God’s character and actions in terms of “riches.” Romans 2:4 speaks of “the riches of His kindness,” while Romans 11:33 exults in “the depth of the riches of both the wisdom and knowledge of God.” Divine riches are innumerable and self-consistent; they express God’s nature and sustain His redemptive plan. In Romans 9:23 the “riches of His glory” are revealed in vessels of mercy, linking God’s overflow of glory to election and salvation. Christological Richness All divine wealth is concentrated in the Son. Revelation 5:12 acclaims the risen Lamb as worthy “to receive power and riches,” underscoring His cosmic entitlement. Ephesians 3:8 celebrates “the unsearchable riches of Christ,” and Colossians 1:27 unveils “the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Thus πλοῦτος is Christocentric: what the Father has in boundless measure He intends believers to enjoy through union with His Son. Salvific Riches of Grace Salvation texts cluster in Ephesians. “In Him we have redemption… according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7). These riches will be “displayed” for endless ages (Ephesians 2:7) and supply strength for daily life (Ephesians 3:16). Philippians 4:19 extends the promise: “My God will supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Grace, therefore, is not a thin allowance but an infinite treasury opened to the saints. Mission and Ministry Applications Paul ties divine riches to evangelistic mandate. His call “to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Ephesians 3:8) grounds cross-cultural mission in God’s limitless resources. 2 Corinthians 8:2 shows how awareness of God’s bounty transforms impoverished Macedonian believers into models of “rich generosity.” Ministry flows from possessing, not merely proclaiming, heavenly wealth. Warnings Against Misplaced Trust Jesus’ Parable of the Sower points to “the deceitfulness of wealth” (Matthew 13:22; Mark 4:19; Luke 8:14). James 5:2 announces, “Your riches have rotted,” while 1 Timothy 6:17 commands believers not to “put their hope in the uncertainty of riches, but in God.” Such texts confront the perennial temptation to equate security with possessions, revealing how earthly πλοῦτος can choke out the word and invite judgment. Historical Background First-century Mediterranean society was sharply stratified. Patron-client relationships, conspicuous benefactions, and the illusion of autonomy through wealth shaped social expectations. The New Testament’s countercultural message—true riches are divine, shared freely, and to be employed for the common good—challenged both Jewish and Greco-Roman value systems. Corporate and Cosmic Dimensions Romans 11:12 links Israel’s future fullness to “riches for the Gentiles,” weaving the theme into salvation history. Colossians 2:2 speaks of believers being “filled with the full riches of complete understanding,” indicating a communal treasury of revelation. Ultimately, Revelation 18:17 portrays Babylon’s opulent commerce destroyed “in a single hour,” contrasting transient imperial wealth with the Lamb’s enduring kingdom. Pastoral Implications for Today 1. Assurance: Meditating on God’s inexhaustible riches fortifies believers against fear and scarcity mind-sets. Eschatological Perspectives The New Testament frames the final judgment as a great reversal of fortunes. Earthly riches either burn with Babylon or are transmuted into eternal dividends through faithful stewardship. At the consummation, all creation will hail the Lamb whose riches can neither diminish nor deceive. Key Theological Interconnections • Grace: πλοῦτος is frequently yoked with χάρις, underscoring that salvation is lavish, not limited. Summary Πλοῦτος serves as a theological bridge between the tangible and the transcendent. While earthly wealth remains precarious and ethically charged, the riches of God—His kindness, wisdom, glory, and grace—are unfathomable, Christ-centered, mission-driving, and eternally secure. Englishman's Concordance Matthew 13:22 N-GMSGRK: ἀπάτη τοῦ πλούτου συμπνίγει τὸν NAS: and the deceitfulness of wealth choke KJV: the deceitfulness of riches, choke INT: deceit of riches choke the Mark 4:19 N-GMS Luke 8:14 N-GMS Romans 2:4 N-GMS Romans 9:23 N-AMS Romans 11:12 N-NNS Romans 11:12 N-NNS Romans 11:33 N-GMS 2 Corinthians 8:2 N-ANS Ephesians 1:7 N-ANS Ephesians 1:18 N-NMS Ephesians 2:7 N-ANS Ephesians 3:8 N-ANS Ephesians 3:16 N-ANS Philippians 4:19 N-ANS Colossians 1:27 N-NMS Colossians 2:2 N-ANS 1 Timothy 6:17 N-GMS Hebrews 11:26 N-AMS James 5:2 N-NMS Revelation 5:12 N-AMS Revelation 18:17 N-NMS Strong's Greek 4149 |
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