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νοσφίζομαι

nosphízomai

G3557 verb

SILEX Entry

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.

Semantic Range

to keep back (for oneself), to withhold (secretly), to embezzle, to misappropriate, to purloin, to appropriate clandestinely

Root / Etymology

Middle voice verb formed from the preposition νόσφι ('apart, away, separate') and a verbal formation. The root νόσφι indicates distance or separation. The verb construction emphasizes the act of setting something apart for oneself.

Historical & Contextual Notes

The term νοσφίζομαι appears in Koine Greek almost exclusively in the middle voice, highlighting personal involvement in the action. In the Septuagint, it is found in contexts of deceitful withholding (e.g., the story of Achan in Joshua 7:1) and in contemporary Greek literature associated with theft or embezzlement. In the New Testament (e.g., Acts 5:2-3), it carries a strong sense of deliberate, wrongful retention of proceeds or items due to a collective or communal trust, notably during the early Messianic community's sharing of possessions. The semantic focus is not simply individual ownership but the unethical clandestine appropriation of what must legally or morally be given up. Standard English translations sometimes render the verb as 'keep back,' 'withhold,' or 'embezzle,' but 'purloin' or 'misappropriate' may better capture the sense of wrongful clandestine retention. The term is distinct from more general verbs for 'to take' (λαμβάνω) or 'to steal' (κλέπτω) by its focus on wrongful personal appropriation from a required share or trust.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

middle voice from (apart or clandestinely); to sequestrate for oneself, i.e. embezzle:--keep back, purloin.

Root Family

νοσφίζομαι (nosphizomai) — to separate, to keep back, to withhold, to appropriate

Root νοσφι- to separate, to keep back, to withhold, to appropriate

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G3557-01 ἐνοσφίσατο enosphisato V AOR MID IND 3P SG kept back he misappropriated for himself he kept back for himself 1
G3557-02 νοσφίσασθαι nosphisasthai V AOR MID INF to keep back to appropriate for oneself to keep back 1
G3557-03 νοσφιζομένους nosphizomenous V PRS MID PTCP ACC M PL pilfering those misappropriating for themselves those misappropriating for themselves 1

Occurrences in Scripture

3 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G3557-01 Acts 5:2 ἐνοσφίσατο enosphisato V AOR MID IND 3P SG kept back he misappropriated for himself he kept back for himself
G3557-02 Acts 5:3 νοσφίσασθαι nosphisasthai V AOR MID INF to keep back to appropriate for oneself to keep back
G3557-03 Titus 2:10 νοσφιζομένους nosphizomenous V PRS MID PTCP ACC M PL pilfering those misappropriating for themselves those misappropriating for themselves
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