What does συμφέρω (symphérō) mean in the Bible?
Symphero names what is advantageous, beneficial, useful, or fitting for a real purpose. The word can sound pragmatic, but the New Testament does not let pragmatism define the good.
Greek · G4851
συμφέρω
Be profitable
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συμφέρω G4851
Pronunciation symphérō
What does συμφέρω (symphérō) mean in the Bible?
Symphero names what is advantageous, beneficial, useful, or fitting for a real purpose. The word can sound pragmatic, but the New Testament does not let pragmatism define the good.
Reader summary
Full entry for συμφέρω (G4851) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G4851?
The BSB source-word alignment has 17 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include It is better (4), good (3), is beneficial (2), Although there is nothing to gain (1), brought (1).
Where does συμφέρω (symphérō) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 5:29. Its strongest book concentrations include 1 Corinthians (5), Matthew (4), John (3), 2 Corinthians (2).
What This Word Actually Means
Symphero names what is advantageous, beneficial, useful, or fitting for a real purpose. The word can sound pragmatic, but the New Testament does not let pragmatism define the good. Jesus uses it in hard sayings where losing what leads to sin is better than keeping what destroys. Caiaphas uses the same kind of benefit language politically, arguing that one man's death would be useful for the nation.
Jesus uses it truly when He says His departure is for the disciples' benefit because the Advocate will come. Paul uses it for teaching that helps, liberty that must be tested by benefit, and spiritual gifts given for the common good. Symphero therefore asks who defines benefit, what end is being served, and whether the advantage is holy, loving, and true.
How the Bible Uses It
Symphero tests benefit by purpose. It can expose false expediency, name costly holiness, describe helpful teaching, and define gifts by the common good.
- Matt.5.29
If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
Jesus uses stark benefit language to teach that costly removal of sin is better than whole-person ruin.
- Matt.18.6
But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
The word appears in a severe warning about causing little ones to stumble, making benefit language serve protection and judgment.
- John.11.50
You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.”
Caiaphas uses symphero politically, calculating one man's death as advantageous for the nation without grasping God's deeper purpose.
- John.16.7
But I tell you the truth, it is for your benefit that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.
Jesus says His departure is for the disciples' benefit because the Advocate will come, redefining advantage by redemptive mission.
- Acts.20.20
I did not shrink back from declaring anything that was helpful to you as I taught you publicly and from house to house,
Paul describes his teaching as what was helpful, so benefit includes public and house-to-house instruction that serves the church.
- 1Cor.6.12
“Everything is permissible for me,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me,” but I will not be mastered by anything.
Paul refuses to identify permission with benefit, especially where freedom becomes mastery by something else.
- 1Cor.12.7
Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
The manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good, locating benefit in edification rather than self-display.
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 It is better 4× Matthew 5:29, Matthew 5:30, Matthew 19:10, John 11:50
good 3× 1 Corinthians 7:35, 1 Corinthians 10:33, Hebrews 12:10
is beneficial 2× 1 Corinthians 6:12, 1 Corinthians 10:23
Although there is nothing to gain 1× 2 Corinthians 12:1
brought 1× Acts 19:19
common good 1× 1 Corinthians 12:7
it is for your benefit 1× John 16:7
it would be better 1× Matthew 18:6
it would be better if 1× John 18:14
was helpful 1× Acts 20:20
what is helpful 1× 2 Corinthians 8:10
Show sample aligned rows
Matthew 5:29 συμφέρει to It is better Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Matthew 5:30 συμφέρει to It is better Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Matthew 18:6 συμφέρει to it would be better Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Matthew 19:10 συμφέρει to it is better Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular John 11:50 συμφέρει to it is better Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular John 16:7 συμφέρει to it is for your benefit Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular John 18:14 συμφέρει to it would be better if Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Acts 19:19 συνενέγκαντες to brought Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural Acts 20:20 συμφερόντων to was helpful Verb - Present Participle Active - Genitive Neuter Plural 1 Corinthians 6:12 συμφέρει to is beneficial Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Matthew 5:29
Aligned rows 17
Books represented 6
Matthew 4 John 3 Acts 2 1 Corinthians 5 2 Corinthians 2 Hebrews 1
Source forms
συμφέρει 10x sympherei Matthew 5:29, Matthew 5:30, Matthew 18:6, Matthew 19:10
συμφέρον 3x sympheron 1 Corinthians 12:7, 2 Corinthians 12:1, Hebrews 12:10
σύμφορον 2x symphoron 1 Corinthians 7:35, 1 Corinthians 10:33
συμφερόντων 1x sympherontōn Acts 20:20
συνενέγκαντες 1x synenenkantes Acts 19:19
Parsing patterns
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular 10x Matthew 5:29, Matthew 5:30, Matthew 18:6, Matthew 19:10
Adjective - Accusative Neuter Singular 2x 1 Corinthians 7:35, 1 Corinthians 10:33
Verb - Present Participle Active - Accusative Neuter Singular 2x 1 Corinthians 12:7, Hebrews 12:10
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural 1x Acts 19:19
Verb - Present Participle Active - Genitive Neuter Plural 1x Acts 20:20
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Neuter Singular 1x 2 Corinthians 12:1
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Use this word to test practical decisions by holiness and love, not by expediency alone.
- When applying common-good texts, protect the weak from being sacrificed to what seems efficient for the strong.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim that whatever is beneficial in one passage is beneficial in every circumstance.
- Do not claim that Christian liberty is settled by permission without asking whether it is beneficial and edifying.
Evidence Summary
Messiah
Greek word. Profit or advantage from God's perspective, often expressing what serves spiritual benefit rather than personal desire.
Strong's G4851
Lexical occurrences 15 verses Greek text appearances 17 times 16 shown below Word forms 2 forms 15 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link John 11:45–57 Source Gloss
be profitable
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
16 of 17 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Matthew 5:29 Verb Third Person Singular Present Active Indicative
συμφέρει sumferei
I collect, am profitable to
Read verse Matthew 5:30 Verb Third Person Singular Present Active Indicative
συμφέρει sumferei
I collect, am profitable to
Read verse Matthew 18:6 Verb Third Person Singular Present Active Indicative
συμφέρει sumferei
I collect, am profitable to
Read verse Matthew 19:10 Verb Third Person Singular Present Active Indicative
συμφέρει sumferei
I collect, am profitable to
Read verse John 11:50 Verb Third Person Singular Present Active Indicative
συμφέρει sumferei
I collect, am profitable to
Read verse John 16:7 Verb Third Person Singular Present Active Indicative
συμφέρει sumferei
I collect, am profitable to
Read verse John 18:14 Verb Third Person Singular Present Active Indicative
συμφέρει sumferei
I collect, am profitable to
Read verse Acts 19:19 Verb Second Aorist Active Participle Nominative Plural Masculine
συνενέγκαντες sunenegkantev
I collect, am profitable to
Read verse Acts 20:20 Verb Present Active Participle Genitive Plural Neuter
συμφερόντων, sumferontwn
I collect, am profitable to
Read verse 1 Corinthians 6:12 Verb Third Person Singular Present Active Indicative
συμφέρει· sumferei
I collect, am profitable to
Read verse 1 Corinthians 7:35 Verb Present Active Participle Accusative Singular Neuter
συμφέρον sumferon
I collect, am profitable to
Read verse 1 Corinthians 10:23 Verb Third Person Singular Present Active Indicative
συμφέρει. sumferei
I collect, am profitable to
Read verse 1 Corinthians 10:33 Verb Present Active Participle Accusative Singular Neuter
συμφέρον, sumferon
I collect, am profitable to
Read verse 1 Corinthians 12:7 Verb Present Active Participle Accusative Singular Neuter
συμφέρον. sumferon
I collect, am profitable to
Read verse 2 Corinthians 8:10 Verb Third Person Singular Present Active Indicative
συμφέρει, sumferei
I collect, am profitable to
Read verse 2 Corinthians 12:1 Verb Third Person Singular Present Active Indicative
συμφέρει sumferei
I collect, am profitable to
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 2 Aligned forms 15 Tenses Present, Aorist Voices Active
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Tenses
Voices
Indicative states a fact or reality 10×
Present Active Matt 5:29 · Matt 5:30 · Matt 18:6 · Matt 19:10 · John 11:50 · John 16:7 · John 18:14 · 1 Cor 6:12 · 1 Cor 10:23 · 2 Cor 8:10 10×
Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 5×
Present Active 1 Cor 12:7 · Heb 12:10 · Acts 20:20 · 2 Cor 12:1 4×
Aorist Active Acts 19:19 1×
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 15 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect
Tense
present 14 aorist 1
Voice
active 15
Mood
indicative 10 participle 5
NT Occurrences
Matthew 5:29 συμφέρει present active indicative ongoing Matthew 5:30 συμφέρει present active indicative ongoing Matthew 18:6 συμφέρει present active indicative ongoing Matthew 19:10 συμφέρει present active indicative ongoing John 11:50 συμφέρει present active indicative ongoing John 16:7 συμφέρει present active indicative ongoing John 18:14 συμφέρει present active indicative ongoing Acts 19:19 συνενέγκαντες aorist active participle participle Acts 20:20 συμφερόντων present active participle participle 1 Corinthians 6:12 συμφέρει present active indicative ongoing 1 Corinthians 10:23 συμφέρει present active indicative ongoing 1 Corinthians 12:7 συμφέρον present active participle participle 2 Corinthians 8:10 συμφέρει present active indicative ongoing 2 Corinthians 12:1 συμφέρον present active participle participle Hebrews 12:10 συμφέρον present active participle participle
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.
New Testament Witnesses
expedient
Showing 1 selected witness from 15 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
συμφέρω is built from these roots:
Why This Word Matters
Reveals political calculation behind Christ’s death. John 11:45–57
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
The core insight of symphero is that benefit is never morally neutral in Scripture. Something may appear advantageous to power, reputation, appetite, or institutional survival and still be false. Caiaphas speaks the language of benefit while plotting Jesus' death, yet God overrules his calculation for salvation. Jesus speaks the language of benefit when He tells disciples that His departure will bring the Advocate.
Paul speaks it when he refuses liberties that master the body and when he says spiritual gifts are given for the common good. The word trains readers to ask deeper questions than usefulness. A Christian account of benefit is governed by holiness, truth, love, mission, and edification. What helps is what serves God's purpose and builds up His people.
Anchor passage
John.16.7
Doctrinal connections
- Matthew.5.29: costly holiness is better than destructive self-preservation.
- Matthew.18.6: the protection of little ones outweighs any self-serving advantage.
- John.11.50: human expediency can speak more than it understands under God's providence.
- John.16.7: Jesus defines true benefit by the coming of the Advocate.
- 1 Corinthians.6.12: lawful things must still be tested by benefit and mastery.
- 1 Corinthians.12.7: spiritual manifestation is for the common good.
Symphero can mean to be useful, advantageous, profitable, or beneficial. Because the word can serve both cynical calculation and faithful edification, context must identify the moral frame of the advantage.
From Old to New Testament
Wisdom literature often weighs paths by their end, and the prophets expose false safety that serves power rather than God. Symphero continues that concern by forcing benefit to answer to holiness, truth, and God's saving purpose.
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