Greek · G2770 · unreviewed

κερδαίνω

To gain (literally or figuratively)

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κερδαίνω G2770

Pronunciation kerdaínō

What does κερδαίνω (kerdaínō) mean in the Bible?

κερδαίνω (kerdaínō) is a Greek word meaning "to gain (literally or figuratively)". κερδαίνω [in Sm.

Full entry for κερδαίνω (G2770) · Browse the biblical lexicon

Meaning

to gain (literally or figuratively)

Extended definition

Gain material profit, but metaphorically win souls or save oneself from harm through spiritual values.

[in Sm.: Job.22:3 * ;] to gain: with accusative, Mat.25:16-17, 20 25:22; τ. κόσμον, Mat.16:26, Mrk.8:36, Luk.9:25; absol., to make profit, get gain: Jas.4:13. Metaphorical, with accusative of thing(s), to save oneself from, avoid: Act.27:21 (Field, Notes, 145); with accusative of person(s), to gain, win: Mat.18:15, 1Co.9:19-22, Php.3:8; pass., 1Pe.3:1.

Source: STEPBible TBESG + Abbott-Smith

Grammatical Forms

How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.

Tenses

Aorist Future

Voices

Active Passive

Subjunctive possibility, probability, or purpose 7×

Aorist Active 1 Cor 9:19 · 1 Cor 9:20 · 1 Cor 9:21 · 1 Cor 9:22 · Phil 3:8 · Matt 16:26 7×

Indicative states a fact or reality 7×

Aorist Active Matt 25:16 · Matt 25:17 · Matt 25:20 · Matt 25:22 · Matt 18:15 5×

Future Active Jas 4:13 1×

Future Passive 1 Pet 3:1 1×

Infinitive verbal noun — the action in abstract 2×

Aorist Active Mark 8:36 · Acts 27:21 2×

Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 1×

Aorist Active Luke 9:25 1×

Discourse Aspect

How this verb appears across 17 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).

Aspect

completed 5 prospective 2 subjunctive 7 infinitive 2 participle 1

Tense

aorist 15 future 2

Voice

active 16 passive 1

Mood

subjunctive 7 indicative 7 infinitive 2 participle 1

NT Occurrences

Matthew 16:26 κερδήσῃ aorist active subjunctive subjunctive Matthew 18:15 ἐκέρδησας aorist active indicative completed Matthew 25:16 ἐκέρδησεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 25:17 ἐκέρδησεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 25:20 ἐκέρδησα aorist active indicative completed Matthew 25:22 ἐκέρδησα aorist active indicative completed Mark 8:36 κερδῆσαι aorist active infinitive infinitive Luke 9:25 κερδήσας aorist active participle participle Acts 27:21 κερδῆσαί aorist active infinitive infinitive 1 Corinthians 9:19 κερδήσω aorist active subjunctive subjunctive 1 Corinthians 9:20 κερδήσω aorist active subjunctive subjunctive 1 Corinthians 9:20 κερδήσω aorist active subjunctive subjunctive 1 Corinthians 9:21 κερδάνω aorist active subjunctive subjunctive 1 Corinthians 9:22 κερδήσω aorist active subjunctive subjunctive Philippians 3:8 κερδήσω aorist active subjunctive subjunctive James 4:13 κερδήσομεν future active indicative prospective 1 Peter 3:1 κερδηθήσονται future passive indicative prospective

Aspect reflects grammatical form — not authorial emphasis. Participles and infinitives are verbal adjectives and nouns respectively.

Clause data: MACULA Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0) · SBLGNT (Logos/SBL, CC BY 4.0)

Biblical Occurrences

Each occurrence shows the passage reference, the original language term as it appears in that context, its transliteration, and the contextual sense.

Biblical Witnesses

Matthew 16:26 gain kerdaínō Subjunctive · Aorist Active

to acquire or profit from the whole world materially

1 Corinthians 9:19-22 gain kerdaínō Subjunctive · Aorist Active

to win over or convert persons through accommodation and ministry

Matthew 18:15 gain kerdaínō Indicative · Aorist Active

to win back or recover a brother through private reproof

1 Peter 3:1 gained kerdaínō Indicative · Future Passive

to win over or convert a spouse through conduct and example

Appears In

Compound and idiomatic lexemes in which this word is a constituent. Follow a link to study the phrase and its other participating words.

Word Pictures (Robertson)

A.T. Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) discusses this term in the following chapters. Open any chapter and go to the Word Pictures tab to read his verse-by-verse commentary.

1 Corinthians 9 — Rights Surrendered, the Gospel Advanced, and Discipline for the Prize Mark 8 — Seeing Jesus Clearly: Bread, Blindness, Confession, Cross, and Discipleship Matthew 16 — The Confession of the Christ, the Church Christ Builds, and the Cross-Shaped Way of Discipleship Matthew 18 — Kingdom Humility, Care for the Little Ones, Discipline, and Forgiveness in Christ’s Community Matthew 25 — Readiness, Stewardship, and the Final Judgment of the Son of Man Philippians 3 — Counting All Things Loss and Pressing On Toward Christ

A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) — public domain

Sources

MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain

Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0

Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0

STEPBible Data — CC BY 4.0

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