Lexical Summary tuphoó: conceited Original Word: τυφόω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance puffed up, be proud. From a derivative of tupho; to envelop with smoke, i.e. (figuratively) to inflate with self-conceit -- high-minded, be lifted up with pride, be proud. see GREEK tupho HELPS Word-studies 5187 typhóō (from typhos, "smoke") – properly, to blow smoke, cloud up the air; (figuratively) having a cloudy (muddled) mind-set, i.e. moral blindness resulting from poor judgment which brings further loss of spiritual perception. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom tuphos (vanity, arrogance) Definition to be conceited, foolish NASB Translation conceited (3). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 5187: τυφόωτυφόω, τύφω: passive, perfect τετυφωμαι; 1 aorist participle τυφωθείς; (τῦφος, smoke; pride); properly, to raise a smoke, to wrap in a mist; used only metaphorically: 1. to make proud, puff up with pride, render insolent; passive, to be puffed up with haughtiness or pride, 1 Timothy 3:6 (Strabo, Josephus, (Diogenes Laërtius, others). 2. to blind with pride or conceit, to render foolish or stupid: 1 Timothy 6:4; perfect participle beclouded, besotted, 2 Timothy 3:4 (Demosthenes, Aristotle, Polybius, Plutarch, others). Strong’s Greek 5187 portrays a heart that has become swollen with self-importance, so clouded by its own imagined greatness that it can no longer see God or neighbor clearly. While the vocabulary appears only three times, its theme threads through all of Scripture: the peril of pride and the blindness it brings. Occurrences in the Pastoral Epistles 1 Timothy 3:6 applies the verb to a novice overseer: “He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil.” Spiritual leadership demands maturity because pride toppled Satan himself (Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:17). The warning is preventive; giftedness without depth quickly inflates. 1 Timothy 6:4 describes the false teacher: “he is conceited and understands nothing.” Here boastfulness masquerades as knowledge. The inflated ego produces doctrinal disputes and relational fractures (6:4-5), illustrating how pride divorces a person from both truth and love. 2 Timothy 3:4 includes the word among the vices of the last days: “traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” Conceit stands beside treachery because self-exaltation naturally sacrifices others for its own cravings. The Sin of Conceit in the Broader Canon Though 5187 is confined to the Pastorals, pride saturates biblical narrative: • Proverbs 16:18 – “Pride goes before destruction.” These echoes reinforce Paul’s assessment: conceit is spiritual blindness that precedes ethical collapse. Theological Implications 1. A Distorted Vision of God. Pride inflates the self and necessarily shrinks the Lord. “Though the LORD is exalted, He takes note of the lowly, but the proud He knows from afar” (Psalm 138:6). Conceit alienates; humility invites communion. 2. A Seedbed for Error. In 1 Timothy 6:4 ignorance hides behind bravado. Pride silences teachability, severing the only conduit to spiritual understanding—the Word received in meekness (James 1:21). 3. A Prelude to Judgment. Paul warns that the conceited overseer risks “the same judgment as the devil” (1 Timothy 3:6). Scripture consistently pairs pride with downfall (Daniel 4:30-33; Acts 12:21-23). Historical Insights Early church fathers repeatedly linked 5187 to Satan’s rebellion. Chrysostom comments on 1 Timothy 3:6 that “nothing so casts a man out of heaven as pride.” In monastic rules, humility is the first rung of spiritual ascent, countering the inflated spirit Paul condemns. Ministerial Applications • Leadership Selection. Churches must test character over time, prioritizing humility above charisma. Practical Counsel for Overcoming Conceit 1. Fix the eyes on Christ’s humility (Philippians 2:5-11). The cross deflates self-glory. Conclusion Strong’s 5187 names more than a word; it unmasks a spiritual pathology. The inflated heart may seem powerful, yet Scripture reveals its hollowness and end. The remedy is the gospel’s downward path—“humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you” (James 4:10). Englishman's Concordance 1 Timothy 3:6 V-APP-NMSGRK: ἵνα μὴ τυφωθεὶς εἰς κρίμα NAS: so that he will not become conceited and fall KJV: lest being lifted up with pride he fall INT: that not having been puffed up into [the] judgment 1 Timothy 6:4 V-RIM/P-3S 2 Timothy 3:4 V-RPM/P-NMP Strong's Greek 5187 |
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