What does πόρνος (pórnos) mean in the Bible?
Πόρνος refers to a sexually immoral person, someone characterized by sexual conduct outside God's holy design. Paul uses the noun in church-discipline, moral-law, and kingdom-warning contexts.
Greek · G4205
πόρνος
Sexual sinner
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πόρνος G4205
Pronunciation pórnos
What does πόρνος (pórnos) mean in the Bible?
Πόρνος refers to a sexually immoral person, someone characterized by sexual conduct outside God's holy design. Paul uses the noun in church-discipline, moral-law, and kingdom-warning contexts.
Reader summary
Full entry for πόρνος (G4205) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G4205?
The BSB source-word alignment has 10 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include sexually immoral (5), the sexually immoral (2), for the sexually immoral (1), immoral (1), sexually immoral [people] (1).
Where does πόρνος (pórnos) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at 1 Corinthians 5:9. Its strongest book concentrations include 1 Corinthians (4), Hebrews (2), Revelation (2), 1 Timothy (1).
Are there verse guides for πόρνος (pórnos)?
This entry includes 1 verse guide that explain exact original-language forms in context.
What This Word Actually Means
Πόρνος refers to a sexually immoral person, someone characterized by sexual conduct outside God's holy design. Paul uses the noun in church-discipline, moral-law, and kingdom-warning contexts. First Corinthians 5 distinguishes ordinary contact with sexually immoral people in the world from the church's responsibility when a professing brother persists without repentance.
First Timothy 1 places sexual immorality among practices contrary to sound doctrine and the gospel. Ephesians 5 warns that an unrepentant immoral life is incompatible with inheritance in Christ's kingdom. The word names serious conduct, but it must not be used as a dehumanizing identity or a selective weapon. Paul places greed, idolatry, slander, and other sins alongside sexual immorality, calls the church to holiness, and proclaims cleansing and new identity in Christ.
How the Bible Uses It
Paul uses πόρνος for a person practicing sexual immorality, especially in warnings about holiness, discipline, and kingdom inheritance. The church must combine moral clarity, impartiality, repentance, and gospel hope.
- 1Cor.5.10
I was not including the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world.
Paul explicitly rejects withdrawal from sexually immoral people in the world; the discipline concern is a professing church member whose life contradicts the confession.
- 1Tim.1.10
For the sexually immoral, for homosexuals, for slave traders and liars and perjurers, and for anyone else who is averse to sound teaching
Sexual immorality appears within a representative list of conduct the law exposes as contrary to sound teaching and the glorious gospel.
- Eph.5.5
For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure, or greedy person (that is, an idolater) has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
The kingdom warning addresses settled, unrepentant identity and practice, while the wider letter calls believers to walk in love, light, and wisdom.
Passage contextBook context
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 sexually immoral 5× 1 Corinthians 5:10, 1 Corinthians 5:11, Hebrews 12:16, Revelation 21:8
the sexually immoral 2× 1 Corinthians 6:9, Hebrews 13:4
for the sexually immoral 1× 1 Timothy 1:10
immoral 1× Ephesians 5:5
sexually immoral [people] 1× 1 Corinthians 5:9
Show sample aligned rows
1 Corinthians 5:9 πόρνοις to sexually immoral [people] Noun - Dative Masculine Plural 1 Corinthians 5:10 πόρνοις to sexually immoral Noun - Dative Masculine Plural 1 Corinthians 5:11 πόρνος to sexually immoral Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular 1 Corinthians 6:9 πόρνοι to the sexually immoral Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural Ephesians 5:5 πόρνος to immoral Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular 1 Timothy 1:10 πόρνοις to for the sexually immoral Noun - Dative Masculine Plural Hebrews 12:16 πόρνος to sexually immoral Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular Hebrews 13:4 πόρνους to the sexually immoral Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural Revelation 21:8 πόρνοις to sexually immoral Noun - Dative Masculine Plural Revelation 22:15 πόρνοι to sexually immoral Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row 1 Corinthians 5:9
Aligned rows 10
Books represented 5
1 Corinthians 4 Ephesians 1 1 Timothy 1 Hebrews 2 Revelation 2
Source forms
πόρνοις 4x pornois 1 Corinthians 5:9, 1 Corinthians 5:10, 1 Timothy 1:10, Revelation 21:8
πόρνος 3x pornos 1 Corinthians 5:11, Ephesians 5:5, Hebrews 12:16
πόρνοι 2x pornoi 1 Corinthians 6:9, Revelation 22:15
πόρνους 1x pornous Hebrews 13:4
Parsing patterns
Noun - Dative Masculine Plural 4x 1 Corinthians 5:9, 1 Corinthians 5:10, 1 Timothy 1:10, Revelation 21:8
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular 3x 1 Corinthians 5:11, Ephesians 5:5, Hebrews 12:16
Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural 2x 1 Corinthians 6:9, Revelation 22:15
Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural 1x Hebrews 13:4
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Speak truthfully about conduct while addressing people with dignity, impartiality, and the real summons and promise of the gospel.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not use πόρνος as a slur or as a permanent identity that denies the cleansing and transformation announced in Christ.
- Do not isolate sexual immorality as though greed, idolatry, abusive speech, and other listed sins were morally irrelevant to church discipline.
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.
Evidence Summary
Greek word. One who engages in sexual immorality outside marriage; excludes from God's kingdom in NT usage.
Source Gloss
sexual sinner
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
10 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
1 Corinthians 5:9 Noun Dative Plural Masculine
πόρνοις· pornoiv
a fornicator
Read verse 1 Corinthians 5:10 Noun Dative Plural Masculine
πόρνοις pornoiv
a fornicator
Read verse 1 Corinthians 5:11 Noun Nominative Singular Masculine
πόρνος, pornov
a fornicator
Read verse 1 Corinthians 6:9 Noun Nominative Plural Masculine
πόρνοι, pornoi
a fornicator
Read verse Ephesians 5:5 Noun Nominative Singular Masculine
πόρνος, pornov
a fornicator
Read verse 1 Timothy 1:10 Noun Dative Plural Masculine
πόρνοις, pornoiv
a fornicator
Read verse Hebrews 12:16 Noun Nominative Singular Masculine
πόρνος, pornov
a fornicator
Read verse Hebrews 13:4 Noun Accusative Plural Masculine
πόρνους pornouv
a fornicator
Read verse Revelation 21:8 Noun Dative Plural Masculine
πόρνοις pornoiv
a fornicator
Read verse pornoi
a fornicator
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 this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
This word appears as a noun across 4 case and number patterns. The form changes show how the word functions in a sentence; they do not change the basic lexical meaning by themselves.
Form patterns 4 Aligned forms 10 Case pattern Nominative (5) Number pattern Plural (7)
Nominative · Singular · Masculine 1 Cor 5:11 · Eph 5:5 · Heb 12:16 3×
Dative · Plural · Masculine 1 Cor 5:9 · 1 Cor 5:10 · 1 Tim 1:10 · Rev 21:8 4×
Accusative · Plural · Masculine Heb 13:4 1×
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Sexual sinners among church members requiring disciplinary separation
Sexual sinners excluded from God's kingdom, contrasted with sanctified believers
Sexual sinners whose behavior is incompatible with Christian community and inheritance
Showing 3 selected witnesses from 10 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
πόρνος is built from this root:
For the Preacher and Teacher
Paul's sexual-ethics warnings are neither casual nor cruel. Sexual conduct matters before God, and persistent immorality cannot be reconciled with a profession of belonging to Christ without repentance. First Corinthians 5 gives the church a defined responsibility toward a professing member while refusing a separatism that would require leaving the world. First Timothy joins sexual sin to a wider range of conduct opposed to sound doctrine, preventing selective outrage.
Ephesians 5 places the warning inside a call to imitate God, walk in Christ's self-giving love, and live as children of light. Teachers should therefore avoid slurs, voyeuristic detail, and the reduction of people to past or present sin. The church tells the truth, protects the vulnerable, practices accountable discipline, and offers the same gospel hope announced in 1 Corinthians 6: sinners are washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of Jesus Christ and by God's Spirit.
Anchor passage
1Cor.5.10
Doctrinal connections
- 1 Corinthians 5:1-13, church discipline without withdrawal from the world
- 1 Corinthians 6:9-20, kingdom warning, cleansing, and bodily holiness
- 1 Timothy 1:8-11, conduct contrary to sound doctrine and gospel
- Ephesians 5:1-14, self-giving love, sexual holiness, and walking in light
- Genesis 2:18-25, covenantal and one-flesh design for sexuality
- 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8, sanctification, honor, and God's call to holiness
Πόρνος is a masculine personal noun in the πορν- word family. It identifies a person engaged in sexual immorality, while related nouns and verbs name the conduct. Translation should remain accurate without turning the lexical label into a claim that repentance and new identity are impossible.
From Old to New Testament
Creation establishes the covenantal one-flesh setting for sexual union, and Israel's law treats sexual conduct as a matter of holiness and neighbor love. Jesus intensifies heart-level purity, and the apostles call the redeemed body to belong to Christ in holiness while offering cleansing to repentant sinners.
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