Greek word · G3514

νήθω

nēthō

to spin

To spin: to draw out and twist fibre (wool, flax) into thread with a hand spindle.

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

What it means

νήθω

[in LXX for טָוָה, שָׁזַר hoph., Exodus 26:31 35:25, al. ;]

to spin: Matthew 6:28, Luke 12:27.†

(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 Matthew 6:28

Range of meaning

To spin: to draw out and twist fibre (wool, flax) into thread with a hand spindle.

Against the English

All major versions say "spin," except NLT, which paraphrases as "make their clothing." That makes it clear to modern readers but loses the concrete picture of the task.

Used elsewhere in the period

Septuagint Exod 35:25–26, where the skilled women spin yarn and goats' hair for the tabernacle. Spinning is the standard picture of women's household work (Prov 31:19, the capable wife's hands on the distaff and spindle).

Where it appears

Matthew · 1

  1. Matthew 6:28 νήθουσιν. do they spin.

    And why do you worry about clothes? Consider how the lilies of the field grow: They do not labor or spin.

    Here: Twisting wool or flax fibre into thread with a spindle. This was the basic, endless step in making cloth, and in that world it was mainly women's household work. The lilies are "dressed" without anyone ever spinning a thread.

Luke · 1

  1. Luke 12:27 νήθει. do they spin.

    Consider how the lilies grow: They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory was adorned like one of these.

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