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πτῶσις

ptōsis

G4431 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A fall, especially the action or event of falling physically or metaphorically; denotes being brought down from a position, a decline, loss of status, or collapse. Used for literal falls (e.g., of physical objects or persons) and more commonly for figurative social or moral declines, ruin, or catastrophic events.

Semantic Range

a fall, downfall, collapse, ruin, calamity, defeat, (by extension in secular Greek: grammatical case)

Root / Etymology

From the stem πτώ- of the verb πίπτω (to fall), specifically from an alternate formation of that root; -σις denotes the act or result of the action.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, πτῶσις referred principally to a fall or the act of falling, and from the Hellenistic period onward the term expanded to include metaphorical senses: misfortune, ruin, or downfall, especially of individuals, cities, or communities. In grammatical terminology, the word was used by Greek grammarians for 'case' (i.e., the inflected state of a noun), since cases were described as 'changes' or 'falls' from the nominative form, but this technical usage is not found in biblical Greek. In the Septuagint and New Testament, πτῶσις most often carries the sense of a downfall, defeat, or calamity, with special emphasis on a dramatic or sudden collapse, either physical, moral, or social. English translations typically use 'fall' or 'downfall,' but these may not capture the sense of dramatic catastrophe or finality often present in Koine usage. No evidence supports usage for ordinary movement downwards; it always implies a significant or negative descent.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from the alternate of πίπτω; a crash, i.e. downfall (literally or figuratively):--fall.

Root Family

πτῶσις (ptōsis) — fall, downfall, collapse, ruin

Root πτώ- to fall, to descend, to collapse

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G4431-01 πτῶσιν ptosin N ACC F SG fall a fall a fall 1
G4431-02 πτῶσις ptosis N NOM F SG fall fall fall 1

Occurrences in Scripture

2 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G4431-02 Matthew 7:27 πτῶσις ptosis N NOM F SG fall fall fall
G4431-01 Luke 2:34 πτῶσιν ptosin N ACC F SG fall a fall a fall
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