Lexical Summary phluaros: Gossip, babbler, slanderer Original Word: φλύαρος Strong's Exhaustive Concordance tattler. From phluo (to bubble); a garrulous person, i.e. Prater -- tattler. HELPS Word-studies 5397 phlýaros (an adjective, derived from phlyō, "to boil, bubble over") – properly, what bubbles over (like a seething, boiling pot). 5397 (phlýaros) is only used in 1 Tim 5:13. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom phluó (to babble) Definition babbling NASB Translation gossips (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 5397: φλύαροςφλύαρος, φλυαρον (φλύω, 'to boil up,' 'throw up bubbles', of water; and since bubbles are hollow and useless things, 'to indulge in empty and foolish talk'); of persons, uttering or doing silly things, garrulous, babbling (A. V. tattlers): 1 Timothy 5:13 (Dionysius Halicarnassus, de comp. verb. 26, vol. 5:215, 3; others); of things, foolish, trifling, vain: φιλοσοφία, 4 Macc. 5:10. (Plato, Josephus, Vita §31; often in Plutarch; Aeschylus dial. Socrates 3, 13; others.) Topical Lexicon Definition and Conceptual Background Strong’s 5397 designates a person whose talk is empty, meddlesome, and injurious—an indiscriminate chatterer whose words lack edifying substance. The Septuagint employs cognate terms for talebearers who scatter strife (Proverbs 20:19). In classical Greek the word group was used for theatrical buffoons who sought laughs with pointless prattle; Paul adapts the image to warn the church against speech that corrodes holy fellowship. Scriptural Usage and Immediate Context The sole New Testament occurrence appears in 1 Timothy 5:13, where Paul cautions Timothy about younger widows who “learn to be idle, going from house to house; and not only idle, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not”. Three layers of concern surface: 1. Idleness provides fertile soil for destructive talk. Paul’s remedy (1 Timothy 5:14) urges purposeful vocation (“marry, bear children, manage their homes”) so that “the adversary” gains no foothold for slander. Speech and conduct together guard the church’s witness before a watching world. Theological Significance 1. Heart–Mouth Connection: “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34). Foolish speech reveals misaligned affections; therefore sanctification includes taming the tongue (James 3:2). Related Biblical Themes and Intertextual Echoes • Idle Talk—Titus 1:10 speaks of “many rebellious people, full of meaningless talk.” Historical Witness and Commentaries Early Fathers recognized the menace. Chrysostom viewed gossip as “double-edged murder”—killing the reputation of the absent and the conscience of the speaker. The Didache (ch. 3) lists idle chatter among sins to be avoided by catechumens. Reformers likewise warned that gossip violates the Ninth Commandment. Practical Implications for Christian Ministry • Pastoral Oversight: Leaders must model guarded speech (1 Timothy 3:2–3) and confront persistent gossip as church discipline (Matthew 18:15–17). Contemporary Application Digital platforms multiply opportunities for φλύαροι-style chatter. Forwarding unverified claims, subtweeting, or screenshot gossip can re-enact 1 Timothy 5:13 at broadband speed. Christians should approach keyboards with the same sobriety demanded of tongues, praying Psalm 141:3—“Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch at the door of my lips.” Summary Strong’s 5397 exposes a perennial threat: speech divorced from charity and truth. Scripture’s lone occurrence stands as a sentinel, reminding believers that every word bears eternal weight. Gospel-shaped tongues build up, refuse idle meddling, and thereby adorn “the doctrine of God our Savior” (Titus 2:10). Forms and Transliterations εφοβέρισέ φλυαροι φλύαροι φλυκτίδες φοβερίζοντές φοβερίζουσιν φοβερίσαι φοβερισμοί phluaroi phlyaroi phlýaroiLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |
    |