μόχθος
móchthos
G3449 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Toil, hard labor, or strenuous effort, often with the implication of weariness or distress; the work or exertion that is physically or mentally demanding. In certain contexts, it can denote the burdensome effects or hardships resulting from such effort, including pain, trouble, or affliction experienced as a result of persistent exertion or adversity.
Semantic Range
toil, hard work, laborious effort, hardship, affliction, difficulty, trouble, pain experienced from strenuous labor
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root μόχθ-; closely related to μόγις (with difficulty, scarcely), likely sharing the same Indo-European origin that conveys notions of striving or hardship. The exact pre-Greek etymology is uncertain.
Historical & Contextual Notes
μόχθος appears in classical Greek texts (e.g., Homer, Herodotus) denoting physically demanding labor, effort, or hardship experienced in tasks, often in battle or daily work. In the Septuagint, it frequently translates Hebrew terms signifying toil, trouble, or distress (e.g., עָמָל ‘āmāl). In the New Testament (e.g., 2 Corinthians 11:27), it refers to the exhausting or burdensome quality of Paul's labors and sufferings. The term is not specifically religious and lacks the later theological connotations sometimes associated with "travail" in English translation. English renderings like "toil," "labor," or "trouble" generally capture its range, though "painfulness" broadens the sense to include mental or emotional exertion. μόχθος is distinct from κόπος, though both can mean labor or toil; μόχθος leans more toward the hardship or adversity entailed, while κόπος emphasizes the fatigue resulting from work.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from the base of μόγις; toil, i.e. (by implication) sadness:--painfulness, travail.
Root Family
μόχθος (mochthos) — toil, labor, hardship
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3449-01 |
μόχθῳ | mochtho | N DAT M SG |
hardship | in toil | hardship | 2 |
G3449-02 |
μόχθον | mochthon | N ACC M SG |
hardship | toil | hardship | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3449-01 |
2 Corinthians 11:27 | μόχθῳ | mochtho | N DAT M SG |
hardship | in toil | in toil |
G3449-02 |
1 Thessalonians 2:9 | μόχθον | mochthon | N ACC M SG |
hardship | toil | hardship |
G3449-01 |
2 Thessalonians 3:8 | μόχθῳ | mochtho | N DAT M SG |
hardship | in toil | hardship |