4434. ptóchos

Strong's Lexicon

ptóchos: Poor, destitute, beggar

Original Word: πτωχός
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: ptóchos
Pronunciation: pto-khos'
Phonetic Spelling: (pto-khos')
Definition: Poor, destitute, beggar
Meaning: poor, destitute, spiritually poor, either in a good sense (humble devout persons) or bad.

Word Origin: Derived from πτώσσω (ptóssō), meaning "to crouch" or "to cower," which reflects a posture of begging.

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: - H6041 (עָנִי, 'ani): Often translated as "poor" or "afflicted," referring to those who are humble or in need.

- H7326 (רָשׁ, rash): Meaning "poor" or "needy," emphasizing material lack.

Usage: The term "ptóchos" is used in the New Testament to describe those who are economically impoverished and lacking in material resources. It often conveys a sense of utter dependence on others for sustenance. In a broader spiritual context, it can also refer to those who recognize their spiritual neediness and dependence on God.

Cultural and Historical Background: In the Greco-Roman world, poverty was a common and visible part of society. The poor often relied on almsgiving and the generosity of others for survival. In Jewish culture, caring for the poor was a significant aspect of religious life, rooted in the teachings of the Torah. The concept of being "poor in spirit" was also present, emphasizing humility and reliance on God.

HELPS Word-studies

4434 ptōxós (from ptōssō, "to crouch or cower like a beggar") – properly, bent over; (figuratively) deeply destitute, completely lacking resources (earthly wealth) – i.e. helpless as a beggar. 4434 (ptōxós) relates to "the pauper rather than the mere peasant, the extreme opposite of the rich" (WP, 1, 371).

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
adjective from ptóssó (to crouch, cower)
Definition
(of one who crouches and cowers, hence) beggarly, poor
NASB Translation
poor (29), poor man (5), worthless (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 4434: πτωχός

πτωχός, πτωχή, πτωχόν (πτώσσω, to be thoroughly frightened, to cower down or hide oneself for fear; hence, πτωχός properly, one who slinks and crouches), often involving the idea of roving about in wretchedness (see πένης, at the end; "but it always had a bad sense till it was ennobled in the Gospels; see Matthew 5:3; Luke 6:20, cf. 2 Corinthians 8:9" (Liddell and Scott, under I.)); hence,

1. in classical Greek from Homer down, reduced to beggary, begging, mendicant, asking alms: Luke 14:13, 21; Luke 16:20, 22.

2. poor, needy (opposed to πλούσιος): Matthew 19:21; Matthew 26:9, 11; Mark 10:21; Mark 12:42, 43; Mark 14:5, 7; Luke 18:22; Luke 19:8; Luke 21:3; John 12:5, 6, 8; John 13:29; Romans 15:26; 2 Corinthians 6:10; Galatians 2:10; James 2:2, 3, 6; Revelation 13:16; in a broader sense, destitute of wealth, influence, position, honors; lowly, afflicted: Matthew 11:5; Luke 4:18 (from Isaiah 61:1); ; οἱ πτωχοί τοῦ κόσμου (partitive genitive), the poor of the human race, James 2:5; but the more correct reading is that of L T Tr WH viz. τῷ κόσμῳ (unto the world), i. e. the ungodly world being judge, cf. Winers Grammar, § 31, 4 a.; Buttmann, § 133, 14; (R. V. as to the world (see next head, and cf. κόσμος, 7)). tropically, destitute of the Christian virtues and the eternal riches, Revelation 3:17; like the Latininops, equivalent to helpless, powerless to accomplish an end: στοιχεῖα, Galatians 4:9 (`bringing no rich endowment of spiritual treasure' (Lightfoot)).

3. universally, lacking in anything, with a dative of the respect: τῷ πνεύματι, as respects their spirit, i. e. destitute of the wealth of learning and intellectual culture which the schools afford (men of this class most readily gave themselves up to Christ's teaching and proved themselves fitted to lay hold of the heavenly treasure, Matthew 11:25; John 9:39; 1 Corinthians 1:26, 27; (others make the idea more inward and ethical: 'conscious of their spiritual need')), Matthew 5:3; compare with this the Epistle of Barnabas 19 [ET], see ἔσῃ ἁπλοῦς τῇ καρδία καί πλούσιος τῷ πνεύματι, abounding in Christian graces and the riches of the divine kingdom. (The Sept. for עָנִי, דַּל, רָשׁ, אֶבְיון, etc.)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

beggar, poor.

From ptosso (to crouch); akin to ptoeo and the alternate of pipto); a beggar (as cringing), i.e. Pauper (strictly denoting absolute or public mendicancy, although also used in a qualified or relative sense; whereas penes properly means only straitened circumstances in private), literally (often as noun) or figuratively (distressed) -- beggar(-ly), poor.

see GREEK ptoeo

see GREEK pipto

see GREEK penes

Forms and Transliterations

πτωχα πτωχά πτωχὰ πτωχη πτωχή πτωχὴ πτωχοι πτωχοί πτωχοὶ πτωχοις πτωχοίς πτωχοῖς πτωχον πτωχόν πτωχὸν πτωχος πτωχός πτωχὸς πτωχού πτωχους πτωχούς πτωχοὺς πτωχω πτωχώ πτωχῷ πτωχων πτωχών πτωχῶν πύγαργον ptocha ptochà ptōcha ptōchà ptoche ptochḕ ptōchē ptōchḕ ptocho ptōchō ptochoi ptochoí ptochoì ptochôi ptōchoi ptōchoí ptōchoì ptōchō̂i ptochois ptochoîs ptōchois ptōchoîs ptochon ptochón ptochòn ptochôn ptōchon ptōchón ptōchòn ptōchōn ptōchō̂n ptochos ptochòs ptōchos ptōchòs ptochous ptochoús ptochoùs ptōchous ptōchoús ptōchoùs

Englishman's Concordance

Matthew 5:3 Adj-NMP
GRK: ΜΑΚΑΡΙΟΙ οἱ πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι
NAS: Blessed are the poor in spirit,
KJV: Blessed [are] the poor in spirit: for
INT: Blessed [are] the poor in the spirit

Matthew 11:5 Adj-NMP
GRK: ἐγείρονται καὶ πτωχοὶ εὐαγγελίζονται
NAS: are raised up, and [the] POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED
KJV: and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
INT: are raised and poor are evangelized

Matthew 19:21 Adj-DMP
GRK: δὸς τοῖς πτωχοῖς καὶ ἕξεις
NAS: and give to [the] poor, and you will have
KJV: give to the poor, and
INT: give the to poor and you will have

Matthew 26:9 Adj-DMP
GRK: καὶ δοθῆναι πτωχοῖς
NAS: and [the money] given to the poor.
KJV: and given to the poor.
INT: and have been given to [the] poor

Matthew 26:11 Adj-AMP
GRK: γὰρ τοὺς πτωχοὺς ἔχετε μεθ'
NAS: have the poor with you; but you do not always
KJV: For ye have the poor always with
INT: indeed the poor you have with

Mark 10:21 Adj-DMP
GRK: δὸς τοῖς πτωχοῖς καὶ ἕξεις
NAS: and give to the poor, and you will have
KJV: give to the poor, and
INT: give to the poor and you will have

Mark 12:42 Adj-NFS
GRK: μία χήρα πτωχὴ ἔβαλεν λεπτὰ
NAS: A poor widow came
KJV: a certain poor widow,
INT: one widow poor cast [in] lepta

Mark 12:43 Adj-NFS
GRK: αὕτη ἡ πτωχὴ πλεῖον πάντων
NAS: I say to you, this poor widow put
KJV: That this poor widow hath cast
INT: this poor more than all

Mark 14:5 Adj-DMP
GRK: δοθῆναι τοῖς πτωχοῖς καὶ ἐνεβριμῶντο
NAS: and [the money] given to the poor. And they were scolding
KJV: have been given to the poor. And
INT: to have been given to the poor And they grumbled

Mark 14:7 Adj-AMP
GRK: γὰρ τοὺς πτωχοὺς ἔχετε μεθ'
NAS: have the poor with you, and whenever
KJV: For ye have the poor with you
INT: indeed the poor you have with

Luke 4:18 Adj-DMP
GRK: με εὐαγγελίσασθαι πτωχοῖς ἀπέσταλκέν με
NAS: ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT
KJV: to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent
INT: me to preach good news to [the] poor he has sent me

Luke 6:20 Adj-NMP
GRK: Μακάριοι οἱ πτωχοί ὅτι ὑμετέρα
NAS: Blessed [are] you [who are] poor, for yours
KJV: Blessed [be ye] poor: for
INT: Blessed [are] the poor for yours

Luke 7:22 Adj-NMP
GRK: νεκροὶ ἐγείρονται πτωχοὶ εὐαγγελίζονται
NAS: are raised up, [the] POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED
KJV: are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.
INT: dead are raised poor are evangelized

Luke 14:13 Adj-AMP
GRK: ποιῇς κάλει πτωχούς ἀναπείρους χωλούς
NAS: invite [the] poor, [the] crippled,
KJV: call the poor, the maimed,
INT: you make call the poor the crippled the lame

Luke 14:21 Adj-AMP
GRK: καὶ τοὺς πτωχοὺς καὶ ἀναπείρους
NAS: in here the poor and crippled
KJV: hither the poor, and
INT: and the poor and crippled

Luke 16:20 Adj-NMS
GRK: πτωχὸς δέ τις
NAS: And a poor man named Lazarus
KJV: a certain beggar named
INT: a beggar moreover certain

Luke 16:22 Adj-AMS
GRK: ἀποθανεῖν τὸν πτωχὸν καὶ ἀπενεχθῆναι
NAS: Now the poor man died
KJV: it came to pass, that the beggar died,
INT: died the poor man and was carried away

Luke 18:22 Adj-DMP
GRK: καὶ διάδος πτωχοῖς καὶ ἕξεις
NAS: and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have
KJV: distribute unto the poor, and
INT: and distribute to [the] poor and you will have

Luke 19:8 Adj-DMP
GRK: κύριε τοῖς πτωχοῖς δίδωμι καὶ
NAS: I will give to the poor, and if
KJV: goods I give to the poor; and if
INT: Lord to the poor I give and

Luke 21:3 Adj-NFS
GRK: αὕτη ἡ πτωχὴ πλεῖον πάντων
NAS: I say to you, this poor widow put
KJV: that this poor widow hath cast
INT: this poor more than all

John 12:5 Adj-DMP
GRK: καὶ ἐδόθη πτωχοῖς
NAS: denarii and given to poor [people]?
KJV: and given to the poor?
INT: and given to [the] poor

John 12:6 Adj-GMP
GRK: περὶ τῶν πτωχῶν ἔμελεν αὐτῷ
NAS: about the poor, but because
KJV: cared for the poor; but because
INT: for the poor he was caring to him

John 12:8 Adj-AMP
GRK: τοὺς πτωχοὺς γὰρ πάντοτε
NAS: have the poor with you, but you do not always
KJV: For the poor always ye have
INT: the poor indeed always

John 13:29 Adj-DMP
GRK: ἢ τοῖς πτωχοῖς ἵνα τι
NAS: something to the poor.
KJV: he should give something to the poor.
INT: or to the poor that something

Romans 15:26 Adj-AMP
GRK: εἰς τοὺς πτωχοὺς τῶν ἁγίων
NAS: a contribution for the poor among the saints
KJV: contribution for the poor saints which
INT: for the poor of the saints

Strong's Greek 4434
34 Occurrences

πτωχὰ — 1 Occ.
πτωχὴ — 3 Occ.
πτωχῷ — 1 Occ.
πτωχῶν — 2 Occ.
πτωχοὶ — 5 Occ.
πτωχοῖς — 9 Occ.
πτωχὸν — 2 Occ.
πτωχὸς — 3 Occ.
πτωχοὺς — 8 Occ.