5339. pheidomai

Lexicon

pheidomai: Spare, refrain, hold back

Original Word: φείδομαι
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: pheidomai
Pronunciation: fī'-do-mī
Phonetic Spelling: (fi'-dom-ahee)
Definition: Spare, refrain, hold back
Meaning: I spare, abstain, forbear.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

forbear, spare.

Of uncertain affinity; to be chary of, i.e. (subjectively) to abstain or (objectively) to treat leniently -- forbear, spare.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
a prim. verb
Definition
to spare, forbear
NASB Translation
refrain (1), spare (8), sparing (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 5339: φείδομαι

φείδομαι; future φείσομαι; 1 aorist ἐφεισάμην; deponent middle; from Homer down; the Sept. for חָמַל, חוּס, חָשַׂך (to keep back); to spare: absolutely 2 Corinthians 13:2; τίνος, to spare one (Winers Grammar, § 30, 10 d.; Buttmann, § 132, 15), Acts 20:29; Romans 8:32; Romans 11:21; 1 Corinthians 7:28; 2 Corinthians 1:23; 2 Peter 2:4f; to abstain (A. V. forbear), an infinitive denoting the act abstained from being supplied from the context: καυχᾶσθαι, 2 Corinthians 12:6 (μή φειδου — namely, διδάσκειν — εἰ ἔχεις διδάσκειν, Xenophon, Cyril 1, 6, 35; with the infinitive added, λέγειν κακά, Euripides, Or. 393; δρασαι τί τῶν τυραννικων, Plato, de rep. 9, p. 574 b.).

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: Derived from the Greek root word φείδω (pheidō), meaning "to spare" or "to refrain."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: • Strong's Hebrew 2550 (חָמַל, chamal): To spare, to have compassion.
• Strong's Hebrew 2820 (חָסַךְ, chasak): To withhold, to spare, to refrain.

These Hebrew terms share similar meanings with φείδομαι, often used in the Old Testament to describe God's mercy or the act of sparing others from harm or judgment.

Usage: The verb φείδομαι is used in the New Testament to convey the idea of sparing or refraining from action, often in the context of showing mercy or withholding judgment.

Context: The Greek verb φείδομαι appears in several New Testament passages, illustrating the concept of sparing or showing restraint. It is often used in contexts where mercy or leniency is demonstrated, either by God or by individuals.

• 2 Corinthians 1:23 (BSB): "I call God as my witness that it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth." Here, Paul uses φείδομαι to explain his decision to refrain from visiting the Corinthians, indicating a desire to spare them from further distress or confrontation.

• 2 Corinthians 13:2 (BSB): "I already warned you the second time I was with you. So now I warn you again—as if I were present for the second time—and those who sinned earlier and all the others: If I return, I will not spare anyone." In this passage, Paul warns the Corinthians that he will not hold back from taking disciplinary action if necessary, using φείδομαι to emphasize the seriousness of his intent.

• Romans 11:21 (BSB): "For if God did not spare the natural branches, He will certainly not spare you either." This verse uses φείδομαι to highlight God's impartiality in judgment, warning the Gentile believers that they should not presume upon God's grace.

• 2 Peter 2:4-5 (BSB): "For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but cast them deep into hell, placing them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment; if He did not spare the ancient world when He brought the flood on its ungodly people, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, among the eight;..." In these verses, φείδομαι is used to describe God's actions in history, demonstrating His righteous judgment and the sparing of the faithful.

The use of φείδομαι in the New Testament underscores themes of divine justice, mercy, and the importance of repentance. It serves as a reminder of God's sovereignty and the necessity for believers to live in accordance with His will, knowing that His mercy is balanced by His righteousness.

Forms and Transliterations

εφείδετο εφεισάμην εφεισατο εφείσατο ἐφείσατο εφείσω φείδεσθαι φείδεται φειδομαι φείδομαι φειδομενοι φειδόμενοι φειδομενος φειδόμενος φειδόμενός φείδονται φείσαι φείσαί φεισάμενος φείσασθαι φείσασθέ φεισεται φείσεται φείσεταί φείση φείσησθε φεισομαι φείσομαι φείσονται epheisato epheísato pheidomai pheídomai pheidomenoi pheidómenoi pheidomenos pheidómenos pheisetai pheísetai pheisomai pheísomai

Englishman's Concordance

Acts 20:29 V-PPM/P-NMP
GRK: ὑμᾶς μὴ φειδόμενοι τοῦ ποιμνίου
NAS: in among you, not sparing the flock;
KJV: you, not sparing the flock.
INT: you not sparing the flock

Romans 8:32 V-AIM-3S
GRK: υἱοῦ οὐκ ἐφείσατο ἀλλὰ ὑπὲρ
NAS: He who did not spare His own Son,
KJV: He that spared not his own
INT: Son not spared but for

Romans 11:21 V-AIM-3S
GRK: κλάδων οὐκ ἐφείσατο μή πως
NAS: God did not spare the natural
KJV: if God spared not the natural
INT: branches not spared not at all

Romans 11:21 V-FIM-3S
GRK: οὐδὲ σοῦ φείσεται
KJV: he also spare not thee.
INT: neither you he should spare

1 Corinthians 7:28 V-PIM/P-1S
GRK: δὲ ὑμῶν φείδομαι
NAS: life, and I am trying to spare you.
KJV: but I spare you.
INT: moreover you spare

2 Corinthians 1:23 V-PPM/P-NMS
GRK: ψυχήν ὅτι φειδόμενος ὑμῶν οὐκέτι
NAS: to my soul, that to spare you I did not come
KJV: soul, that to spare you I came
INT: soul that sparing you not yet

2 Corinthians 12:6 V-PIM/P-1S
GRK: γὰρ ἐρῶ φείδομαι δέ μή
NAS: the truth; but I refrain [from] [this], so that no
KJV: but [now] I forbear, lest
INT: indeed I will say I refrain however lest

2 Corinthians 13:2 V-FIM-1S
GRK: πάλιν οὐ φείσομαι
NAS: again I will not spare [anyone],
KJV: I will not spare:
INT: again not I will spare

2 Peter 2:4 V-AIM-3S
GRK: ἁμαρτησάντων οὐκ ἐφείσατο ἀλλὰ σειραῖς
NAS: God did not spare angels
KJV: if God spared not the angels
INT: having sinned not spared but to chains

2 Peter 2:5 V-AIM-3S
GRK: κόσμου οὐκ ἐφείσατο ἀλλὰ ὄγδοον
NAS: and did not spare the ancient world,
KJV: And spared not the old
INT: world not spared but [the] eighth

Strong's Greek 5339
10 Occurrences

ἐφείσατο — 4 Occ.
φείδομαι — 2 Occ.
φειδόμενοι — 1 Occ.
φειδόμενος — 1 Occ.
φείσεται — 1 Occ.
φείσομαι — 1 Occ.