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κοπιάω

kopiáō

G2872 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To exert oneself physically or mentally; to engage in strenuous or laborious activity, typically resulting in fatigue. In extended senses, to make every effort, to strive or struggle intensely towards an objective. May also denote being worn out or growing weary from sustained effort.

Semantic Range

to labor strenuously, to exert oneself, to strive, to work hard, to grow tired or weary (from effort), to fatigue oneself, to struggle

Root / Etymology

From κόπος (kopos, 'toil, labor, hardship'), with the verb-forming ending -άω. Derived directly from the idea of toil or wearisome labor.

Historical & Contextual Notes

κοπιάω appears in classical Greek with connotations of physical exhaustion from labor or travel (Homer, Herodotus). In Koine usage, particularly in the New Testament and Septuagint, the term expands to include exertion in spiritual, intellectual, or moral tasks: e.g., teachers or apostles laboring in service to community (1 Corinthians 15:10, 1 Timothy 4:10), or those striving in prayer (Colossians 4:12). The nuance is typically that effort is sustained and sometimes taxing, shaded toward the result of becoming weary or worn. English translations ('to labor,' 'to toil,' 'to work hard,' 'to strive') do not always convey the experiential sense of exhaustion implied in the Greek. In contrast with related terms (e.g., ἐργάζομαι 'to work, do a task'), κοπιάω emphasizes the difficulty, struggle, or cost of the effort. While occasionally the nuance is simply that of diligent effort, more often the stress falls on effort that is arduous or fatiguing. Not necessarily limited to manual labor: can refer to any activity involving sustained, strenuous application.

Translation Consistency

primary "toil" 18 occurrences

κοπιάω primarily denotes strenuous, fatiguing effort or work. "Toil" captures both the sense of hard, laborious exertion and the resulting weariness, fits the common biblical usage, and matches the predominant renderings in the P2 data while remaining natural and flexible for inflection.

Alternatives (5 occurrences):
"labor strenuously" (1x) "labored strenuously" (1x) "labored" (1x) "laboring" (1x) "grown weary" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from a derivative of κόπος; to feel fatigue; by implication, to work hard:--(bestow) labour, toil, be wearied.

Root Family

κοπ- (enkopḗ) — to cut, to interrupt, to hinder

Root κοπ- to toil, to labor, to grow weary
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
G1464 ἐγκοπή an interruption
G2869 κοπάζω it subsided
G2870 κοπετός ritual mourning
G2871 κοπή of slaughter
G2873 κόπος to wearisome toil

Word Forms

18 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G2872-01 ἐκοπίασα ekopiasa V AOR ACT IND 1P SG I labored I toiled I toiled 2
G2872-02 ἐκοπίασεν ekopiasen V AOR ACT IND 3P SG labored he toiled labored 2
G2872-12 κοπιῶμεν kopiomen V PRS ACT IND 1P PL we labor we toil we toil 2
G2872-14 κοπιῶντας kopiontas V PRS ACT PTCP ACC M PL laboring toiling ones toiling ones 2
G2872-15 κοπιῶντες kopiontes V PRS ACT PTCP VOC M PL labor O toiling ones O toiling ones 2
G2872-03 κεκοπίακα kekopiaka V PRF ACT IND 1P SG I have labored I have toiled I have toiled 1
G2872-04 κεκοπιάκασιν kekopiakasin V PRF ACT IND 3P PL have labored they have toiled they have toiled 1
G2872-05 κεκοπιάκατε kekopiakate V PRF ACT IND 2P PL have labored you have labored strenuously have labored strenuously 1
G2872-06 κεκοπίακες kekopiakes V PRF ACT IND 2P SG grown weary you have toiled you have grown weary 1
G2872-07 κεκοπιακὼς kekopiakos V PRF ACT PTCP NOM M SG wearied having toiled having toiled 1

Occurrences in Scripture

23 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G2872-18 Matthew 6:28 κοπιῶσιν kopiosin V PRS ACT IND 3P PL toil they labor strenuously they labor strenuously
G2872-15 Matthew 11:28 κοπιῶντες kopiontes V PRS ACT PTCP VOC M PL labor O toiling ones O toiling ones
G2872-09 Luke 5:5 κοπιάσαντες kopiasantes V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M PL we worked hard having toiled having toiled
G2872-08 Luke 12:27 κοπιᾷ kopia V PRS ACT IND 3P SG they toil he/she toils they toil
G2872-07 John 4:6 κεκοπιακὼς kekopiakos V PRF ACT PTCP NOM M SG wearied having toiled having toiled
G2872-05 John 4:38 κεκοπιάκατε kekopiakate V PRF ACT IND 2P PL have labored you have labored strenuously have labored strenuously
G2872-04 John 4:38 κεκοπιάκασιν kekopiakasin V PRF ACT IND 3P PL have labored they have toiled they have toiled
G2872-14 Acts 20:35 κοπιῶντας kopiontas V PRS ACT PTCP ACC M PL laboring toiling ones toiling ones
G2872-02 Romans 16:6 ἐκοπίασεν ekopiasen V AOR ACT IND 3P SG labored he toiled she toiled
G2872-17 Romans 16:12 κοπιώσας kopiosas V PRS ACT PTCP ACC F PL who labor toiling toiling
G2872-02 Romans 16:12 ἐκοπίασεν ekopiasen V AOR ACT IND 3P SG labored he toiled labored
G2872-12 1 Corinthians 4:12 κοπιῶμεν kopiomen V PRS ACT IND 1P PL we toil we toil we toil
G2872-01 1 Corinthians 15:10 ἐκοπίασα ekopiasa V AOR ACT IND 1P SG I labored I toiled I toiled
G2872-16 1 Corinthians 16:16 κοπιῶντι kopionti V PRS ACT PTCP DAT M SG labors to the one laboring the one laboring
G2872-03 Galatians 4:11 κεκοπίακα kekopiaka V PRF ACT IND 1P SG I have labored I have toiled I have toiled
G2872-10 Ephesians 4:28 κοπιάτω kopiato V PRS ACT IMP 3P SG let him labor let him toil let him toil
G2872-01 Philippians 2:16 ἐκοπίασα ekopiasa V AOR ACT IND 1P SG I labored I toiled I toiled
G2872-11 Colossians 1:29 κοπιῶ kopio V PRS ACT IND 1P SG I labor I toil I toil
G2872-14 1 Thessalonians 5:12 κοπιῶντας kopiontas V PRS ACT PTCP ACC M PL who labor toiling ones toiling ones
G2872-12 1 Timothy 4:10 κοπιῶμεν kopiomen V PRS ACT IND 1P PL we labor we toil we toil
G2872-15 1 Timothy 5:17 κοπιῶντες kopiontes V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M PL laboring O toiling ones toiling
G2872-13 2 Timothy 2:6 κοπιῶντα kopionta V PRS ACT PTCP ACC M SG hard-working toiling toiling
G2872-06 Revelation 2:3 κεκοπίακες kekopiakes V PRF ACT IND 2P SG grown weary you have toiled you have grown weary
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