4550. sapros

Lexicon

sapros: Rotten, corrupt, bad, worthless

Original Word: σαπρός
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: sapros
Pronunciation: sah-PROS
Phonetic Spelling: (sap-ros')
Definition: Rotten, corrupt, bad, worthless
Meaning: rotten, useless, corrupt, depraved.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

bad, corrupt.

From sepo; rotten, i.e. Worthless (literally or morally) -- bad, corrupt. Compare poneros.

see GREEK sepo

see GREEK poneros

HELPS Word-studies

4550 saprós – properly, rotten (putrid), over-ripe; (figuratively) over-done (ripened); hence, corrupt. "4550 (saprós) is (akin to sēpō, 'to rot'), primarily, of vegetable and animal substances, expresses what is of poor quality, unfit for use, putrid" (Vine, Unger, White, NT, 49); sapros – "of poor or bad quality" (L & N, 1, 65.28).

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from sépó
Definition
rotten, worthless
NASB Translation
bad (7), unwholesome (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 4550: σαπρός

σαπρός, σαπρά, σαπρόν (σήπω, 2 aorist passive σαπῆναι);

1. rotten, putrid ((Hipponax), Hippcr., Aristophanes, others).

2. corrupted by age and no lounger fit for use, worn out (Aristophanes, Dio Chr., others); hence, in general, of poor quality, bad, unfit for use, worthless (A. V. corrupt) (πᾶν, ὁ μή τήν ἰδίαν χρείαν πληροι, σαπρόν λέγομεν, Chrysostom hom. 4 on 1 Timothy): δένδρον, καρπός, opposed to καλός, Matthew 7:17; Matthew 12:33; Luke 6:43; fishes, Matthew 13:48 (here A. V. bad); tropically, λόγος, Ephesians 4:29 (cf. Harless at the passage); δόγμα, Epictetus 3, 22, 61. Cf. Lob. ad Phryn., p. 377f.

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: Derived from the base of σήπω (sēpō), meaning "to rot" or "to decay."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: The concept of σαπρός in the Greek New Testament can be related to several Hebrew words that convey similar ideas of corruption or decay. These include:

• Strong's Hebrew 7843 (שָׁחַת, shachath): Meaning "to destroy" or "to corrupt."
• Strong's Hebrew 5034 (נָבֵל, nabel): Meaning "to fade" or "to wither," often used metaphorically for moral decay.
• Strong's Hebrew 7451 (רַע, ra): Meaning "bad" or "evil," used to describe moral wickedness or harmfulness.

These Hebrew terms, like σαπρός, emphasize the contrast between good and evil, integrity and corruption, both in physical and moral contexts.

Usage: The word σαπρός appears in the New Testament to describe both physical decay and moral corruption. It is used metaphorically to refer to bad or corrupt speech, actions, or character.

Context: The Greek word σαπρός is used in the New Testament to convey the idea of something that is not only physically decayed but also morally or ethically corrupt. It appears in several key passages, often in the context of teaching about the nature of good and evil, and the importance of producing good fruit in one's life.

In Matthew 7:17-18 (BSB), Jesus uses the term in the context of a tree and its fruit: "Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit." Here, σαπρός is translated as "bad," illustrating the principle that the nature of a tree determines the quality of its fruit, which is a metaphor for the moral and spiritual quality of a person's actions.

Similarly, in Matthew 12:33 (BSB), Jesus states, "Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad; for a tree is known by its fruit." The use of σαπρός emphasizes the inherent quality of the tree, which is reflected in the fruit it produces.

In Ephesians 4:29 (BSB), the Apostle Paul admonishes believers: "Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen." Here, σαπρός is translated as "unwholesome," referring to speech that is corrupt or harmful, contrasting with speech that edifies and imparts grace.

The use of σαπρός in these passages underscores the biblical teaching that one's inner character and moral quality are revealed through outward actions and words. It serves as a call to integrity and righteousness, encouraging believers to cultivate goodness and avoid corruption.

Forms and Transliterations

σαπρα σαπρά σαπρὰ σαπρον σαπρόν σαπρὸν σαπρος σαπρός σαπρὸς sapra saprà sapron saprón sapròn sapros sapròs

Englishman's Concordance

Matthew 7:17 Adj-NNS
GRK: τὸ δὲ σαπρὸν δένδρον καρποὺς
NAS: good fruit, but the bad tree bears
KJV: but a corrupt tree
INT: and [the] bad tree fruits

Matthew 7:18 Adj-NNS
GRK: οὐδὲ δένδρον σαπρὸν καρποὺς καλοὺς
NAS: fruit, nor can a bad tree produce
KJV: neither [can] a corrupt tree
INT: nor a tree bad fruits good

Matthew 12:33 Adj-ANS
GRK: τὸ δένδρον σαπρὸν καὶ τὸν
NAS: make the tree bad and its fruit bad;
KJV: make the tree corrupt, and his
INT: the tree bad and the

Matthew 12:33 Adj-AMS
GRK: καρπὸν αὐτοῦ σαπρόν ἐκ γὰρ
NAS: and its fruit bad; for the tree
KJV: his fruit corrupt: for the tree
INT: fruit of it bad out of indeed

Matthew 13:48 Adj-ANP
GRK: τὰ δὲ σαπρὰ ἔξω ἔβαλον
NAS: [fish] into containers, but the bad they threw
KJV: but cast the bad away.
INT: and [the] bad out they cast

Luke 6:43 Adj-AMS
GRK: ποιοῦν καρπὸν σαπρόν οὐδὲ πάλιν
NAS: tree which produces bad fruit, nor,
KJV: not forth corrupt fruit; neither
INT: producing fruit bad nor again

Luke 6:43 Adj-NNS
GRK: πάλιν δένδρον σαπρὸν ποιοῦν καρπὸν
NAS: on the other hand, a bad tree
KJV: doth a corrupt tree
INT: again a tree bad producing fruit

Ephesians 4:29 Adj-NMS
GRK: πᾶς λόγος σαπρὸς ἐκ τοῦ
NAS: Let no unwholesome word proceed
KJV: Let no corrupt communication proceed
INT: Any word bad out of the

Strong's Greek 4550
8 Occurrences

σαπρὰ — 1 Occ.
σαπρὸν — 6 Occ.
σαπρὸς — 1 Occ.