What does τρέφω (tréphō) mean in the Bible?
τρέφω (tréphō) is a Greek word meaning "to feed".
Greek · G5142
τρέφω
To feed
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.
Where it appears: The witness passages show where this word is used in context. Click any to open the study page for that passage.
This lexicon entry is part of our ongoing editorial review. If you notice missing content, unclear wording, or a possible correction, please send us a note through the Connect page. Screenshots are helpful.
τρέφω G5142
Pronunciation tréphō
What does τρέφω (tréphō) mean in the Bible?
τρέφω (tréphō) is a Greek word meaning "to feed".
Full entry for τρέφω (G5142) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G5142?
The BSB source-word alignment has 9 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include feeds (2), brought up (1), feed [You] (1), for food (1), nursed (1).
Where does τρέφω (tréphō) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 6:26. Its strongest book concentrations include Luke (3), Matthew (2), Revelation (2), Acts (1).
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 feeds 2× Matthew 6:26, Luke 12:24
brought up 1× Luke 4:16
feed [You] 1× Matthew 25:37
for food 1× Acts 12:20
nursed 1× Luke 23:29
she was nourished 1× Revelation 12:14
to be nourished 1× Revelation 12:6
You have fattened 1× James 5:5
Show sample aligned rows
Matthew 6:26 τρέφει to feeds Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Matthew 25:37 ἐθρέψαμεν to feed [You] Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural Luke 4:16 τεθραμμένος to brought up Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Singular Luke 12:24 τρέφει to feeds Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Luke 23:29 ἔθρεψαν to nursed Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural Acts 12:20 τρέφεσθαι to for food Verb - Present Infinitive Middle or Passive James 5:5 ἐθρέψατε to You have fattened Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural Revelation 12:6 τρέφωσιν to to be nourished Verb - Present Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Plural Revelation 12:14 τρέφεται to she was nourished Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Matthew 6:26
Aligned rows 9
Books represented 5
Matthew 2 Luke 3 Acts 1 James 1 Revelation 2
Source forms
τρέφει 2x trephei Matthew 6:26, Luke 12:24
ἐθρέψαμεν 1x ethrepsamen Matthew 25:37
ἔθρεψαν 1x ethrepsan Luke 23:29
ἐθρέψατε 1x ethrepsate James 5:5
τεθραμμένος 1x tethrammenos Luke 4:16
τρέφεσθαι 1x trephesthai Acts 12:20
τρέφεται 1x trephetai Revelation 12:14
τρέφωσιν 1x trephōsin Revelation 12:6
Parsing patterns
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular 2x Matthew 6:26, Luke 12:24
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural 1x Matthew 25:37
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural 1x James 5:5
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural 1x Luke 23:29
Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Singular 1x Luke 4:16
Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular 1x Revelation 12:14
Verb - Present Infinitive Middle or Passive 1x Acts 12:20
Verb - Present Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Plural 1x Revelation 12:6
Evidence Summary
Greek word. to feed
Strong's G5142
Lexical occurrences 9 verses Greek text appearances 8 times Word forms 4 forms 9 references Verse guides 0 guides
Source Gloss
to feed
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
8 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Matthew 6:26 Verb Third Person Singular Present Active Indicative
τρέφει trefei
I feed, rear
Read verse Matthew 25:37 Verb First Person Plural Aorist Active Indicative
ἐθρέψαμεν; eqreyamen
I feed, rear
Read verse Luke 4:16 Verb Perfect Passive Participle Nominative Singular Masculine
τεθραμμένος· teqrammenov
I feed, rear
Read verse Luke 12:24 Verb Third Person Singular Present Active Indicative
τρέφει trefei
I feed, rear
Read verse Acts 12:20 Verb Present Passive Infinitive
τρέφεσθαι trefesqai
I feed, rear
Read verse James 5:5 Verb Second Person Plural Aorist Active Indicative
ἐθρέψατε eqreyate
I feed, rear
Read verse Revelation 12:6 Verb Third Person Plural Present Active Subjunctive
τρέφωσιν trefwsin
I feed, rear
Read verse Revelation 12:14 Verb Third Person Singular Present Passive Indicative
τρέφεται trefetai
I feed, rear
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 9 Tenses Present, Aorist, Perfect Voices Active, Passive
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Tenses
Voices
Indicative states a fact or reality 6×
Aorist Active Matt 25:37 · Luke 23:29 · Jas 5:5 3×
Present Active Matt 6:26 · Luke 12:24 2×
Present Passive Rev 12:14 1×
Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 1×
Perfect Passive Luke 4:16 1×
Infinitive verbal noun — the action in abstract 1×
Present Passive Acts 12:20 1×
Subjunctive possibility, probability, or purpose 1×
Present Active Rev 12:6 1×
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 8 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect
Tense
present 5 aorist 3
Voice
active 6 passive 2
Mood
indicative 6 infinitive 1 subjunctive 1
NT Occurrences
Matthew 6:26 τρέφει present active indicative ongoing Matthew 25:37 ἐθρέψαμεν aorist active indicative completed Luke 12:24 τρέφει present active indicative ongoing Luke 23:29 ἔθρεψαν aorist active indicative completed Acts 12:20 τρέφεσθαι present passive infinitive infinitive James 5:5 ἐθρέψατε aorist active indicative completed Revelation 12:14 τρέφεται present passive indicative ongoing Revelation 12:6 τρέφωσιν present active subjunctive subjunctive
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)
Word Origins
τρέφω is a primary verb - no further derivation.
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.
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