Greek word · G4434

πτωχός

ptōchos

poor

Greek had two main words for poor: penēs, someone who must work to live with little surplus, and ptōchos, someone with nothing who must beg (the word is often linked with ptōssō, 'to crouch, cower').

Appears 34 times in 34 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

πτωχός, -ή, -όν

(πτώσσω, to crouch, cower), [in LXX for עָנִי, דַּל, רָשׁ, etc. ;]

of one who crouches and cowers, hence,

1. as subst., a beggar: Luke 14:13, 21 16:20, 22.

2. As adj.,

(a) prop., beggarly: metaphorically, στοιχεῖα, Galatians 4:9 (see Lft., in l);

(b) in broader sense (opposite to πλούσιος), poor: Matthew 11:5 19:21 26:9, 11, Mark 10:21 12:42-43 14:5, 7, Luke 4:18 7:22 18:22 19:8 21:3, John 12:5-6, 8 13:29, Romans 15:26, 2 Corinthians 6:10, Galatians 2:10, James 2:2-3, 6, Revelation 13:16; π. τ. κόσμῳ, James 2:5; metaphorically, Luke 6:20, Revelation 3:17; π. τ. πνεύματι, Matthew 5:3.†

SYN.: πένης, q.v (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 5:3

Range of meaning

Greek had two main words for poor: penēs, someone who must work to live with little surplus, and ptōchos, someone with nothing who must beg (the word is often linked with ptōssō, 'to crouch, cower'). In the LXX ptōchos translates the Hebrew 'ani ('afflicted, lowly'), 'evyon ('needy') and dal ('weak, poor'). In the Psalms and Prophets these words describe the oppressed poor who have no protector but God, and by extension the humble faithful who wait on God (often called the 'anawim, 'the lowly').

Against the English

English 'poor' can mean anything from 'short of money' to 'inferior' ("a poor effort"). Ptōchos is stronger and more concrete: destitute, dependent, socially powerless. At the same time, in Jewish usage it was never a purely economic word; it also named a stance of lowly dependence on God.

Used elsewhere in the period

LXX Isa 61:1 ("to bring good news to the ptōchoi"), which Jesus claims in Luke 4:18 and echoes in Matt 11:5. Psalms of Solomon (1st century BC) repeatedly calls the faithful 'the poor' (e.g. 5:2, 11; 10:6; 15:1). The Qumran community called itself 'the congregation of the poor' (4Q171, commentary on Psalm 37).

From the study of Matthew 11:5

Range of meaning

Classical Greek separated the penēs, who works for a living and has little, from the ptōchos, who has nothing and must beg (BDAG). In the LXX ptōchos often translates Hebrew ʿani / ʿanaw: the afflicted, the humble, the oppressed who have no one to rely on but God. The word therefore takes in economic poverty, social powerlessness, and, in the Psalms and Isaiah, the faithful poor who wait for God to set things right.

Against the English

"Poor" is a fair translation, but modern English "poor" is mostly economic. It loses the Isaiah overtone of the oppressed people God has promised to vindicate. It also lacks the edge of destitution, because many English speakers would call themselves "poor" without being anywhere near begging.

Used elsewhere in the period

Isaiah 61:1 LXX (ptōchois); Psalms such as 9–10, 34 and 72, where the ptōchos is the one God hears and defends. At Qumran the community sometimes called itself "the poor" (ʾebyonim, e.g. 1QpHab 12; 4QpPs37), which shows the word could be a badge of the faithful remnant. 4Q521 places "the poor" in a list of end-time blessings very like this one.

From the study of James 2:5

Range of meaning

In ordinary Greek, ptōchos is the destitute person: someone who cannot live on their own resources and must beg or depend on others. It is a harsher word than penēs, the 'working poor' person who has little but gets by. In the Septuagint (the Greek Old Testament), ptōchos often translates Hebrew ʿani, ʾebyon and ʿanaw: the afflicted, needy and lowly, whom God defends and who look to him for help (e.g. Ps 34:6; 72:12–13; Isa 61:1).

Against the English

English 'poor' is accurate but can sound mild, as in 'not well off'. Ptōchos describes the shabby man of 2:2 in 'filthy clothes': the bottom of the social ladder.

How it drifted

Some readers drift toward a purely spiritual meaning, 'poor' as humble, influenced by Matthew's 'poor in spirit' (5:3). James's own context rules this out: 'poor to the world', filthy clothes, and rich people dragging them to court (2:2–6) all describe actual economic poverty. James also uses the word with Israel's long sense that the poor are the people God sides with and who depend on him.

Used elsewhere in the period

The Psalms and Isaiah tie 'the poor' to God's protection and to the faithful remnant. In the Dead Sea Scrolls the community calls itself 'the poor' (ʾebyonim) (1QpHab XII; 4QpPs37 'the congregation of the poor'; 1QM XI, XIII). Psalms of Solomon 10:6 and 15:1 use 'the poor' for the devout. Jesus: 'Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God' (Luke 6:20).

Where it appears

Matthew · 5

  1. Matthew 5:3 πτωχοὶ poor

    “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

    Here: The strong Greek word for poverty: someone who has nothing and depends on others, a beggar, as opposed to the merely 'working poor'. In Jewish Greek it also carries the Old Testament picture of the lowly poor whom God defends.

  2. Matthew 11:5 πτωχοὶ poor

    The blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.

    Here: The truly destitute: people who had to beg, as opposed to people who were merely not rich. The word comes from Isaiah 61:1, where it stands for the afflicted and powerless of Israel who wait on God. It comes last, after even the raising of the dead.

  3. Matthew 19:21 πτωχοῖς· poor;

    Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”

    Here: Not people on a modest income. These are the destitute who depend on others to survive, beggar-poor. They are the same word as the "poor in spirit" of 5:3, and in Jewish thought God was their particular protector.

  4. Matthew 26:9 πτωχοῖς. to [the] poor.

    This perfume could have been sold at a high price, and the money given to the poor.”

  5. Matthew 26:11 πτωχοὺς poor

    The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have Me.

    Here: The destitute: people with no means of their own who depended on others' giving. It picks up the disciples' words in v. 9 ("given to the poor").

Mark · 5

  1. Mark 10:21 πτωχοῖς poor

    Jesus looked at him, loved him, and said to him, “There is one thing you lack: Go, sell everything you own and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”

    Here: People with nothing who depend on others to survive: beggars, the destitute. Not simply people of modest means.

  2. Mark 12:42 πτωχὴ poor

    Then one poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amounted to a small fraction of a denarius.

  3. Mark 12:43 πτωχὴ poor

    Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more than all the others into the treasury.

    Here: Not just 'low-income' but destitute: someone with nothing to fall back on. Verse 44 confirms that the two tiny coins were all she had to live on.

  4. Mark 14:5 πτωχοῖς· poor;

    It could have been sold for over three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor.” And they scolded her.

  5. Mark 14:7 πτωχοὺς poor

    The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them whenever you want. But you will not always have Me.

    Here: The destitute: people who had to beg or depend on others, not just people with little money. They are the ones the disciples said the perfume money should have gone to (v.5).

Luke · 10

  1. Luke 4:18 πτωχοῖς, to [the] poor,

    “The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed,

    Here: People with nothing, who depend on others to survive and have low standing. In Luke the word is concrete (6:20; 14:13; 16:20). Through Isaiah it also carries the sense of the afflicted who have nobody but God.

  2. Luke 6:20 πτωχοί, poor,

    Looking up at His disciples, Jesus said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

    Here: The destitute, people with no means of support who depend on others. Luke uses the same word for the beggar Lazarus (16:20). Behind it stands the Old Testament picture of the oppressed poor whose only hope is God (Isaiah 61:1, quoted in Luke 4:18).

  3. Luke 7:22 πτωχοὶ poor

    So He replied, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.

    Here: The destitute: people who depend on others to survive, the lowest group in society. It echoes Isaiah 61:1 and Jesus' 'Blessed are you who are poor' (Luke 6:20).

  4. Luke 14:13 πτωχούς, [the] poor,

    But when you host a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind,

    Here: People who had nothing and often lived by begging, the bottom of the social scale. The point that matters here is that they can never invite you back (v.14).

  5. Luke 14:21 πτωχοὺς poor

    The servant returned and reported all this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the city, and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’

    Here: The destitute: people with nothing, who lived on begging and had no standing to return an invitation.

  6. Luke 16:20 πτωχὸς A poor man

    And a beggar named Lazarus lay at his gate, covered with sores

    Here: The word comes first in the sentence and matches 'rich' in v. 19. It means a man with nothing at all, who lives on what others give him. That is lower than ordinary poverty. Greek had another word, penēs, for a poor man who still worked for a living.

  7. Luke 16:22 πτωχὸν poor man

    One day the beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. And the rich man also died and was buried.

    Here: This is not just someone with little money. It means a man with nothing, who lives on what others give him. Throughout Luke these are the people God's good news is aimed at (4:18; 6:20).

  8. Luke 18:22 πτωχοῖς, to [the] poor,

    On hearing this, Jesus told him, “You still lack one thing: Sell everything you own and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”

    Here: 'To poor people': no article, so the poor in general. Ptōchos is the beggar-level poor, people who depend on others to survive.

  9. Luke 19:8 πτωχοῖς poor

    But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, half of my possessions I give to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone, I will repay it fourfold.”

    Here: The truly destitute, people who depend on others to survive. These are exactly the people Jesus announced good news to in Luke 4:18 and 6:20.

  10. Luke 21:3 πτωχὴ poor

    “Truly I tell you,” He said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others.

John · 4

  1. John 12:5 πτωχοῖς; to [the] poor?

    “Why wasn’t this perfume sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?”

    Here: There is no article, so it means 'to poor people', any of them. Ptōchos is the strong word for the destitute who live on alms, not merely people of modest means.

  2. John 12:6 πτωχῶν poor

    Judas did not say this because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief. As keeper of the money bag, he used to take from what was put into it.

    Here: The truly destitute, people who depended on charity. They are the ones the perfume money would supposedly have gone to.

  3. John 12:8 πτωχοὺς poor

    The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have Me.”

    Here: Not people who were merely short of money. These were people with nothing, who lived on what others gave them. It is put first in the Greek for emphasis, because it picks up Judas's word in v.5.

  4. John 13:29 πτωχοῖς poor

    Since Judas kept the money bag, some thought that Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the feast, or to give something to the poor.

    Here: People with nothing, who depended on alms, not simply people on low wages. Giving to them was evidently a normal use of the group's money.

Romans · 1

  1. Romans 15:26 πτωχοὺς poor

    For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.

2 Corinthians · 1

  1. 2 Corinthians 6:10 πτωχοὶ poor

    sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

    Here: Not just "of modest means" but destitute, without resources. Paul worked with his hands, sometimes went hungry and turned down Corinthian money (1 Cor 4:11–12; 2 Cor 11:7–9, 27). Many in a status-conscious city would have looked down on that.

Galatians · 2

  1. Galatians 2:10 πτωχῶν poor

    They only asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.

    Here: People with nothing to fall back on, who depend on others to survive. It is in the genitive case because Greek verbs of remembering take that case. It is placed before 'that' to stress it: 'the poor, that is what we were to remember.'

  2. Galatians 4:9 πτωχὰ destitute

    But now that you know God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you are turning back to those weak and worthless principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?

    Here: Destitute, as poor as a beggar. They have nothing to give. Compare the rich inheritance God gives his children in verse 7.

James · 4

  1. James 2:2 πτωχὸς a poor [man]

    Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in.

    Here: Not just someone of modest means. Ptōchos is the word for someone who has nothing and must depend on others, the kind of person who begs. He gets no name and no other description. His poverty is all anyone sees.

  2. James 2:3 πτωχῷ poor

    If you lavish attention on the man in fine clothes and say, “Here is a seat of honor,” but say to the poor man, “You must stand” or “Sit at my feet,”

    Here: Not someone of modest income but someone destitute, the kind of person who has to beg. He is named only by his poverty, while the rich man was called a "man" (anēr) with a gold ring.

  3. James 2:5 πτωχοὺς poor

    Listen, my beloved brothers: Has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him?

    Here: Not just 'people of modest means' but the truly poor: people who depend on others to survive, like the man in filthy clothes in 2:2. In Israel's scriptures they are also the people God especially protects.

  4. James 2:6 πτωχόν. poor.

    But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you and drag you into court?

    Here: The word for the truly destitute, people who depend on others to survive. It is the same word used of the man 'in filthy clothes' in v.2 and of 'the poor of the world' God chose in v.5.

Revelation · 2

  1. Revelation 3:17 πτωχὸς poor

    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: Beggar-poor, with nothing at all. It is the exact opposite of their opening word, 'rich'. It is answered in v.18 by the offer of 'gold refined by fire'.

  2. Revelation 13:16 πτωχοὺς poor

    And the second beast required all people, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their forehead,

    Here: Not just people of modest means but the destitute, those who depend on others to live. They are the people most exposed to economic pressure.

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