Greek word · G1625
ἐκτρέφω
ektrephō
to nourish/rear
To nourish, feed, rear, bring up a child to maturity (BDAG; LSJ). The root trephō means to feed or sustain; ek- adds the idea of raising them all the way out of infancy into adulthood.
Appears 2 times in 2 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·
What it means
ἐκ-τρέφω
[in LXX for גָּדַל, etc. ;]
1. prop., of children, to nurture, bring up: Ephesians 6:4.
2. to nourish: Ephesians 5:29.†
(AS)
From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).
In depth
From the study of Ephesians 6:4
- Range of meaning
To nourish, feed, rear, bring up a child to maturity (BDAG; LSJ). The root trephō means to feed or sustain; ek- adds the idea of raising them all the way out of infancy into adulthood.
- Against the English
BSB/KJV/ESV/NIV "bring them up" is correct but flat. YLT "nourish" and WEB "nurture" keep the feeding-and-caring image. None of the English versions can show the link to 5:29, where the same verb describes Christ's care for the church.
- Used elsewhere in the period
The only other New Testament use is Eph 5:29: "no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes (ektrephei) and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church." In ordinary Greek and the Septuagint it is a normal word for rearing children (e.g. Hos 9:12) and for those "brought up" together (3 Kingdoms/1 Kgs 12:8).
Similar words
Where it appears
Ephesians · 2
-
Ephesians 5:29 ἐκτρέφει he nourishes
Indeed, no one ever hated his own body, but he nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church.
-
Ephesians 6:4 ἐκτρέφετε do bring up
Fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath; instead, bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Here: To feed and raise a child all the way to maturity. The same verb was used in 5:29 of a man who "nourishes" his own body as Christ does the church, so it carries warmth and provision, not just management. Present tense: keep on raising them.
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.