Greek word · G4550

σαπρός

sapros

rotten

From the verb σήπω, 'to rot or putrefy'. Its basic sense is rotten, decayed or putrid, used of spoiled fish, rotting fruit, stale or perished goods. By extension it means bad, worthless, unfit for use, or harmful.

Appears 8 times in 6 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

σαπρός, -ά -όν

[in Sm.: Leviticus 27:14, 33 * ;]

rotten, corrupt, bad, worth­less: of trees and fruit (opposite to ἀγαθός, καλός), Matthew 7:17-18 12:33 Luke 6:43; of fish, Matthew 13:48.

Metaphorical, in moral sense: λόγος σ., Ephesians 4:29. "In Hellenistic . . . it became a synonym for αἰσχρός or κακός," MM, xxii.†

(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 4:29

Range of meaning

From the verb σήπω, 'to rot or putrefy'. Its basic sense is rotten, decayed or putrid, used of spoiled fish, rotting fruit, stale or perished goods. By extension it means bad, worthless, unfit for use, or harmful. BDAG gives (1) 'of poor quality, bad, unfit, of no value' and (2) 'harmful, bad, evil', and places Ephesians 4:29 under the moral sense.

Against the English

KJV/WEB 'corrupt'; BSB/NASB 'unwholesome'; ESV 'corrupting'; NLT 'foul or abusive'. 'Unwholesome' and 'rotten' capture the food picture. Modern 'corrupt' tends to suggest bribery or moral depravity. 'Foul' and the popular reading 'swear words' narrow the term to vulgar vocabulary.

How it drifted

In 1611 'corrupt' still primarily meant 'rotten, putrefied' (as in 'corrupt meat'), which made it an excellent match. Over time the physical sense faded, and 'corrupt communication' came to be heard as 'dirty language'.

Used elsewhere in the period

In the Gospels: the 'rotten tree' that bears 'rotten fruit' (Matthew 7:17–18; 12:33; Luke 6:43) and the 'bad' fish thrown away from the net (Matthew 13:48). Everyday Greek writers and the papyri use it of rotten, stale or worn-out goods. The closest Pauline parallel is Colossians 4:6: 'let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt'. Salt was the ancient preservative against rot.

From the study of Matthew 7:17

Range of meaning

Literally rotten, putrid or decayed, from the verb sēpō, 'to make rot'. More broadly it means of poor quality, spoiled, worthless or unfit for use. In Greek writers and the papyri it is used of spoiled food, stale goods and worn-out things (BDAG; Moulton–Milligan).

Against the English

KJV and WEB say 'corrupt'. ESV's 'diseased' captures the botanical picture, while BSB, NIV and NASB use a flat 'bad'. Today 'corrupt' suggests dishonesty or bribery. In 1611 it still mainly meant decayed or putrefied, which matched the Greek.

How it drifted

English 'corrupt' moved from its physical sense (rotting, decomposing) to a mainly moral and political one (dishonest, venal). Modern readers of the KJV therefore hear a 'dishonest tree', which makes little sense, instead of a rotting one.

Used elsewhere in the period

Matthew 12:33 (the parallel saying, 'make the tree rotten and its fruit rotten'); Matthew 13:48 (the bad fish thrown out of the net); Luke 6:43 (applied to fruit); Ephesians 4:29 ('rotten/unwholesome talk'). The word is rare or absent in the Greek Old Testament.

From the study of Matthew 12:33

Range of meaning

From sēpō, 'to rot'. Rotten, decayed, putrid; by extension spoiled, worn-out, worthless, unfit for use. Used of rotten or inedible fish thrown away (Matt 13:48) and of 'rotten/foul' speech (Eph 4:29).

Against the English

BSB, YLT and most modern versions say 'bad'; KJV and WEB say 'corrupt'. 'Bad' is accurate but flat. 'Corrupt' now suggests moral or financial corruption (bribery, dishonesty), but in 1611 it meant physically decayed, which is what the Greek means.

How it drifted

English 'corrupt' (Latin corruptus, 'spoiled, broken down') moved from mainly physical decay to mainly moral or political wrongdoing. The KJV usage reflects the older, physical sense.

Used elsewhere in the period

Matthew 7:17–18 and Luke 6:43 use the same tree/fruit pairing with σαπρός. Ephesians 4:29 forbids any 'sapros word' coming out of the mouth, which links the word to speech, as in Matthew 12:34–37. The papyri use it for spoiled or worn-out goods (Moulton–Milligan).

Where it appears

Matthew · 5

  1. Matthew 7:17 σαπρὸν the bad

    Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.

    Here: A tree that is rotten, decayed or diseased, and so worthless as a fruit-bearer. The problem lies in the tree itself, not in bad luck at harvest.

  2. Matthew 7:18 σαπρὸν bad

    A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.

  3. Matthew 12:33 σαπρὸν σαπρόν· bad, bad;

    Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is known by its fruit.

    Here: A diseased, decaying or worthless tree, one that is unfit at its core. It is a vivid physical word, not an abstract one.

  4. Matthew 13:48 σαπρὰ bad

    When it was full, the men pulled it ashore. Then they sat down and sorted the good fish into containers, but threw the bad away.

Luke · 2

  1. Luke 6:43 σαπρόν· σαπρὸν bad;, bad

    No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.

    Here: Fruit that is spoiled or useless, not worth gathering. The picture is about uselessness and decay. It is not a picture of active wickedness.

Ephesians · 1

  1. Ephesians 4:29 σαπρὸς unwholesome

    Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen.

    Here: The picture is spoiled food or rotten fruit: speech that has gone bad, gives off a stench, and does harm or is no use to anyone. It is the opposite of 'good' (agathos) later in the verse.

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