Greek word · G4361
πρόσπεινος
prospeinos
very hungry
"Hungry." It is formed from πρός plus the root of πεινάω, "to be hungry." Whether the prefix intensifies ("very hungry") is disputed.
Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·
What it means
From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).
In depth
- Range of meaning
"Hungry." It is formed from πρός plus the root of πεινάω, "to be hungry." Whether the prefix intensifies ("very hungry") is disputed.
- Against the English
KJV and YLT have "very hungry," reading the prefix as an intensifier. BSB, WEB and most modern versions say simply "hungry."
- Used elsewhere in the period
It appears nowhere else in the Bible or the Septuagint and is very rare in Greek generally. BDAG cites an occurrence in a first-century medical writer (Demosthenes the ophthalmologist, preserved in Aëtius). That suggests it was an ordinary everyday or medical word, not a literary coinage.
Where it appears
Acts · 1
-
Acts 10:10 πρόσπεινος, hungry
He became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance.
Here: An extremely rare adjective, found only here in the Bible. It is built on the ordinary word for being hungry. Whether the prefix πρός- makes it stronger ("very hungry," as in KJV and YLT) or just means "hungry" (as in the critical lexicons) is uncertain. Either way, Peter's body was ready for a meal.
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.