πταίω
To stumble
Reading a lexicon entry
What this page is: Each lexicon entry shows the original Hebrew or Greek word behind the English translation: its meaning, its range of use, and where it appears in Scripture.
Strong's number: The Strong's code (H- or G-) is the standard reference number for this word. It connects this entry to chapter and passage language tabs.
Canonical witness: The witness passages show where this word is used in context. Click any to open the study page for that passage.
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What does πταίω (ptaíō) mean in the Bible?
πταίω (ptaíō) is a Greek word meaning "to stumble". πταίω [in LXX chiefly for נָגַף ni. Acknowledges universal moral weakness in speech.
Meaning
Moral stumbling in NT usage: to fail or offend in ethical conduct, not merely physical falling
Why This Word Matters
Acknowledges universal moral weakness in speech. James 3:1–6
Grammatical Forms
How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.
Indicative states a fact or reality 3×
Subjunctive possibility, probability, or purpose 2×
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)
Biblical Occurrences
Each occurrence shows the passage reference, the original language term as it appears in that context, its transliteration, and the contextual sense.
Additional Occurrences
New Testament Witnesses
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.
A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) — public domain