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πενιχρός

penichrós

G3998 attributive adjective

SILEX Entry

Definition

Lacking needed resources; poor, indigent, needy. The term denotes a state of material dependence or a lack of basic necessities, especially financial or material support, but can also imply vulnerability or humble status. While the core sense concerns economic deprivation, it can connote being in a position of dependence on others or on external aid.

Semantic Range

poor, needy, indigent, lacking resources, dependent on aid, in modest or humble circumstances

Root / Etymology

Derived as a prolongation from the base noun πένης (penēs), meaning 'poor person', itself related to the concept of laboring or working for daily needs. The ending -χρός indicates an adjective describing that condition.

Historical & Contextual Notes

πενιχρός is relatively rare in extant literature. In classical and Hellenistic Greek it specifically refers to someone in economic need, often in humble or dependent circumstances. In the Septuagint and New Testament, πενιχρός appears less frequently than other terms for 'poor' (such as πτωχός), and distinctions can be subtle: πενιχρός emphasizes limited means or daily lack, whereas πτωχός may denote abject poverty or total destitution. English translations often render πενιχρός simply as 'poor', but this may obscure nuances of relative need or dependence. In Hellenistic usage, the word can also imply a modest or unassuming social position, not exclusively severe poverty.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

prolongation from the base of πένης; necessitous:--poor.

Root Family

πενιχρ- (penichrós) — to lack, to be needy, to have little

Root πενιχρ- to lack, to be needy, to have little

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G3998-01 πενιχρὰν penichran ADJ.A ACC F SG poor needy needy 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G3998-01 Luke 21:2 πενιχρὰν penichran ADJ.A ACC F SG poor needy needy
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