What does φείδομαι (pheídomai) mean in the Bible?
Φείδομαι means to spare, refrain from inflicting something, or hold back out of consideration. Paul's uses require attention to the reason for restraint.
Greek · G5339
φείδομαι
To spare
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φείδομαι G5339
Pronunciation pheídomai
What does φείδομαι (pheídomai) mean in the Bible?
Φείδομαι means to spare, refrain from inflicting something, or hold back out of consideration. Paul's uses require attention to the reason for restraint.
Reader summary
Full entry for φείδομαι (G5339) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G5339?
The BSB source-word alignment has 10 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include spare (3), [want to] spare (1), and will not spare (1), did not spare (1), He did not spare (1).
Where does φείδομαι (pheídomai) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Acts 20:29. Its strongest book concentrations include 2 Corinthians (3), Romans (3), 2 Peter (2), 1 Corinthians (1).
What This Word Actually Means
Φείδομαι means to spare, refrain from inflicting something, or hold back out of consideration. Paul's uses require attention to the reason for restraint. Romans 11 warns Gentile believers that God did not spare unbelieving natural branches and will not indulge arrogant unbelief in them. In 1 Corinthians 7, Paul wants to spare believers avoidable distress by speaking honestly about the pressures of marriage in the present situation, without calling marriage sinful.
In 2 Corinthians 1, Paul says he delayed a visit to spare the church a painful confrontation, while refusing to lord over their faith. The verb can therefore describe severe divine non-sparing or compassionate pastoral restraint. Love does not always avoid pain, but it refuses needless harm and acts under truth.
How the Bible Uses It
Paul uses φείδομαι for withholding harm or, negatively, not exempting from judgment. Wise restraint considers truth, timing, arrogance, and another's good.
- Rom.11.21
For if God did not spare the natural branches, He will certainly not spare you either.
The olive-tree warning addresses Gentile arrogance: God's kindness must lead to persevering faith rather than presumption over unbelieving Israel.
- 1Cor.7.28
But if you do marry, you have not sinned. And if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this.
Paul's wish to spare believers acknowledges real marital pressures while affirming that marriage itself is not sin.
- 2Cor.1.23
I call God as my witness that it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth.
The postponed visit is explained as pastoral restraint, yet Paul immediately denies domination and seeks the Corinthians' joy and stability.
Book contextPassage 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 spare 3× Romans 11:21, 2 Peter 2:4
[want to] spare 1× 1 Corinthians 7:28
and will not spare 1× Acts 20:29
did not spare 1× Romans 8:32
He did not spare 1× 2 Peter 2:5
I refrain 1× 2 Corinthians 12:6
I will not spare [anyone] 1× 2 Corinthians 13:2
to spare 1× 2 Corinthians 1:23
Show sample aligned rows
Acts 20:29 φειδόμενοι to and will not spare Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Plural Romans 8:32 ἐφείσατο to did not spare Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular Romans 11:21 ἐφείσατο to spare Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular Romans 11:21 φείσεται to spare Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular 1 Corinthians 7:28 φείδομαι to [want to] spare Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 1st Person Singular 2 Corinthians 1:23 φειδόμενος to to spare Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Singular 2 Corinthians 12:6 φείδομαι to I refrain Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 1st Person Singular 2 Corinthians 13:2 φείσομαι to I will not spare [anyone] Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 1st Person Singular 2 Peter 2:4 ἐφείσατο to spare Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular 2 Peter 2:5 ἐφείσατο to He did not spare Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Acts 20:29
Aligned rows 10
Books represented 5
Acts 1 Romans 3 1 Corinthians 1 2 Corinthians 3 2 Peter 2
Source forms
ἐφείσατο 4x epheisato Romans 8:32, Romans 11:21, 2 Peter 2:4, 2 Peter 2:5
φείδομαι 2x pheidomai 1 Corinthians 7:28, 2 Corinthians 12:6
φειδόμενοι 1x pheidomenoi Acts 20:29
φειδόμενος 1x pheidomenos 2 Corinthians 1:23
φείσεται 1x pheisetai Romans 11:21
φείσομαι 1x pheisomai 2 Corinthians 13:2
Parsing patterns
Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular 4x Romans 8:32, Romans 11:21, 2 Peter 2:4, 2 Peter 2:5
Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 1st Person Singular 2x 1 Corinthians 7:28, 2 Corinthians 12:6
Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 1st Person Singular 1x 2 Corinthians 13:2
Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular 1x Romans 11:21
Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Plural 1x Acts 20:29
Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Singular 1x 2 Corinthians 1:23
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Explain the purpose and limits of restraint so that “sparing” does not become a cover for avoidance or manipulation.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not use Romans 11:21 to teach salvation maintained by ethnic superiority or human boasting; the warning destroys both.
- Do not claim that loving restraint always avoids painful confrontation; Paul's letters show that love may also require direct correction.
Evidence Summary
Greek word. Restraining oneself from inflicting deserved harm or punishment, often with mercy implied.
Strong's G5339
Lexical occurrences 10 verses Greek text appearances 10 times Word forms 2 forms 10 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Romans 8:31-39 Source Gloss
to spare
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
10 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Acts 20:29 Verb Present Middle or Passive Deponent Participle Nominative Plural Masculine
φειδόμενοι feidomenoi
I spare, abstain
Read verse Romans 8:32 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Middle Deponent Indicative
ἐφείσατο, efeisato
I spare, abstain
Read verse Romans 11:21 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Middle Deponent Indicative
ἐφείσατο, efeisato
I spare, abstain
Read verse Romans 11:21 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Middle Deponent Subjunctive
φείσηται. feishtai
I spare, abstain
Read verse 1 Corinthians 7:28 Verb First Person Singular Present Middle or Passive Deponent Indicative
φείδομαι. feidomai
I spare, abstain
Read verse 2 Corinthians 1:23 Verb Present Middle or Passive Deponent Participle Nominative Singular Masculine
φειδόμενος feidomenov
I spare, abstain
Read verse 2 Corinthians 12:6 Verb First Person Singular Present Middle or Passive Deponent Indicative
φείδομαι feidomai
I spare, abstain
Read verse 2 Corinthians 13:2 Verb First Person Singular Future Middle Deponent Indicative
φείσομαι· feisomai
I spare, abstain
Read verse 2 Peter 2:4 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Middle Deponent Indicative
ἐφείσατο, efeisato
I spare, abstain
Read verse 2 Peter 2:5 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Middle Deponent Indicative
ἐφείσατο, efeisato
I spare, abstain
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 10 Tenses Aorist, Present, Future Voices Middle
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Tenses
Voices
Indicative states a fact or reality 8×
Aorist Middle Rom 8:32 · Rom 11:21 · 2 Pet 2:4 · 2 Pet 2:5 4×
Present Middle 1 Cor 7:28 · 2 Cor 12:6 2×
Future Middle Rom 11:21 · 2 Cor 13:2 2×
Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 2×
Present Middle Acts 20:29 · 2 Cor 1:23 2×
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 10 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect
Tense
present 4 aorist 4 future 2
Voice
middle 10
Mood
indicative 8 participle 2
NT Occurrences
Acts 20:29 φειδόμενοι present middle participle participle Romans 8:32 ἐφείσατο aorist middle indicative completed Romans 11:21 ἐφείσατο aorist middle indicative completed Romans 11:21 φείσεται future middle indicative prospective 1 Corinthians 7:28 φείδομαι present middle indicative ongoing 2 Corinthians 1:23 φειδόμενος present middle participle participle 2 Corinthians 12:6 φείδομαι present middle indicative ongoing 2 Corinthians 13:2 φείσομαι future middle indicative prospective 2 Peter 2:4 ἐφείσατο aorist middle indicative completed 2 Peter 2:5 ἐφείσατο aorist middle indicative completed
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 Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
God did not spare his own Son, emphasizing divine sacrifice and commitment
God did not spare angels or ancient world, showing judgment on the unrighteous
Withholding or restraining resources, contrasted with generous giving and prosperity
Showing 3 selected witnesses from 10 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
φείδομαι is of uncertain origin - 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.
For the Preacher and Teacher
Sparing is not automatically merciful, and severity is not automatically faithful. Romans 11 warns those tempted to presume on God's kindness: the history of unbelieving branches should produce fear, humility, and continued trust, not Gentile boasting. First Corinthians 7 shows Paul candidly naming pressures so that hearers can make wise decisions without treating marriage as sinful.
Second Corinthians 1 presents delayed confrontation as a choice to spare, yet the apostle remains accountable, transparent, and committed to the church's joy. These uses give pastors a mature category for restraint. Love considers timing, burden, and the hearer's good, but it does not conceal truth indefinitely or protect the leader's comfort. Faithful restraint is explainable, bounded, and ordered toward repentance, peace, or wise preparation.
It stands far from manipulation, threats, cowardice, and the proud assumption that grace removes the need for perseverance.
Anchor passage
Rom.11.21
Doctrinal connections
- Romans 11:17-24, kindness, severity, humility, and hope for grafting in
- 1 Corinthians 7:25-35, marriage, distress, and undivided devotion
- 2 Corinthians 1:23-2:4, painful visits, tears, love, and joy
- Genesis 18:16-33, Abraham pleading in view of judgment
- Malachi 3:16-18, the Lord sparing those who fear Him
- 2 Peter 2:4-10, divine judgment and rescue
Φείδομαι is a middle-form verb commonly meaning to spare or refrain. The direct or implied object identifies who is spared, while a following infinitive or context can identify what is withheld. Negation reverses the pastoral feel and can announce that judgment will not be withheld.
From Old to New Testament
God's non-sparing judgment and compassionate preservation appear together across Scripture. He spares according to covenant mercy without ignoring evil. In the apostolic church, leaders learn restraint from the crucified Lord, speaking truth while refusing domination and needless injury.
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