παροτρύνω (G3951) — Greek Lexicon

παροτρύνω

parotrýnō

G3951 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To arouse, incite, or provoke someone to action, often with emphasis on urging toward a particular attitude or response, whether positive or negative; especially, to stimulate or egg on (often with an implication of agitation or provocation). In Koine and New Testament settings, most commonly denotes incitement to negative or hostile action.

Semantic Range

to stimulate, to provoke, to incite, to urge, to spur to action, to egg on, to arouse (esp. to anger or hostility)

Root / Etymology

Formed from the prefix παρά (beside, from) and the verb ὀτρύνω (to urge, to spur on, to encourage). Thus, it literally means 'to spur on from beside,' conveying the sense of closely urging or pressing someone to action.

Historical & Contextual Notes

The earliest attestation of παροτρύνω is in later Greek, especially within the Hellenistic and Koine periods. In the New Testament, it is a rare term (appearing for example in Acts 13:50), typically used of provoking or inciting people to hostile or resistant action, often by urging a group against another. The term retains the basic sense of urging or pushing someone toward a particular action (not necessarily negative in itself), but in biblical usage it often has the nuance of inciting rebellion, opposition, or persecution. It stands in contrast with less forceful words like παρακαλέω (to exhort, encourage). English versions sometimes translate it as 'stir up,' 'incite,' or 'provoke,' but often do not convey the strongly active sense of agitation that παροτρύνω can carry. The root ὀτρύνω is rarely found in classical Greek, used more commonly in later Greek literature and in the Septuagint. There, the sense may be more neutral (to urge or prompt), but the New Testament context is predominantly negative, associated with pressing to action against others.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from παρά and (to spur); to urge along, i.e. stimulate (to hostility):--stir up.

Root Family

παροτρύνω (parotrýnō) — to spur on, to urge, to incite

Root ὀτρυν- to spur on, to urge, to incite

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`G3951-01`	παρώτρυναν	parotrunan	`V AOR ACT IND 3P PL`	stirred up	they incited	they incited	1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 occurrence

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`G3951-01`	Acts 13:50	παρώτρυναν	parotrunan	`V AOR ACT IND 3P PL`	stirred up	they incited	they incited

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