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πόρνος

pórnos

G4205 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

Adult male who engages in sexual immorality, especially one who partakes in illicit sexual relations contrary to established norms. The primary meaning refers to a man who has sexual intercourse outside of a sanctioned marital relationship, or who habitually engages with prostitutes. By extension, it may denote someone considered morally unrestrained in sexual matters or who profits from sexual immorality (e.g., by prostitution).

Semantic Range

male who engages in sexual immorality, male prostitute, man who frequents prostitutes, man who is sexually licentious, fornicator, whoremonger

Root / Etymology

From πέρνημι (to sell, to export for sale), connected with πιπράσκω (to sell). The sense relates to the 'selling' of sexual services or acting in a sexually mercenary manner. Cognate with πόρνη (female who is sexually promiscuous or a prostitute).

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, πόρνος is uncommon but attested, typically for a man who engages in sexual activity for payment (male prostitute). By the Hellenistic period and in Koine (including the Septuagint and New Testament), the term broadened: it commonly referred to males who were sexually immoral, particularly those who had intercourse outside of an approved marriage, or who consorted with prostitutes or in prostitution-related contexts. In moral discourse, it could be extended metaphorically to all men who defied sexual norms. English versions often use 'fornicator' or 'whoremonger,' but these can obscure the mercenary or habitual aspect. The term is sometimes contrasted with μοιχός (moichos, 'adulterer'); μοιχός refers to a man involved in sexual relations with another man's wife, while πόρνος focuses on sexual immorality more generally, especially unmarried men or those involved in prostitution. In the New Testament (e.g., 1 Corinthians 5:9-11, Ephesians 5:5), πόρνος is often listed in moral catalogues and may include both literal and broader metaphorical senses.

Translation Consistency

primary "fornicator" 4 occurrences

Fornicator captures the broad, typical biblical sense of πορνος — a man who engages in sexual immorality (including sex outside marriage or habitual relations with prostitutes). It is the standard, concise English term used in many Bible translations and best fits the SILEX range without introducing the narrower sense (male prostitute) or archaic alternatives (e.g., whoremonger).

Alternatives (6 occurrences):
"sexually immoral man" (3x) "sexually immoral men" (3x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from (to sell; akin to the base of πιπράσκω); a (male) prostitute (as venal), i.e. (by analogy) a debauchee (libertine):--fornicator, whoremonger.

Root Family

πορν- (porneía) — to sell for sex, engage in illicit sexual relations

Root πορν- to sell sexual services, to engage in illicit sex
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
G4202 πορνεία to sexual immorality
G4203 πορνεύω they engaged in sexual immorality
G4204 πόρνη prostitute women

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G4205-02 πόρνοις pornois N DAT M PL fornicators to sexually immoral men to fornicator men 4
G4205-03 πόρνος pornos N NOM M SG fornicator sexually immoral man sexually immoral man 3
G4205-01 πόρνοι pornoi N NOM M PL sexually immoral sexually immoral men sexually immoral men 2
G4205-04 πόρνους pornous N ACC M PL sexually immoral sexually immoral men sexually immoral men 1

Occurrences in Scripture

10 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G4205-02 1 Corinthians 5:9 πόρνοις pornois N DAT M PL fornicators to sexually immoral men to fornicator men
G4205-02 1 Corinthians 5:10 πόρνοις pornois N DAT M PL fornicators to sexually immoral men to fornicator men
G4205-03 1 Corinthians 5:11 πόρνος pornos N NOM M SG sexually immoral sexually immoral man sexually immoral man
G4205-01 1 Corinthians 6:9 πόρνοι pornoi N NOM M PL sexually immoral sexually immoral men sexually immoral men
G4205-03 Ephesians 5:5 πόρνος pornos N NOM M SG fornicator sexually immoral man sexually immoral man
G4205-02 1 Timothy 1:10 πόρνοις pornois ADJ.S DAT M PL for fornicators to sexually immoral men to fornicator men
G4205-03 Hebrews 12:16 πόρνος pornos N NOM M SG fornicator sexually immoral man sexually immoral man
G4205-04 Hebrews 13:4 πόρνους pornous N ACC M PL sexually immoral sexually immoral men sexually immoral men
G4205-02 Revelation 21:8 πόρνοις pornois N DAT M PL sexually immoral to sexually immoral men to fornicator men
G4205-01 Revelation 22:15 πόρνοι pornoi N NOM M PL sexually immoral sexually immoral men sexually immoral men
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