A deed; by implication, an affair; by extension, an object (material)
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G4229, pragma, is a broad Greek noun for a deed, matter, affair, event, fact, transaction, circumstance, practice, or thing. Its English rendering varies widely because the word often points to the subject currently under discussion rather than naming its moral quality.
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Full entry for πρᾶγμα (G4229) · Open the biblical lexicon
G4229, pragma, is a broad Greek noun for a deed, matter, affair, event, fact, transaction, circumstance, practice, or thing. Its English rendering varies widely because the word often points to the subject currently under discussion rather than naming its moral quality.
The BSB source-word alignment has 11 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include . . . (3), a deed (1), a grievance (1), matter (1), of what (1).
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 18:19. Its strongest book concentrations include Hebrews (3), 1 Corinthians (1), 1 Thessalonians (1), 2 Corinthians (1).
G4229, pragma, is a broad Greek noun for a deed, matter, affair, event, fact, transaction, circumstance, practice, or thing. Its English rendering varies widely because the word often points to the subject currently under discussion rather than naming its moral quality. Luke uses it for events fulfilled among believers. Matthew uses it for a matter brought before the Father in prayer. Acts can use it for a deed conceived in the heart. Paul uses it for a grievance, practical need, or the sphere in which someone is exploited. Hebrews uses the plural for realities hoped for or unseen, and James names an evil practice.
The noun's breadth makes context especially important. “Anything” in Matthew 18:19 is not a detachable promise that agreement forces God to grant any desire; it belongs within Jesus' teaching about restoration, discipline, prayer, and His gathered presence. First Corinthians 6 addresses a grievance carried by one believer against another before pagan courts. It does not command churches to conceal crimes, prevent victims from seeking civil protection, or handle every legal matter internally. First Thessalonians 4 forbids violating or exploiting a brother “in this regard” within a call to sexual holiness. A vague word for matter cannot be used to make the warning vague or to reduce it to commercial dishonesty.
Other passages give the word constructive force. Luke composes an orderly account of fulfilled events. Romans asks the church to assist Phoebe in whatever matter she needs. Hebrews defines faith in relation to hoped-for and unseen realities, not imagined objects produced by confidence. James exposes selfish ambition as the environment for disorder and every evil practice. Across these settings, pragma directs attention to concrete affairs that require truth, prayer, justice, service, faith, or repentance. Pastoral teaching should resist turning the modern English word pragmatic into the noun's meaning. Scripture does not commend whatever “works.” It brings actual matters before God, subjects conduct to holiness, supports trustworthy servants, and anchors faith in realities God has promised and revealed.
G4229 gathers concrete events, prayer matters, concealed deeds, disputes, practical needs, exploitative conduct, hoped-for realities, and evil practices under a broad noun whose meaning and moral force come from each passage.
Many have undertaken to compose an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us,
Luke introduces public events received within a community of witnesses and then offers an orderly account. The “things” are narrated claims, not vague spiritual impressions.
Again, I tell you truly that if two of you on the earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by My Father in heaven.
Agreement in prayer belongs to Jesus' teaching about a sinning brother, communal discernment, restoration, and His presence. The broad noun does not erase those covenant purposes or the Father's will.
Did it not belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? How could you conceive such a deed in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God!”
Peter locates Ananias's deed in deliberate deception, not in a failure to surrender compulsory communal ownership. The matter began in the heart and became a lie before God.
If any of you has a grievance against another, how dare he go to law before the unrighteous instead of before the saints!
Paul rebukes believers publicly litigating ordinary grievances that the church should be wise enough to judge. The passage does not prohibit reporting crime or seeking lawful protection from abuse.
Welcome her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her with anything she may need from you. For she has been a great help to many people, including me.
Paul asks the Roman church to honor Phoebe and provide practical assistance in whatever matter arises. Christian welcome becomes accountable, material support for a proven servant.
And no one should ever violate or exploit his brother in this regard, because the Lord will avenge all such acts, as we have already told you and solemnly warned you.
The matter belongs to the paragraph's call to sexual holiness and refusal to exploit another believer. The Lord's vengeance makes hidden or normalized abuse a matter of divine accountability.
Now faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see.
The plural points to hoped-for and unseen realities whose content Hebrews supplies through God's promises and faithful witnesses. Faith is not a technique for creating whatever a person imagines.
For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every evil practice.
James traces evil practice to a community climate shaped by jealousy and selfish ambition. The surrounding contrast calls for wisdom that is pure, peaceable, merciful, and sincere.
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders ItA compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
Greek word. Concrete thing or matter resulting from action; in legal contexts, a lawsuit or case under dispute.
Textus Receptus witness, full corpusGreek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
11 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
a thing done, a matter
Read versea thing done, a matter
Read versea thing done, a matter
Read versea thing done, a matter
Read versea thing done, a matter
Read versea thing done, a matter
Read versea thing done, a matter
Read versea thing done, a matter
Read versea thing done, a matter
Read versea thing done, a matter
Read versea thing done, a matter
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.
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
This word appears as a noun across 5 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.
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Showing 4 selected witnesses from 11 lexical occurrence verses.
πρᾶγμα is built from this root:
G4229 is broad enough to expose whether interpreters will do the contextual work. Luke's “things” are events fulfilled and carefully narrated. Matthew's “anything” belongs to communal restoration and prayer before the Father, not an unrestricted mechanism. Acts names a deceitful deed conceived in the heart. Paul speaks about an ordinary grievance that believers should judge wisely, a practical matter in which the church should assist Phoebe, and a sphere in which no one may violate or exploit another.
Hebrews uses the plural for realities hoped for and unseen, whose substance comes from God's promises rather than human projection. James uses the noun for evil practice generated by jealousy and selfish ambition. No single English gloss can carry all of that. The pastoral gain lies in refusing vagueness. What happened? What is being asked? What harm occurred?
Which authority bears responsibility? What has God promised? Such questions protect prayer from presumption, church discipline from concealment, service from abstraction, and faith from fantasy. The gospel addresses real affairs: sin is named, witnesses speak, neighbors receive help, exploiters face the Lord, and believers trust realities secured by God's word.
Luke.1.1
G4229 is a neuter noun occurring eleven times in nominative, accusative, genitive, and dative forms. Its semantic range includes deed, matter, affair, event, fact, grievance, need, practice, and thing. The preposition, grammatical number, and discourse topic often do more interpretive work than an isolated gloss. The modern adjective “pragmatic” should not be read back as approval of whatever appears effective.
The Old Testament also brings deeds, disputes, testimony, hidden conduct, service, and hoped-for promises before God. Hebrews explicitly develops faith through Old Testament witnesses, while church judgment and prayer draw on covenant accountability. These themes connect canonically without making H4639, H1697, or another Hebrew “matter” term a fixed equivalent of G4229.