Lexical Summary bibróskó: To eat, consume Original Word: βιβρώσκω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance eat. A reduplicated and prolonged form of an obsolete primary verb (perhaps causative of bosko); to eat -- eat. see GREEK bosko NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originakin to bora (food) Definition to eat NASB Translation eaten (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 977: βιβρώσκωβιβρώσκω: perfect βέβρωκα; to eat: John 6:13. (In Greek writings from Homer down; often in the Sept..) STRONGS NT 977: βρώσκωβρώσκω, unused present whence perfect βέβρωκα; see βιβρώσκω. Topical Lexicon Word Family and Background Strong’s Greek 977 comes from the verb βίβρωσκω / βρώσκω, an older, somewhat formal term for “eating, devouring, consuming.” In Classical and Septuagint Greek it frequently pictures total consumption (locusts βεβρωκότες a field, fire βεβρώκει a sacrifice). By the first-century A.D. it was largely replaced in everyday speech by ἐσθίω/φάγω, yet the perfect forms survived in literary or elevated contexts—exactly what we find in John 6:13. New Testament Occurrence: John 6:13 “So they collected them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.” (John 6:13) 1. Perfect participle nuance: βεβρωκόσιν describes people who have already eaten and now remain in a state of satisfied fullness. Septuagint and Intertestamental Usage βίβρωσκω regularly renders Hebrew terms for “devour” in covenant-judgment texts (for example, locusts that “devour” crops in Joel 1:4; fire that “devours” in Numbers 11:3). Its occasional employment for cultic meals (Leviticus 6:9) links the idea of eating with worship. These strands—judgment versus provision—both meet in Jesus’ sign: the One who will later judge (John 5:22) now satisfies. Johannine Theology and Symbolism 1. Sign pointing to the Bread of Life discourse (John 6:35). The satisfied crowds become an enacted parable: having “eaten” physical bread, they are invited to trust Christ for eternal life. Relation to Other NT Eating Verbs • ἐσθίω / φάγω – ordinary, day-to-day eating. Historical Ministry Insights Early Church teachers noted the leftover fragments as evidence against waste and as a model for stewardship. The perfect tense underlines that divine resources remain sufficient even after human needs are met. Medieval commentators also drew on βεβρωκόσιν to argue for the Eucharist’s abiding efficacy: once spiritually fed, the believer stands in a continuing state of provision. Practical Applications 1. Assurance of sufficiency—Christ not only meets immediate need but leaves an ongoing surplus. Summary Though appearing only once in the New Testament, Strong’s 977 enriches the feeding narrative by portraying a completed, satisfying act of divine provision with abiding results. Its Old Testament echoes and theological weight remind readers that the same Lord who once filled empty stomachs continues to fill lives, ministries, and the coming Kingdom with overflowing grace. Forms and Transliterations βέβρωκα βεβρώκαμέν βέβρωκε βεβρώκει βεβρωκέναι βεβρωκοσιν βεβρωκόσιν βεβρώμενοι βεβρωμένος βρωθείησαν βρωθή βρωθήσεται βρωθήσονται bebrokosin bebrokósin bebrōkosin bebrōkósinLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |
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