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πάσχω

páschō

G3958 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To undergo an experience, especially to be subject to something (typically suffering or enduring something unpleasant). In context, often means to suffer, to experience hardship, pain, or misfortune, but can also refer more broadly to experiencing any kind of event or happening, including positive ones, though negative sense is dominant in Koine Greek. The word does not specify emotional responses, but focuses on the fact of enduring or being affected by circumstances.

Semantic Range

to suffer, to undergo, to endure, to experience (positive or negative events), to be subject to, to be affected by

Root / Etymology

Root: πάσχ-; possibly related to the older Greek πάθω (aorist form), drawing from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂ḱ-, 'to fasten, settle' or potentially from *pent-, 'to suffer' (the precise etymology is debated; see LSJ and modern etymological resources). The word is primary in form within Greek, not a compound or borrowing.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, πάσχω describes being acted upon, as contrasted with ποιέω ('to do, to act'), which indicates activity or agency. The sense of 'suffering' often emerges in contexts involving adversity or being subject to another's actions. In the Septuagint and New Testament, πάσχω frequently denotes suffering in physical, mental, or social terms (e.g., illness, persecution, hardship), but technically could apply to experiencing positive things (cf. Plato, e.g. experiencing pleasure). Over time, the negative sense became dominant in Hellenistic and Koine Greek, especially in Jewish and Christian literature, where the term is closely associated with the suffering of individuals under trial or persecution. Standard English translations uniformly render it as 'to suffer,' but this may narrow the semantic range, overlooking its generic 'to experience' sense. Its noun form, πάθος, has a wider range including 'passion' or 'emotion,' and is linguistically related.

Translation Consistency

primary "suffer" 36 occurrences

πάσχω most commonly denotes undergoing hardship or pain in Koine Greek (e.g., the passion language). The attested P2 renderings overwhelmingly favor forms of “suffer,” and that verb is the most natural, idiomatic English choice for both active and passive senses (suffered, suffering, is suffering). Though the root can sometimes mean simply “experience/undergo,” the negative/afflictive sense is dominant, so “suffer” gives consistent, clear translations across all forms.

Alternatives (4 occurrences):
"experiencing" (1x) "undergoing" (1x) "him undergo" (1x) "having undergone" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

apparently a primary verb; to experience a sensation or impression (usually painful):--feel, passion, suffer, vex.

Root Family

πάσχ- (páschō) — to experience, to suffer, to undergo

Root πάσχ- to experience, to suffer, to undergo

Word Forms

20 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G3958-14 παθεῖν pathein V AOR ACT INF suffer to undergo to suffer 12
G3958-01 ἔπαθεν epathen V AOR ACT IND 3P SG suffered he/she/it underwent he/she/it suffered 4
G3958-05 πάσχειν paschein V PRS ACT INF to suffer to undergo to suffer 4
G3958-02 ἐπάθετε epathete V AOR ACT IND 2P PL have you suffered you underwent you suffered 2
G3958-11 πάσχων paschon V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M SG suffering the one experiencing suffering 2
G3958-12 πάσχοντες paschontes V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M PL suffering those undergoing suffering 2
G3958-03 ἔπαθον epathon V AOR ACT IND 1P SG I have suffered I underwent I suffered 1
G3958-04 πάσχει paschei V PRS ACT IND 3P SG suffers is undergoing is suffering 1
G3958-06 πάσχετε paschete V PRS ACT IND 2P PL you suffer you are undergoing you are undergoing 1
G3958-07 πασχέτω pascheto V PRS ACT IMP 3P SG suffer let him undergo let him undergo 1

Occurrences in Scripture

40 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G3958-14 Matthew 16:21 παθεῖν pathein V AOR ACT INF things to undergo to suffer
G3958-05 Matthew 17:12 πάσχειν paschein V PRS ACT INF to suffer to undergo to suffer
G3958-03 Matthew 27:19 ἔπαθον epathon V AOR ACT IND 1P SG I have suffered I underwent I suffered
G3958-18 Mark 5:26 παθοῦσα pathousa V AOR ACT PTCP NOM F SG having suffered having undergone having suffered
G3958-14 Mark 8:31 παθεῖν pathein V AOR ACT INF to suffer to undergo to suffer
G3958-13 Mark 9:12 πάθῃ pathe V AOR ACT SUBJ 3P SG He should suffer he might undergo he should suffer
G3958-14 Luke 9:22 παθεῖν pathein V AOR ACT INF suffer to undergo to suffer
G3958-19 Luke 13:2 πεπόνθασιν peponthasin V PRF ACT IND 3P PL they suffered they have undergone they have suffered
G3958-14 Luke 17:25 παθεῖν pathein V AOR ACT INF suffer to undergo to suffer
G3958-14 Luke 22:15 παθεῖν pathein V AOR ACT INF suffer to undergo to suffer
G3958-14 Luke 24:26 παθεῖν pathein V AOR ACT INF to suffer to undergo to suffer
G3958-14 Luke 24:46 παθεῖν pathein V AOR ACT INF to suffer to undergo to suffer
G3958-14 Acts 1:3 παθεῖν pathein V AOR ACT INF suffering to undergo to suffer
G3958-14 Acts 3:18 παθεῖν pathein V AOR ACT INF should suffer to undergo to suffer
G3958-14 Acts 9:16 παθεῖν pathein V AOR ACT INF suffer to undergo to suffer
G3958-14 Acts 17:3 παθεῖν pathein V AOR ACT INF suffer to undergo to suffer
G3958-01 Acts 28:5 ἔπαθεν epathen V AOR ACT IND 3P SG suffered he/she/it underwent he/she/it suffered
G3958-04 1 Corinthians 12:26 πάσχει paschei V PRS ACT IND 3P SG suffers is undergoing is suffering
G3958-10 2 Corinthians 1:6 πάσχομεν paschomen V PRS ACT IND 1P PL suffer we are experiencing we are experiencing
G3958-02 Galatians 3:4 ἐπάθετε epathete V AOR ACT IND 2P PL have you suffered you underwent you suffered
G3958-05 Philippians 1:29 πάσχειν paschein V PRS ACT INF to suffer to undergo to suffer
G3958-02 1 Thessalonians 2:14 ἐπάθετε epathete V AOR ACT IND 2P PL suffered you underwent you suffered
G3958-06 2 Thessalonians 1:5 πάσχετε paschete V PRS ACT IND 2P PL you suffer you are undergoing you are undergoing
G3958-08 2 Timothy 1:12 πάσχω pascho V PRS ACT IND 1P SG suffer I am undergoing I suffer
G3958-20 Hebrews 2:18 πέπονθεν peponthen V PRF ACT IND 3P SG He has suffered has undergone has suffered
G3958-01 Hebrews 5:8 ἔπαθεν epathen V AOR ACT IND 3P SG he suffered he/she/it underwent he/she/it suffered
G3958-14 Hebrews 9:26 παθεῖν pathein V AOR ACT INF to-suffer to undergo to suffer
G3958-01 Hebrews 13:12 ἔπαθεν epathen V AOR ACT IND 3P SG suffered he/she/it underwent he/she/it suffered
G3958-11 1 Peter 2:19 πάσχων paschon V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M SG suffering the one experiencing suffering
G3958-12 1 Peter 2:20 πάσχοντες paschontes V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M PL suffering those undergoing suffering
G3958-01 1 Peter 2:21 ἔπαθεν epathen V AOR ACT IND 3P SG suffered he/she/it underwent he/she/it suffered
G3958-11 1 Peter 2:23 πάσχων paschon V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M SG suffering the one experiencing suffering
G3958-09 1 Peter 3:14 πάσχοιτε paschoite V PRS ACT OPT 2P PL you should suffer you might be undergoing you should suffer
G3958-05 1 Peter 3:17 πάσχειν paschein V PRS ACT INF to suffer to undergo to suffer
G3958-17 1 Peter 4:1 παθόντος pathontos V AOR ACT PTCP GEN M SG having suffered of having undergone having suffered
G3958-15 1 Peter 4:1 παθὼν pathon V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M SG having suffered having undergone having suffered
G3958-07 1 Peter 4:15 πασχέτω pascheto V PRS ACT IMP 3P SG suffer let him undergo let him undergo
G3958-12 1 Peter 4:19 πάσχοντες paschontes V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M PL who suffer those undergoing suffering
G3958-16 1 Peter 5:10 παθόντας pathontas V AOR ACT PTCP ACC M PL having suffered having undergone having undergone
G3958-05 Revelation 2:10 πάσχειν paschein V PRS ACT INF to suffer to undergo to suffer
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