979. bios

Lexicon

bios: Life, livelihood, manner of life

Original Word: βίος
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: bios
Pronunciation: bee'-os
Phonetic Spelling: (bee'-os)
Definition: Life, livelihood, manner of life
Meaning: (a) life, (b) manner of life; livelihood.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

life, living.

A primary word; life, i.e. (literally) the present state of existence; by implication, the means of livelihood -- good, life, living.

HELPS Word-studies

979 bíos – properly, God's gift of physical life, animating all creation "to live and move and have its being" (cf. Ac 17:28); (figuratively) the way a person invests (or spends) the gift of physical life.

979 (bios) is "the period or duration of earthly life . . . in a secondary sense, the means by which life is sustained; and thirdly, the manner in which that life is spent" (R. Trench).

[979 (bíos) is the root of the English term "biography," i.e. the record (account) of how we invested (or spent!) our physical lives.]

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
a prim. word
Definition
life, living
NASB Translation
everyday life (1), goods (1), life (3), live (2), wealth (2).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 979: βίος

βίος, βίου, ὁ (from Homer down);

a. life extensively, i. e. the period or course of life (see below and Trench, § xxvii.): Luke 8:14; 1 Timothy 2:2; 2 Timothy 2:4; 1 John 2:16; 1 Peter 4:3 (Rec.).

b. (as often in Greek writings from Hesiod, Works, 230, 575; Herodotus, Xenophon) that by which life is sustained, resources, wealth (A. V. living): Mark 12:44; Luke 8:43 (WH omits; Tr marginal reading brackets the clause); Luke 15:12, 30; Luke 21:4; 1 John 3:17 (goods). (For לֶחֶם in Proverbs 31:14 ().) [SYNONYMS: βίος, ζωή: ζωή existence (having death as its antithesis); βίος the period, means, manner, of existence. Hence, the former is more naturally used of animals, the latter of men; cf. zoology, biography. N. T. usage exalts ζωή, and so tends to debase βίος. But see Lightfoot, Ignatius ad Rom. 7 [ET].]

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: Derived from a primary root word in Greek, which pertains to life or living.

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: • Strong's Hebrew 2416 (חַי, chay): Often translated as "life" or "living," this term is used in the Hebrew Bible to denote life in a broad sense, including physical life and vitality.
• Strong's Hebrew 2425 (חָיָה, chayah): A verb meaning "to live" or "to be alive," it is used to describe the act of living or sustaining life.

These Hebrew terms share conceptual similarities with "βίος," as they pertain to the physical and temporal aspects of life, though they also encompass broader meanings in different contexts.

Usage: In the New Testament, "βίος" is used to describe aspects of physical life, including one's livelihood or worldly goods. It appears in contexts that emphasize the temporal and material aspects of life.

Context: The Greek word "βίος" is used in the New Testament to convey the concept of life in its physical and temporal dimensions. It is distinct from "ζωή" (zoe), which often refers to life in a more spiritual or eternal sense. "Βίος" appears in several key passages, illustrating its varied applications:

• In Luke 8:14, "βίος" is used in the Parable of the Sower to describe the "cares, riches, and pleasures of life" that can choke the word, preventing spiritual growth.
• In Mark 12:44, it refers to the livelihood of the poor widow who gave all she had to live on, highlighting the sacrificial nature of her offering.
• 1 John 3:17 uses "βίος" to challenge believers to demonstrate love through action, questioning how God's love can dwell in someone who has the world's goods (βίος) but does not help a brother in need.

These examples underscore the transient and often distracting nature of "βίος" when contrasted with eternal spiritual truths. The New Testament encourages believers to prioritize spiritual life over material concerns, recognizing the temporary nature of "βίος."

Forms and Transliterations

βιον βίον βίος βιότητος βιου βίου βίω πλούτον bion bíon biou bíou

Englishman's Concordance

Mark 12:44 N-AMS
GRK: ὅλον τὸν βίον αὐτῆς
NAS: she owned, all she had to live on.
KJV: [even] all her living.
INT: all the livelihood of her

Luke 8:14 N-GMS
GRK: ἡδονῶν τοῦ βίου πορευόμενοι συμπνίγονται
NAS: and pleasures of [this] life, and bring
KJV: pleasures of [this] life, and
INT: pleasures of life moving along are choked

Luke 8:43 Noun-AMS
GRK: ὅλον τὸν βίον οὐκ ἴσχυσεν
INT: all her living neither could

Luke 15:12 N-AMS
GRK: αὐτοῖς τὸν βίον
NAS: he divided his wealth between
KJV: he divided unto them [his] living.
INT: between them the property

Luke 15:30 N-AMS
GRK: σου τὸν βίον μετὰ πορνῶν
NAS: who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes,
KJV: hath devoured thy living with harlots,
INT: your living with prostitutes

Luke 21:4 N-AMS
GRK: πάντα τὸν βίον ὃν εἶχεν
NAS: in all that she had to live on.
KJV: in all the living that
INT: all the livelihood which she had

1 Timothy 2:2 N-AMS
GRK: καὶ ἡσύχιον βίον διάγωμεν ἐν
NAS: and quiet life in all
KJV: and peaceable life in all
INT: and quiet life we might lead in

2 Timothy 2:4 N-GMS
GRK: ταῖς τοῦ βίου πραγματείαις ἵνα
NAS: himself in the affairs of everyday life, so
KJV: with the affairs of [this] life; that
INT: with the of this life affairs that

1 John 2:16 N-GMS
GRK: ἀλαζονεία τοῦ βίου οὐκ ἔστιν
NAS: and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father,
KJV: and the pride of life, is not
INT: vaunting of the of life not is

1 John 3:17 N-AMS
GRK: ἔχῃ τὸν βίον τοῦ κόσμου
NAS: the world's goods, and sees
KJV: hath this world's good, and seeth
INT: might have the goods of the world

Strong's Greek 979
10 Occurrences

βίον — 7 Occ.
βίου — 3 Occ.