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λύπη

lýpē

G3077 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

Primary sense: pain or distress of mind or spirit. λύπη denotes emotional suffering, sorrow, or grief, often as a response to misfortune, loss, disappointment, or anxiety. The term extends to general feelings of heaviness, distress, or discomfort, both internal and expressed outwardly through lamentation or tears. In some contexts, it can imply mental anguish, remorse, or a troubled conscience.

Semantic Range

grief, sorrow, sadness, emotional pain, heaviness of spirit, distress, regret, inward anguish, troubled conscience

Root / Etymology

Root/Etymology: Derived from the Greek root λυπ-, associated with pain, distress, or sadness. The term appears as a noun in Homeric and classical Greek literature, consistently expressing sorrow or emotional pain. No clear cognate outside of Greek.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Historical & Contextual Notes: λύπη is well-attested in both classical and Koine Greek, denoting pain of mind or spirit as distinct from physical pain (ἀλγος, πόνος). In the Septuagint, it frequently translates Hebrew words for sorrow (e.g., יָגוֹן, מַכְאוֹב), encompassing both grief over loss and distress caused by adversity. In the New Testament, λύπη expresses personal sorrow (e.g., mourning a death, John 16:20), collective or communal distress (Romans 9:2), and internal regret (2 Corinthians 7:8–10), including even positive transformative grief that leads to beneficial change. English translations often render λύπη as "sorrow" or "grief," but the term also carries nuances of perplexity, heaviness, or emotional agitation within a variety of social and psychological circumstances. Unlike ὀδύνη (which can denote more acute anguish), λύπη is the standard word for the general experience of sadness or spiritual distress in Hellenistic Greek.

Translation Consistency

primary "sorrow" 16 occurrences

"Sorrow" is the most frequent and natural English rendering across occurrences and directly captures the primary sense of λύπη (grief, sadness, emotional pain, distress). It is broad enough to cover related shades (heaviness of spirit, regret, inward anguish) and reads naturally in the various contexts where the term appears.

✓ All renderings match approved senses

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

apparently a primary word; sadness:--grief, grievous, + grudgingly, heaviness, sorrow.

Root Family

λύπη (lýpē) — pain of mind, distress, sorrow, grief

Root λυπ- pain (of mind), distress, sorrow, grief

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G3077-02 λύπη lupe N NOM F SG sorrow sorrow sorrow 7
G3077-03 λύπην lupen N ACC F SG sorrow sorrow sorrow 5
G3077-04 λύπης lupes N GEN F SG grudging of sorrow of sorrow 3
G3077-01 λύπας lupas N ACC F PL sorrows sorrows sorrows 1

Occurrences in Scripture

16 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G3077-04 Luke 22:45 λύπης lupes N GEN F SG sorrow of sorrow of sorrow
G3077-02 John 16:6 λύπη lupe N NOM F SG sorrow sorrow sorrow
G3077-02 John 16:20 λύπη lupe N NOM F SG sorrow sorrow sorrow
G3077-03 John 16:21 λύπην lupen N ACC F SG pain sorrow sorrow
G3077-03 John 16:22 λύπην lupen N ACC F SG sorrow sorrow sorrow
G3077-02 Romans 9:2 λύπη lupe N NOM F SG sorrow sorrow sorrow
G3077-02 2 Corinthians 2:1 λύπῃ lupe N DAT F SG sorrow sorrow sorrow
G3077-03 2 Corinthians 2:3 λύπην lupen N ACC F SG sorrow sorrow sorrow
G3077-02 2 Corinthians 2:7 λύπῃ lupe N DAT F SG sorrow sorrow sorrow
G3077-02 2 Corinthians 7:10 λύπη lupe N NOM F SG sorrow sorrow sorrow
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