φύραμα
phýrama
G5445 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A mass resulting from mixing and kneading, especially a lump of dough prepared for baking; more broadly, any material formed from combining ingredients, with the primary sense of a mixture that has been worked or formed into a cohesive whole. In figurative contexts, may refer to a body or group formed from mixed elements (e.g., a collective community or source). The most common use is for leavened dough.
Semantic Range
lump of dough, kneaded mass, admixture, collective formed by blending, figurative body influenced by a part
Root / Etymology
Derived from the verb φύρω ('to mix,' especially by kneading), which is related to combining substances into a unified, soft mass. Some grammarians suggest analogy to φύω ('to grow, bring forth') due to the swelling characteristic of rising dough, but the primary etymological root is φύρω. Related to Latin words such as fundere ('to pour, melt'), but not cognate.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical and Hellenistic Greek, φύραμα is primarily used for a 'mass of dough,' the product of combining ingredients such as flour and water, often with leavening agents for bread-making. The term appears in the Septuagint and New Testament in both concrete (literal lump of dough) and figurative senses. In the New Testament, it is employed (Romans 9:21; 11:16; 1 Corinthians 5:6-7; Galatians 5:9) metaphorically for the unity or character of a community, sometimes to indicate how a small element (like leaven) affects the whole. English translations often use 'lump,' which accurately renders the physical object but may understate the process-oriented sense of a 'kneaded mass.' Unlike ζύμη ('leaven') or πλάσμα ('something molded or formed'), φύραμα emphasizes both the mixture and the result of working the elements together. Rare outside Jewish and early Christian writings, and has no significant attested religious meaning apart from metaphorical usage in Paul.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from a prolonged form of (to mix a liquid with a solid; perhaps akin to φύω through the idea of swelling in bulk), mean to knead; a mass of dough:--lump.
Root Family
φύραμα (phýrama) — kneaded mass, mixed lump, blended body
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G5445-01 |
φύραμα | phurama | N NOM N SG |
lump | kneaded mass | 4 |
G5445-02 |
φυράματος | phuramatos | N GEN N SG |
of a kneaded mass | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
5 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G5445-02 |
Romans 9:21 | φυράματος | phuramatos | N GEN N SG |
of a kneaded mass | |
G5445-01 |
Romans 11:16 | φύραμα | phurama | N NOM N SG |
lump | kneaded mass |
G5445-01 |
1 Corinthians 5:6 | φύραμα | phurama | N ACC N SG |
lump | kneaded mass |
G5445-01 |
1 Corinthians 5:7 | φύραμα | phurama | N NOM N SG |
lump | kneaded mass |
G5445-01 |
Galatians 5:9 | φύραμα | phurama | N ACC N SG |
lump | kneaded mass |