Lexical Summary trophé: Food, nourishment Original Word: τροφή Strong's Exhaustive Concordance food, meat. From trepho; nourishment (literally or figuratively); by implication, rations (wages) -- food, meat. see GREEK trepho NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom trephó Definition nourishment, food NASB Translation enough* (1), food (13), meals (1), support (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 5160: τροφήτροφή, τροφῆς, ἡ (τρέφω, 2 perfect τέτροφα), food, nourishment: Matthew 3:4; Matthew 6:25; Matthew 10:10; Matthew 24:45; Luke 12:23; John 4:8; Acts 2:46; Acts 9:19; Acts 14:17; Acts 27:33f, 36, 38; James 2:15; of the food of the mind, i. e. the substance of instruction, Hebrews 5:12, 14. (Tragg., Xenophon, Plato, and following; the Sept. for לֶחֶם, אֹכֶל, מָזון, etc.) Topical Lexicon Definition in Biblical Context The term translated “food” or “nourishment” appears sixteen times in the Greek New Testament. In every setting the idea is literal sustenance, yet each occurrence bears theological weight, displaying the God-given rhythm of receiving provision and giving it in ministry, faith, and compassion. Physical Sustenance and Divine Provision Jesus twice links daily food to trust in the Father. In the Sermon on the Mount He says, “Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?” (Matthew 6:25), pressing disciples to rest in God’s care. Luke preserves a parallel: “For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes” (Luke 12:23). In both passages the Lord reorients anxiety-prone hearts toward sovereign kindness. Paul’s witness at Lystra echoes the theme of common grace: God “has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness” (Acts 14:17). Even pagan hearers are accountable to recognize the Creator through the regular gift of harvest. Prophetic Austerity and Kingdom Priorities John the Baptist’s diet of “locusts and wild honey” (Matthew 3:4) highlights prophetic detachment from worldly comforts. The food of the forerunner foreshadows the Messiah who would call His followers to seek first the kingdom rather than their bellies. Missionary Support and Gospel Labor When Jesus sends out the Twelve, He forbids extra provisions, “for the worker is worthy of his food” (Matthew 10:10). Physical nourishment supplied by those who receive the message becomes a tangible partnership in gospel advance. Later, the apostle Paul will formalize the principle (for example, 1 Corinthians 9:4-14), but the seed is already planted in the Master’s commission. Stewardship and Eschatological Vigilance The faithful household servant is praised for giving fellow servants “their food at the proper time” (Matthew 24:45). Food distribution becomes a picture of pastoral care—feeding souls with truth and meeting bodily need while awaiting the Lord’s return. Neglect here signals sloth and unbelief; diligence reveals readiness. Table Fellowship in the Early Church Pentecost births a community where “they broke bread from house to house and shared their food with glad and sincere hearts” (Acts 2:46). Meals around ordinary tables form a living parable of the shared life in Christ, foreshadowing the marriage supper of the Lamb. Restoration and Strength for Service In Acts 9:19 the newly converted Saul “took food and was strengthened,” underscoring a principle: after divine encounter comes practical provision enabling immediate obedience. Similarly, the crew on the storm-tossed ship receives Paul’s pastoral urging: “Today is the fourteenth day you have continued in suspense and without food…take some food, for it is for your preservation” (Acts 27:33-34). Thanksgiving is offered, bread is broken, and lives are spared (Acts 27:36). God’s sovereignty works through a simple meal to guard both apostle and pagans. Spiritual Maturity and Discernment Hebrews contrasts “milk” with “solid food,” declaring, “Solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained their senses to distinguish good from evil” (Hebrews 5:14). What physical nourishment is to the body, substantive doctrine is to the believer’s conscience. Immaturity lingers where the steady diet of biblical teaching is absent (Hebrews 5:12). Mercy Ministry and Living Faith James exposes empty orthodoxy by imagining a brother or sister “lacking daily food” (James 2:15). Genuine faith does not dismiss physical hunger with pious platitudes; it opens the pantry and the purse. Daily food, therefore, becomes both test and testimony of authentic Christianity. Patterns for Ministry Today 1. Dependence: An anxious ministry forgets Matthew 6:25; trust frees servants to seek kingdom first. Conclusion Every appearance of this word, whether describing locusts in the wilderness or bread on a sinking ship, weaves a unified testimony: the God who feeds His people also trains them to feed others. Physical provision is never an end in itself but a signpost to deeper realities—the faithfulness of the Father, the sufficiency of Christ, and the transforming power of the gospel lived out at the table and beyond. Forms and Transliterations τροφας τροφάς τροφὰς τροφη τροφή τροφὴ τροφην τροφήν τροφὴν τροφης τροφής τροφῆς trophas trophàs trophe trophē trophḗ trophḕ trophen trophēn trophḕn trophes trophês trophēs trophē̂sLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Matthew 3:4 N-NFSGRK: ἡ δὲ τροφὴ ἦν αὐτοῦ NAS: his waist; and his food was locusts KJV: and his meat was locusts INT: and [the] food was of him Matthew 6:25 N-GFS Matthew 10:10 N-GFS Matthew 24:45 N-AFS Luke 12:23 N-GFS John 4:8 N-AFP Acts 2:46 N-GFS Acts 9:19 N-AFS Acts 14:17 N-GFS Acts 27:33 N-GFS Acts 27:34 N-GFS Acts 27:36 N-GFS Acts 27:38 N-GFS Hebrews 5:12 N-GFS Hebrews 5:14 N-NFS James 2:15 N-GFS Strong's Greek 5160 |
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