νήφω
Be sober
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What does νήφω (nḗphō) mean in the Bible?
νήφω (nḗphō) is a Greek word meaning "be sober". νήφω to be sober, abstain from wine; metaphorically, of moral alertness, to be sober, calm, circumspect: 1Th.
Meaning
Moral and spiritual alertness; mental clarity for discernment, not mere physical sobriety from wine.
to be sober, abstain from wine; metaphorically, of moral alertness, to be sober, calm, circumspect: 1Th.5:6 5:8, 2Ti.4:5 (see Ellic., in l), 1Pe.1:13 4:7 5:8 (cf. ἐκ-, ἐκ-νήφω, and see MM, xvii).
Grammatical Forms
How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.
Subjunctive possibility, probability, or purpose 2×
Imperative command or strong request 3×
Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 1×
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 5 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
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)
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.