What does πέμπω (pémpō) mean in the Bible?
πέμπω (pempō) means to send, dispatch, or cause someone to go. It can describe divine mission and ordinary logistical action, so significance comes from sender, messenger, task, and destination.
Greek · G3992
πέμπω
To send
Reading a lexicon entry
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πέμπω G3992
Pronunciation pémpō
What does πέμπω (pémpō) mean in the Bible?
πέμπω (pempō) means to send, dispatch, or cause someone to go. It can describe divine mission and ordinary logistical action, so significance comes from sender, messenger, task, and destination.
Reader summary
Full entry for πέμπω (G3992) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G3992?
The BSB source-word alignment has 79 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include sent (25), Send (6), to send (6), [who] sent (3), he sent (3).
Where does πέμπω (pémpō) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 2:8. Its strongest book concentrations include John (32), Acts (11), Luke (10), Philippians (5).
Are there verse guides for πέμπω (pémpō)?
This entry includes 3 verse guides that explain exact original-language forms in context.
What This Word Actually Means
πέμπω (pempō) means to send, dispatch, or cause someone to go. It can describe divine mission and ordinary logistical action, so significance comes from sender, messenger, task, and destination. Jesus says His food is to do the will of the One who sent Him and finish His work. He promises that the Father will send the Holy Spirit in His name to teach and remind the disciples.
The risen Jesus sends His disciples after speaking peace, using πέμπω in parallel with the Father’s ἀποστέλλω sending of Him. In Acts, Cornelius is told to send men to Joppa for Peter, while Paul hopes in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy because of trusted pastoral concern for the Philippians. The verb does not imply that every dispatch is sacred, that the messenger shares the sender’s status, or that general sending lacks commission.
It describes the act; context reveals authority, relationship, purpose, and faithful completion.
Passage contextlexical_scope
How the Bible Uses It
πέμπω names sending or dispatching across divine and ordinary settings. The selected passages join the Father’s work, the Spirit’s teaching ministry, the risen Christ’s mission, practical messengers, and trusted pastoral partnership.
- John.4.34
Jesus explained, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work.
Jesus describes obedience to the Father’s will and completion of His work as sustaining purpose. Sending identifies relationship and mission, while the whole Gospel defines the work that reaches its climax at the cross.
- John.14.26
But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have told you.
The Father sends the Spirit in Jesus’ name for a defined ministry among the disciples: teaching and reminding them of Jesus’ words. The verse supports Trinitarian mission without reducing the Spirit to an impersonal delivery.
- John.20.21
Again Jesus said to them, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, so also I am sending you.”
The risen Jesus sends disciples from the peace secured through His death and resurrection. The parallel between ἀποστέλλω and πέμπω emphasizes mission continuity without making the disciples’ role identical to the Son’s.
- Acts.10.5
Now send men to Joppa to call for a man named Simon who is called Peter.
The command concerns practical dispatch within God’s orchestration of Peter’s meeting with Cornelius. Ordinary messengers and concrete travel serve a larger redemptive opening that the narrative explains.
- Phil.2.19
Now I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I learn how you are doing.
Paul’s planned sending is relational and accountable. He hopes in the Lord, trusts Timothy’s proven concern, and seeks reliable knowledge of the church’s welfare rather than treating a coworker as a disposable courier.
Passage contextBook contexttheological_synthesisgrammatical_contextgospel_claritynarrative_contextPastoral application
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It sent 25× Luke 7:6, Luke 15:15, John 1:33, John 4:34
Send 6× Mark 5:12, Luke 16:24, Luke 16:27, Acts 10:5
to send 6× Acts 11:29, Acts 15:22, Acts 15:25, Philippians 2:19
[who] sent 3× John 8:16, John 8:18, John 12:49
he sent 3× Matthew 22:7, Luke 20:11, Luke 20:12
I have sent 3× 1 Corinthians 4:17, Ephesians 6:22, Colossians 4:8
I will send 3× Luke 20:13, John 16:7, 1 Corinthians 16:3
will send 3× John 14:26, John 15:26, 2 Thessalonians 2:11
I send 2× John 13:20, Titus 3:12
Swing 2× Revelation 14:15, Revelation 14:18
who sent 2× John 1:22, John 14:24
[and] he sent 1× Matthew 11:2
[and] sent [them] 1× Luke 7:19
[Paul] sent 1× Acts 20:17
am sending 1× John 20:21
by sending 1× Romans 8:3
have sent 1× Revelation 22:16
I am sending 1× 2 Corinthians 9:3
I sent 1× Acts 10:33
I sent [him] 1× Acts 23:30
messengers 1× Luke 7:10
send [it] 1× Revelation 1:11
sending 1× Matthew 2:8
sent {to have} 1× Matthew 14:10
sent word 1× Acts 19:31
those sent 1× 1 Peter 2:14
to send [him] 1× Acts 25:25
to send back 1× Philippians 2:25
to send on 1× Acts 25:27
was [not] sent 1× Luke 4:26
We sent 1× 1 Thessalonians 3:2
you provided 1× Philippians 4:16
Show sample aligned rows
Matthew 2:8 πέμψας to sending Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular Matthew 11:2 πέμψας to [and] he sent Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular Matthew 14:10 πέμψας to sent {to have} Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular Matthew 22:7 πέμψας to he sent Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular Mark 5:12 Πέμψον to Send Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular Luke 4:26 ἐπέμφθη to was [not] sent Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular Luke 7:6 ἔπεμψεν to sent Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Luke 7:10 πεμφθέντες to messengers Verb - Aorist Participle Passive - Nominative Masculine Plural Luke 7:19 ἔπεμψεν to [and] sent [them] Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Luke 15:15 ἔπεμψεν to sent Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Matthew 2:8
Aligned rows 79
Books represented 16
Matthew 4 Mark 1 Luke 10 John 32 Acts 11 Romans 1 1 Corinthians 2 2 Corinthians 1 Ephesians 1 Philippians 5 Colossians 1 1 Thessalonians 2 2 Thessalonians 1 Titus 1 1 Peter 1 Revelation 5
Source forms
πέμψας 15x pempsas Matthew 2:8, Matthew 11:2, Matthew 14:10, Matthew 22:7
ἔπεμψα 8x epempsa Acts 10:33, Acts 23:30, 1 Corinthians 4:17, Ephesians 6:22
πέμψαι 8x pempsai Luke 20:11, Luke 20:12, Acts 11:29, Acts 15:22
πέμψαντός 7x pempsantos John 4:34, John 5:30, John 6:38, John 6:39
πέμψαντά 6x pempsanta John 7:33, John 12:44, John 12:45, John 13:20
πέμψω 6x pempsō Luke 20:13, John 13:20, John 15:26, John 16:7
πέμψον 4x pempson Luke 16:24, Acts 10:5, Acts 10:32, Revelation 1:11
ἔπεμψεν 3x epempsen Luke 7:6, Luke 7:19, Luke 15:15
Parsing patterns
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular 15x Matthew 2:8, Matthew 11:2, Matthew 14:10, Matthew 22:7
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular 9x Acts 10:33, Acts 23:30, 1 Corinthians 4:17, 2 Corinthians 9:3
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Genitive Masculine Singular 9x John 4:34, John 5:30, John 6:38, John 6:39
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active 8x Luke 20:11, Luke 20:12, Acts 11:29, Acts 15:22
Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular 7x Mark 5:12, Luke 16:24, Acts 10:5, Acts 10:32
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Accusative Masculine Singular 7x John 5:23, John 7:33, John 12:44, John 12:45
Verb - Future Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular 4x Luke 20:13, John 15:26, John 16:7, 1 Corinthians 16:3
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular 3x Luke 7:6, Luke 7:19, Luke 15:15
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Send people with a clear task, tested character, practical support, and ongoing accountability.
- Receive Christian mission from the risen Christ’s peace and authority rather than institutional ambition.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim that πέμπω always describes formal commission, divine mission, or a spiritually authoritative messenger.
- Do not claim that general sending language makes the person sent identical in role or status to the sender.
Key Verse and Form Guides
Verse-level guides showing how this original-language form works in its specific context, including grammar, verse function, and guarded interpretation.
John 1:22 Verb Aorist Active Participle Dative Plural Masculine
πέμψασιν pempsasin to send The form adds precision by marking the people who sent the questioners, so the verse sounds like a report back to a commissioning group rather than a detached conversation. Read verse guide John 1:33 Verb Aorist Active Participle Nominative Singular Masculine
πέμψας pempsas to send The grammar makes the sender identifiable and personal, so the verse reads as testimony about commissioning rather than as a generic statement about sending. Read verse guide Revelation 22:16 Verb First Person Singular Aorist Active Indicative
ἔπεμψα epempsa to send The form strengthens the directness of Jesus' claim and frames the messenger's role as authorized testimony rather than independent speech. Read verse guide Evidence Summary
Greek word. To send with personal relationship or purpose; conveys divine commissioning when referring to God sending prophets or Christ.
Source Gloss
to send
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
16 of 81 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Matthew 2:8 Verb Aorist Active Participle Nominative Singular Masculine
πέμψας pemyav
I send
Read verse Matthew 11:2 Verb Aorist Active Participle Nominative Singular Masculine
πέμψας pemyav
I send
Read verse Matthew 14:10 Verb Aorist Active Participle Nominative Singular Masculine
πέμψας pemyav
I send
Read verse Matthew 22:7 Verb Aorist Active Participle Nominative Singular Masculine
πέμψας pemyav
I send
Read verse Mark 5:12 Verb Second Person Singular Aorist Active Imperative
Πέμψον pemyon
I send
Read verse Luke 4:26 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Passive Indicative
ἐπέμφθη epemfqh
I send
Read verse Luke 7:6 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Active Indicative
ἔπεμψε epemyen
I send
Read verse Luke 7:10 Verb Aorist Passive Participle Nominative Plural Masculine
πεμφθέντες pemfqentev
I send
Read verse Luke 7:19 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Active Indicative
ἔπεμψε epemyen
I send
Read verse Luke 15:15 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Active Indicative
ἔπεμψεν epemyen
I send
Read verse Luke 16:24 Verb Second Person Singular Aorist Active Imperative
πέμψον pemyon
I send
Read verse Luke 16:27 Verb Second Person Singular Aorist Active Subjunctive
πέμψῃς pemyhv
I send
Read verse Luke 20:11 Verb Aorist Active Infinitive
πέμψαι pemyai
I send
Read verse Luke 20:12 Verb Aorist Active Infinitive
πέμψαι pemyai
I send
Read verse Luke 20:13 Verb First Person Singular Future Active Indicative
πέμψω pemyw
I send
Read verse pemyasin
I send
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
Grammatical Forms
How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 5 Aligned forms 79 Tenses Aorist, Future, Present Voices Active, Passive
Tenses
Voices
Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 37×
Aorist Active Matt 2:8 · Matt 11:2 · Matt 14:10 · Matt 22:7 · John 1:33 · John 5:37 · John 6:44 · John 7:28 · John 8:16 · John 8:18 · John 8:26 · John 8:29 · John 12:49 · Acts 20:17 · Rom 8:3 · John 4:34 34×
Aorist Passive Luke 7:10 1×
Present Active Acts 25:27 1×
Present Passive 1 Pet 2:14 1×
Indicative states a fact or reality 23×
Aorist Active Acts 10:33 · Acts 23:30 · 1 Cor 4:17 · 2 Cor 9:3 · Eph 6:22 · Phil 2:28 · Col 4:8 · 1 Thess 3:5 · Rev 22:16 · Luke 7:6 · Luke 7:19 · Luke 15:15 · Phil 4:16 · 1 Thess 3:2 14×
Future Active Luke 20:13 · John 15:26 · John 16:7 · 1 Cor 16:3 · John 14:26 · Rev 11:10 6×
Present Active John 20:21 · 2 Thess 2:11 2×
Aorist Passive Luke 4:26 1×
Infinitive verbal noun — the action in abstract 9×
Aorist Active Luke 20:11 · Luke 20:12 · Acts 11:29 · Acts 15:22 · Acts 15:25 · Phil 2:19 · Phil 2:23 · Phil 2:25 8×
Present Active Acts 25:25 1×
Imperative command or strong request 7×
Aorist Active Mark 5:12 · Luke 16:24 · Acts 10:5 · Acts 10:32 · Rev 1:11 · Rev 14:15 · Rev 14:18 7×
Subjunctive possibility, probability, or purpose 3×
Aorist Active John 13:20 · Titus 3:12 · Luke 16:27 3×
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 79 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect
Tense
aorist 68 future 6 present 5
Voice
active 76 passive 3
Mood
participle 37 indicative 23 infinitive 9 imperative 7 subjunctive 3
NT Occurrences
Matthew 2:8 πέμψας aorist active participle participle Matthew 11:2 πέμψας aorist active participle participle Matthew 14:10 πέμψας aorist active participle participle Matthew 22:7 πέμψας aorist active participle participle Mark 5:12 Πέμψον aorist active imperative imperative Luke 4:26 ἐπέμφθη aorist passive indicative completed Luke 7:10 πεμφθέντες aorist passive participle participle Luke 7:19 ἔπεμψεν aorist active indicative completed Luke 7:6 ἔπεμψεν aorist active indicative completed Luke 15:15 ἔπεμψεν aorist active indicative completed Luke 16:24 πέμψον aorist active imperative imperative Luke 16:27 πέμψῃς aorist active subjunctive subjunctive Luke 20:11 πέμψαι aorist active infinitive infinitive Luke 20:12 πέμψαι aorist active infinitive infinitive Luke 20:13 πέμψω future active indicative prospective John 1:22 πέμψασιν aorist active participle participle John 1:33 πέμψας aorist active participle participle John 4:34 πέμψαντός aorist active participle participle John 5:23 πέμψαντα aorist active participle participle John 5:24 πέμψαντί aorist active participle participle John 5:30 πέμψαντός aorist active participle participle John 5:37 πέμψας aorist active participle participle John 6:38 πέμψαντός aorist active participle participle John 6:39 πέμψαντός aorist active participle participle John 6:44 πέμψας aorist active participle participle John 7:16 πέμψαντός aorist active participle participle John 7:18 πέμψαντος aorist active participle participle John 7:28 πέμψας aorist active participle participle John 7:33 πέμψαντά aorist active participle participle John 8:16 πέμψας aorist active participle participle John 8:18 πέμψας aorist active participle participle John 8:26 πέμψας aorist active participle participle John 8:29 πέμψας aorist active participle participle John 9:4 πέμψαντός aorist active participle participle John 12:44 πέμψαντά aorist active participle participle John 12:45 πέμψαντά aorist active participle participle John 12:49 πέμψας aorist active participle participle John 13:16 πέμψαντος aorist active participle participle John 13:20 πέμψω aorist active subjunctive subjunctive John 13:20 πέμψαντά aorist active participle participle
+39 more occurrences
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)
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
sending a person as messenger or representative to accomplish a purpose
sending someone to a place or location for a specific purpose or task
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 79 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
πέμπω is a primary verb - no further derivation.
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
For the Preacher and Teacher
Sending creates responsibility in both directions. Jesus receives His work from the Father and embraces it as His sustaining purpose. The Father sends the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ name, not as a force but as the Advocate who teaches and reminds the disciples of Christ’s words. After the resurrection, Jesus speaks peace and sends His followers as witnesses. Their mission depends on His completed work and ongoing authority; it does not duplicate His unique saving role.
Acts 10 then shows that a simple dispatch of messengers can participate in God’s dismantling of inherited barriers, while Philippians presents Timothy as a trusted brother whose genuine concern makes his sending pastorally meaningful. Churches should ask more than whether someone can be deployed. Who sends, under what authority, with what message, toward whose good, and with what accountability?
Faithful sending honors the person sent, defines the task, supports the journey, receives truthful reports, and remains subject to the Lord Jesus.
Anchor passage
John.20.21
Doctrinal connections
- G649 Apostellō, to send or dispatch: John 20:21 places both verbs in parallel and shows overlap under a single mission pattern.
- G652 Apostolos, apostle or sent messenger: the office and identity require contextual warrant beyond a general sending verb.
- G4151 Pneuma, Spirit: John 14 identifies the sent Advocate as the Holy Spirit who teaches and reminds.
- G2307 Thelēma, will: Jesus’ sent mission is shaped by doing the Father’s will.
- G2041 Ergon, work: John 4:34 joins sending to the work Jesus intends to finish.
- G1249 Diakonos, servant or minister: trusted coworkers serve people through tasks that sending helps coordinate.
πέμπω is a general sending verb that can carry profound theological purpose or routine dispatch. John 20:21 uses it alongside ἀποστέλλω without explaining a sharp semantic contrast. The sender, object, destination, purpose clause, and broader narrative establish the weight of each occurrence.
From Old to New Testament
God sends servants, angels, prophets, judgment, help, and His word throughout the Old Testament. The New Testament centers sending on the Father, Son, and Spirit, then includes ordinary messengers and coworkers within the expanding Gospel mission.
Canonical synthesisPastoral application
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
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain