What does πωλέω (pōléō) mean in the Bible?
Πωλέω means to sell, transferring goods or property through exchange. Jesus mentions inexpensive sparrows sold in the market to teach that the Father's knowledge reaches even creatures people price cheaply.
Greek · G4453
πωλέω
To sell
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πωλέω G4453
Pronunciation pōléō
What does πωλέω (pōléō) mean in the Bible?
Πωλέω means to sell, transferring goods or property through exchange. Jesus mentions inexpensive sparrows sold in the market to teach that the Father's knowledge reaches even creatures people price cheaply.
Reader summary
Full entry for πωλέω (G4453) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G4453?
The BSB source-word alignment has 22 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include selling (6), sell (5), sold (5), [also] sold (1), [and] selling (1).
Where does πωλέω (pōléō) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 10:29. Its strongest book concentrations include Luke (6), Matthew (6), Acts (3), Mark (3).
What This Word Actually Means
Πωλέω means to sell, transferring goods or property through exchange. Jesus mentions inexpensive sparrows sold in the market to teach that the Father's knowledge reaches even creatures people price cheaply. He commands one wealthy man to sell what he owns, give to the poor, and follow Him, exposing the possession that governs him. In the temple, sellers participate in commerce that Jesus confronts within His Father's house.
Acts describes owners voluntarily selling land or houses so proceeds can meet needs in the church. The verb itself neither condemns commerce nor sanctifies liquidation. The item sold, motive, setting, use of proceeds, and call of Christ determine the act's moral and pastoral meaning.
How the Bible Uses It
Πωλέω names ordinary sale, but Gospel and Acts settings place exchange under the Father's care, Jesus' call, the holiness of worship, and voluntary generosity toward need.
- Matt.10.29
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.
Sparrows carry little market value, yet the Father's sovereign knowledge includes each one, assuring persecuted disciples that they are never insignificant to Him.
- Mark.10.21
Jesus looked at him, loved him, and said to him, “There is one thing you lack: Go, sell everything you own and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”
Jesus' command addresses this man's ruling attachment, joins divestment to care for the poor, and culminates not in poverty itself but in following Christ.
- Luke.12.6
Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.
Luke's marketplace comparison strengthens the assurance that God does not forget His servants even when ordinary commerce assigns creatures minimal worth.
- John.2.14
In the temple courts He found men selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and money changers seated at their tables.
Temple selling occurs inside a scene where Jesus defends His Father's house, so the issue exceeds the bare existence of buying and selling.
- Acts.4.34
There were no needy ones among them, because those who owned lands or houses would sell their property, bring the proceeds from the sales,
Property owners sell voluntarily and entrust proceeds for distribution, producing a community in which urgent need is met without declaring private ownership inherently sinful.
Passage 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 selling 6× Matthew 21:12, Mark 11:15, John 2:14, John 2:16
sell 5× Matthew 19:21, Mark 10:21, Luke 12:33, Luke 18:22
sold 5× Matthew 10:29, Matthew 13:44, Luke 12:6, Acts 4:37
[also] sold 1× Acts 5:1
[and] selling 1× Luke 17:28
sell [oil] 1× Matthew 25:9
should sell 1× Luke 22:36
were selling [there] 1× Luke 19:45
would sell [ their property ] 1× Acts 4:34
Show sample aligned rows
Matthew 10:29 πωλεῖται to sold Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular Matthew 13:44 πωλεῖ to sold Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Matthew 19:21 πώλησόν to sell Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular Matthew 21:12 πωλοῦντας to selling Verb - Present Participle Active - Accusative Masculine Plural Matthew 21:12 πωλούντων to selling Verb - Present Participle Active - Genitive Masculine Plural Matthew 25:9 πωλοῦντας to sell [oil] Verb - Present Participle Active - Accusative Masculine Plural Mark 10:21 πώλησον to sell Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular Mark 11:15 πωλοῦντας to selling Verb - Present Participle Active - Accusative Masculine Plural Mark 11:15 πωλούντων to selling Verb - Present Participle Active - Genitive Masculine Plural Luke 12:6 πωλοῦνται to sold Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Matthew 10:29
Aligned rows 22
Books represented 7
Matthew 6 Mark 3 Luke 6 John 2 Acts 3 1 Corinthians 1 Revelation 1
Source forms
πωλοῦντας 5x pōlountas Matthew 21:12, Matthew 25:9, Mark 11:15, Luke 19:45
πώλησον 2x pōlēson Mark 10:21, Luke 18:22
πωλούντων 2x pōlountōn Matthew 21:12, Mark 11:15
ἐπώλησεν 1x epōlēsen Acts 5:1
ἐπώλουν 1x epōloun Luke 17:28
πωλεῖ 1x pōlei Matthew 13:44
πωλεῖται 1x pōleitai Matthew 10:29
πωλῆσαι 1x pōlēsai Revelation 13:17
Parsing patterns
Verb - Present Participle Active - Accusative Masculine Plural 5x Matthew 21:12, Matthew 25:9, Mark 11:15, Luke 19:45
Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular 3x Matthew 19:21, Mark 10:21, Luke 18:22
Verb - Present Participle Active - Genitive Masculine Plural 2x Matthew 21:12, Mark 11:15
Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Plural 1x Luke 12:33
Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 3rd Person Singular 1x Luke 22:36
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular 1x Acts 5:1
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active 1x Revelation 13:17
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular 1x Acts 4:37
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Do not universalize Jesus' individualized command without preaching its universal demand: possessions must not rival Christ, and the poor must not be ignored.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim that πωλέω makes every commercial transaction spiritually suspect.
- Do not use Acts 4 to pressure vulnerable members into coerced asset sales or to enrich religious leaders.
Evidence Summary
Messiah
Greek word. To sell by exchanging goods for money; used literally and metaphorically for surrendering possessions.
Strong's G4453
Lexical occurrences 22 verses Greek text appearances 22 times 16 shown below Word forms 4 forms 22 references Verse guides 0 guides
Source Gloss
to sell
Extended definition Source: STEPBible TBESG + Abbott-Smith
To sell by exchanging goods for money; used literally and metaphorically for surrendering possessions.
1to exchange or barter.
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
16 of 22 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Matthew 10:29 Verb Third Person Singular Present Passive Indicative
πωλεῖται; pwleitai
I sell
Read verse Matthew 13:44 Verb Third Person Singular Present Active Indicative
πωλεῖ, pwlei
I sell
Read verse Matthew 19:21 Verb Second Person Singular Aorist Active Imperative
πώλησόν pwlhson
I sell
Read verse Matthew 21:12 Verb Present Active Participle Accusative Plural Masculine
πωλοῦντας pwlountav
I sell
Read verse Matthew 21:12 Verb Present Active Participle Genitive Plural Masculine
πωλούντων pwlountwn
I sell
Read verse Matthew 25:9 Verb Present Active Participle Accusative Plural Masculine
πωλοῦντας pwlountav
I sell
Read verse Mark 10:21 Verb Second Person Singular Aorist Active Imperative
πώλησον, pwlhson
I sell
Read verse Mark 11:15 Verb Present Active Participle Accusative Plural Masculine
πωλοῦντας pwlountav
I sell
Read verse Mark 11:15 Verb Present Active Participle Genitive Plural Masculine
πωλούντων pwlountwn
I sell
Read verse Luke 12:6 Verb Third Person Singular Present Passive Indicative
πωλεῖται pwleitai
I sell
Read verse Luke 12:33 Verb Second Person Plural Aorist Active Imperative
πωλήσατε pwlhsate
I sell
Read verse Luke 17:28 Verb Third Person Plural Imperfect Active Indicative
ἐπώλουν, epwloun
I sell
Read verse Luke 18:22 Verb Second Person Singular Aorist Active Imperative
πώλησον, pwlhson
I sell
Read verse Luke 19:45 Verb Present Active Participle Accusative Plural Masculine
πωλοῦντας pwlountav
I sell
Read verse Luke 22:36 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Active Imperative
πωλησάτω pwlhsatw
I sell
Read verse John 2:14 Verb Present Active Participle Accusative Plural Masculine
πωλοῦντας pwlountav
I sell
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 4 Aligned forms 22 Tenses Present, Aorist, Imperfect Voices Active, Passive
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Tenses
Voices
Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 11×
Present Active Matt 21:12 · Matt 25:9 · Mark 11:15 · Luke 19:45 · John 2:14 · John 2:16 · Acts 4:34 9×
Aorist Active Acts 4:37 1×
Present Passive 1 Cor 10:25 1×
Imperative command or strong request 5×
Aorist Active Matt 19:21 · Mark 10:21 · Luke 18:22 · Luke 12:33 · Luke 22:36 5×
Indicative states a fact or reality 5×
Present Passive Matt 10:29 · Luke 12:6 2×
Present Active Matt 13:44 1×
Imperfect Active Luke 17:28 1×
Aorist Active Acts 5:1 1×
Infinitive verbal noun — the action in abstract 1×
Aorist Active Rev 13:17 1×
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 21 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect
Tense
present 12 aorist 8 imperfect 1
Voice
active 18 passive 3
Mood
participle 10 indicative 5 imperative 5 infinitive 1
NT Occurrences
Matthew 10:29 πωλεῖται present passive indicative ongoing Matthew 13:44 πωλεῖ present active indicative ongoing Matthew 19:21 πώλησόν aorist active imperative imperative Matthew 21:12 πωλούντων present active participle participle Matthew 25:9 πωλοῦντας present active participle participle Mark 10:21 πώλησον aorist active imperative imperative Mark 11:15 πωλοῦντας present active participle participle Mark 11:15 πωλούντων present active participle participle Luke 12:33 πωλήσατε aorist active imperative imperative Luke 12:6 πωλοῦνται present passive indicative ongoing Luke 17:28 ἐπώλουν imperfect active indicative background Luke 18:22 πώλησον aorist active imperative imperative Luke 19:45 πωλοῦντας present active participle participle Luke 22:36 πωλησάτω aorist active imperative imperative John 2:14 πωλοῦντας present active participle participle John 2:16 πωλοῦσιν present active participle participle Acts 4:34 πωλοῦντες present active participle participle Acts 4:37 πωλήσας aorist active participle participle Acts 5:1 ἐπώλησεν aorist active indicative completed 1 Corinthians 10:25 πωλούμενον present passive participle participle Revelation 13:17 πωλῆσαι aorist active infinitive infinitive
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 Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Witnesses
Luke 18:18–30 πώλησον pōléō
Sell
Showing 1 selected witness from 22 lexical occurrence verses.
Canonical Themes
Messiah
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
Selling exposes what people believe value is for. Sparrows command almost no price, yet Jesus uses their sale to assure disciples that the Father does not overlook them. The wealthy man is loved and then told to sell because his possessions reveal a rival mastery that keeps him from following Jesus freely. Temple commerce becomes part of a worship setting Jesus judges, while Acts shows sales chosen to release resources for neighbors in need.
These texts do not yield one economic program from the verb. They do place exchange under God's ownership, human dignity, holy worship, and neighbor love. Christian stewardship may retain, buy, sell, give, or relinquish, but it must refuse greed, exploitation, and the claim that monetary price determines ultimate worth.
Anchor passage
Matt.10.29
Doctrinal connections
- Matthew 10:26-33, the Father's knowledge amid persecution
- Mark 10:17-31, possessions and following Jesus
- John 2:13-22, zeal for the Father's house
- Acts 4:32-37, voluntary sharing and unmet need
- Leviticus 25:13-17, honest exchange under God's ownership
- 1 Timothy 6:17-19, wealth used for generous good
Πωλέω is the common verb for selling and typically takes the item transferred as its object. It does not itself specify price, profit, coercion, generosity, or ethical quality.
From Old to New Testament
The law regulates honest sale, protects family inheritance, and reminds Israel that the land belongs to God. Jesus brings possessions under discipleship and forms generous fellowship among His people.
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