νοσφίσασθαι
nosphízomai
to keep back
To set aside or separate something for oneself; to withhold for one's own use, especially in a secretive or unauthorized manner. The verb primarily refers to appropriating something that should rightfully be surrendered or entrusted to another, often with the connotation of deceit or dishonesty. In various contexts, it denotes to embezzle, misappropriate, or retain property or funds for personal benefit instead of handing them over as expected or required.
Acts 5:3 · Word #21
Lexicon G3557
| Lemma | νοσφίζομαι |
| Transliteration | nosphízomai |
| Strong's | G3557 |
| Definition | To set aside or separate something for oneself; to withhold for one's own use, especially in a secretive or unauthorized manner. The verb primarily refers to appropriating something that should rightfully be surrendered or entrusted to another, often with the connotation of deceit or dishonesty. In various contexts, it denotes to embezzle, misappropriate, or retain property or funds for personal benefit instead of handing them over as expected or required. |
Morphology V AOR MID INF
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | V — Verb — An action or state of being |
| Tense | AOR — Aorist — Simple occurrence, often past |
| Voice | MID — Middle — The subject acts on itself or in its own interest |
| Mood | INF — Infinitive — The verbal idea without person/number |
Common Translation
| Phrase | to keep back |
| Literal | to-keep-back |
Lexical Info
| Lemma | νοσφίζω |
| Strong's | G3557 |
SIBI-P1 Translation G3557-02
to appropriate for oneself
| Morphological Notes | Verb; aorist tense (simple/completed aspect), middle voice (self-interested/reflexive), infinitive mood. |
| Rendering Rationale | The rendering reflects the root sense of setting something apart (νόσφι, 'apart') and the middle voice, which emphasizes action done for one’s own interest. The aorist infinitive conveys the simple act of appropriating without aspectual expansion. |
View full lexicon entry for G3557 →
SILEX v2
SIBI-P2 (Context-Aware)
to keep back
| Same as P1 | No — adjusted for context |
| Rationale | Adjusted from 'to appropriate for oneself' to 'to keep back.' The context is about secretly withholding; 'to keep back' aligns with standard English usage for this scenario. |