ἐνοσφίσατο
nosphízomai
kept back
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.
Acts 5:2 · Word #2
Lexicon G3557
| Lemma | νοσφίζομαι |
| Transliteration | nosphízomai |
| Strong's | G3557 |
| 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. |
Morphology V AOR MID IND 3P SG
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | V — Verb — An action or state of being |
| Tense | AOR — Aorist — Simple occurrence, often past |
| Voice | MID — Middle — The subject acts on itself or in its own interest |
| Mood | IND — Indicative — States a fact or reality |
| Person | 3P — 3rd person — The one spoken about ("he/she/it/they") |
| Number | SG — Singular — One |
Common Translation
| Phrase | kept back |
| Literal | kept-back |
Lexical Info
| Lemma | νοσφίζω |
| Strong's | G3557 |
SIBI-P1 Translation G3557-01
he misappropriated for himself
| Morphological Notes | Verb; aorist tense (simple past, completed action), middle voice (self-involved), indicative mood, 3rd person singular. |
| Rendering Rationale | The aorist indicative conveys a completed action in past time, while the middle voice highlights self-interest. "Misappropriated for himself" preserves the root idea of setting something apart for personal gain, often with dishonest intent. |
View full lexicon entry for G3557 →
SILEX v2
SIBI-P2 (Context-Aware)
he kept back for himself
| Same as P1 | No — adjusted for context |
| Rationale | P1's 'he misappropriated for himself' is accurate but overly specific; in this context, 'kept back for himself' better reflects the nuance of secretly withholding part of the proceeds, in line with standard translations and the SILEX definition of unlawful withholding. |