βιβρώσκω
bibrṓskō
G977 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To eat, devour, consume as food. Inactive elsewhere in extant Greek literature, but, where attested, refers specifically to the act of eating or ingesting food. The term generally carries a neutral, physical sense of taking in food, without metaphorical or extended uses in late Koine or New Testament Greek.
Semantic Range
to eat, to consume food, to devour (literal eating), to take as nourishment
Root / Etymology
Reduplicated and lengthened form, possibly from the same root as βόσκω (to feed, graze), with uncertain precise origin; may be causative ('cause to eat'). The root is ultimately connected with the act of feeding or grazing.
Historical & Contextual Notes
βιβρώσκω is rarely attested and is considered an archaic or poetic form in earlier Greek. Its use is extremely limited in Greek literature outside biblical Greek, and it was largely supplanted by more common verbs for 'to eat,' such as ἐσθίω. In the New Testament and Septuagint, its occurrence is infrequent, and when found, it functions as a synonym for 'to eat' in a straightforward, physical sense. English Bible translations typically render it simply as 'eat.' The term's etymological connection to βόσκω suggests an original nuance relating to feeding or grazing, although this is not distinctly reflected in its rare biblical usages.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a reduplicated and prolonged form of an obsolete primary verb (perhaps causative of βόσκω); to eat:--eat.
Root Family
βιβρώσκω (bibrōskō) — to eat, to consume, to devour
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G977-01 |
βεβρωκόσιν | bebrokosin | V PRF ACT PTCP DAT M PL |
had eaten | to the ones having eaten | who had eaten | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G977-01 |
John 6:13 | βεβρωκόσιν | bebrokosin | V PRF ACT PTCP DAT M PL |
had eaten | to the ones having eaten | who had eaten |