Greek word · G1652

ἐλεεινός

eleeinos

pitiful

Pitiable, deserving of pity, in a condition that calls out mercy (ἔλεος) from people who see it. It is about how one's plight looks to others, not one's own mood.

Appears 2 times in 2 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

ἐλεεινός, -ή, -όν

(ἔλεος in Re, l.with, WH have the Attic poëtic form, ἐλεινός),

pitiable, miserable: Revelation 3:17; comparat., 1 Corinthians 15:19.†

(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 Revelation 3:17

Range of meaning

Pitiable, deserving of pity, in a condition that calls out mercy (ἔλεος) from people who see it. It is about how one's plight looks to others, not one's own mood.

Against the English

KJV, WEB and NASB use 'miserable', which today usually means 'feeling very unhappy'. ESV's 'pitiable' and BSB's 'pitiful' are closer, though 'pitiful' can also mean 'contemptibly poor in quality'.

How it drifted

'Miserable' comes from Latin miserabilis ('to be pitied'), the word the Vulgate uses here. In 1611 English it still mainly meant 'deserving pity, in a wretched plight'. Its main modern sense, 'feeling unhappy', developed later.

Used elsewhere in the period

It occurs only twice in the New Testament. The other place is 1 Corinthians 15:19: if Christians have hope only in this life, 'we are of all people most to be pitied' (ἐλεεινότεροι). It is common in classical Greek for objects of pity.

From the study of 1 Corinthians 15:19

Range of meaning

'Pitiable, wretched, deserving of pity (eleos)', from the same root as eleos, 'mercy, compassion'. It describes a person's objective plight as others see it: someone in a condition that should move onlookers to pity. Comparative here: 'more pitiable'.

Against the English

KJV 'most miserable' meant 'most wretched, most to be pitied' in 1611; 'miserable' then still kept its Latin sense (miser, 'wretched, unfortunate'). Modern readers hear 'very unhappy, gloomy'. BSB, WEB, YLT and most modern versions use 'pitiable / to be pitied', which matches the Greek better.

How it drifted

English 'miserable' has moved from describing an outward state of misfortune to describing an inward feeling of unhappiness.

Used elsewhere in the period

Classical Greek uses it for people in lamentable circumstances, especially in tragedy. In the NT it occurs only here and in Rev 3:17, where Laodicea thinks itself rich but is 'wretched and pitiable'. The pairing there shows the word is about one's real condition, which the person may not even perceive.

Where it appears

1 Corinthians · 1

  1. 1 Corinthians 15:19 ἐλεεινότεροι more to be pitied

    If our hope in Christ is for this life alone, we are to be pitied more than all men.

    Here: Comparative, 'more pitiable'. It describes the condition of someone others ought to pity, not how that person feels inside. The only other New Testament use is Rev 3:17 ('wretched and pitiable').

Revelation · 1

  1. Revelation 3:17 ἐλεεινὸς miserable

    You say, ‘I am rich; I have grown wealthy and need nothing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.

    Here: Someone who deserves pity, a case others would look on with compassion. It describes an objective plight, not an unhappy feeling. The Laodiceans feel fine.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.