τροφή
trophḗ
G5160 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Food or nourishment; that which sustains physical life by being eaten, with a primary focus on the substance necessary for growth, health, or maintenance of an organism. Contextually, it can also refer more broadly to provision or sustenance, and metaphorically, to that which provides spiritual or moral sustenance.
Semantic Range
food, nourishment, sustenance, supply of provisions or rations, metaphorically: spiritual or moral sustenance
Root / Etymology
τροφή is derived from the verb τρέφω (to nourish, feed, rear), indicating an action or process that results in sustenance. The noun form denotes the result of nourishment: that which is eaten or used as maintenance for living beings.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical Greek, τροφή commonly refers to physical food, diet, or nourishment, and by extension to provision in a general sense, including necessities required for survival (cf. Xenophon, Herodotus). In the Septuagint, τροφή translates various Hebrew terms for food or grain, emphasizing material sustenance. In Koine usage, including the New Testament, τροφή regularly denotes everyday food, as in Acts 27:33-36, but can extend to mean rations or supplies required for travel or military use. By metaphorical extension in philosophical and Jewish-Greek literature, τροφή may denote spiritual nourishment, as in moral or didactic sustenance (cf. Philo). English translations often render τροφή as "food" or "meat" (in archaic English), but may obscure its broader sense of general sustenance or provision. The term is distinct from βρῶμα (which more specifically means edible food or a particular kind of food), and σιτία (grain, cereals) or σῖτος (wheat), and does not inherently denote religious or ritual food unless contextually specified.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from τρέφω; nourishment (literally or figuratively); by implication, rations (wages):--food, meat.
Root Family
τροφή (trophē) — nourishment, sustenance, food, provisions
Word Forms
4 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G5160-04 |
τροφῆς | trophes | N GEN F SG |
food | of nourishment | 11 |
G5160-02 |
τροφὴ | trophe | N NOM F SG |
food | nourishing sustenance | 2 |
G5160-03 |
τροφὴν | trophen | N ACC F SG |
food | nourishment | 2 |
G5160-01 |
τροφὰς | trophas | N ACC F PL |
food | nourishments | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
16 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G5160-02 |
Matthew 3:4 | τροφὴ | trophe | N NOM F SG |
food | nourishing sustenance |
G5160-04 |
Matthew 6:25 | τροφῆς | trophes | N GEN F SG |
of nourishment | |
G5160-04 |
Matthew 10:10 | τροφῆς | trophes | N GEN F SG |
of nourishment | |
G5160-03 |
Matthew 24:45 | τροφὴν | trophen | N ACC F SG |
nourishment | |
G5160-04 |
Luke 12:23 | τροφῆς | trophes | N GEN F SG |
food | of nourishment |
G5160-01 |
John 4:8 | τροφὰς | trophas | N ACC F PL |
food | nourishments |
G5160-04 |
Acts 2:46 | τροφῆς | trophes | N GEN F SG |
of food | of nourishment |
G5160-03 |
Acts 9:19 | τροφὴν | trophen | N ACC F SG |
food | nourishment |
G5160-04 |
Acts 14:17 | τροφῆς | trophes | N GEN F SG |
with food | of nourishment |
G5160-04 |
Acts 27:33 | τροφῆς | trophes | N GEN F SG |
food | of nourishment |