What does φιλέω · μισέω · ψυχή mean in the Bible?
φιλέω · μισέω · ψυχή is a Greek phrase meaning "love life / hate life by comparison".
Greek · G5368, G3404, G5590
φιλέω / μισέω τὴν ψυχήν
To love · to detest (especially to persecute); by extension, to love less · soul
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Words in this compound — expand to study each participant
φιλέωG5368to love
Pronunciationphiléō
Emotional, affectionate love of friendship and preference, contrasting ἀγαπάω's love of duty and respect
Open lexicon entry →μισέωG3404to detest (especially to persecute); by extension, to love less
Pronunciationmiséō
To hate intensely; also means to love less or regard as inferior by comparison.
Open lexicon entry →ψυχήG5590soul
Pronunciationpsychḗ
The animating life-principle that encompasses will, desires, and affections as the seat of personal identity
Open lexicon entry →What does φιλέω / μισέω τὴν ψυχήν (phileō / miseō tēn psychēn) mean in the Bible?
φιλέω · μισέω · ψυχή is a Greek phrase meaning "love life / hate life by comparison".
Full entry for φιλέω / μισέω τὴν ψυχήν (G5368, G3404, G5590) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How many biblical occurrences are listed for G5368, G3404, G5590?
G5368, G3404, G5590 is connected to 25 lexical occurrence verses in the lexicon data.
Evidence Summary
Greek phrase. love life / hate life by comparison
Source Gloss
love life / hate life by comparison
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 groups4Aligned forms25TensesPresent, Imperfect, Aorist, PerfectVoicesActive
Tenses
Voices
Participleverbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality6×
Present ActiveMatt 10:37 · John 12:25 · Rev 22:15 · Luke 20:46 · Titus 3:156×
Indicativestates a fact or reality15×
Present ActiveJohn 5:20 · John 16:27 · 1 Cor 16:22 · John 11:3 · John 21:17 · John 21:15 · John 21:16 · Matt 6:5 · Matt 23:611×
Imperfect ActiveJohn 11:36 · John 15:19 · John 20:23×
Perfect ActiveJohn 16:271×
Subjunctivepossibility, probability, or purpose3×
Aorist ActiveMatt 26:48 · Mark 14:442×
Present ActiveRev 3:191×
Infinitiveverbal noun — the action in abstract1×
Aorist ActiveLuke 22:471×
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 35 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect
Tense
present21aorist6future5perfect2imperfect1
Voice
active34passive1
Mood
indicative22participle10subjunctive2infinitive1
NT Occurrences
Matthew 5:43μισήσειςfuture active indicativeprospectiveMatthew 6:24μισήσειfuture active indicativeprospectiveMatthew 24:10μισήσουσινfuture active indicativeprospectiveLuke 1:71μισούντωνpresent active participleparticipleLuke 6:22μισήσωσινaorist active subjunctivesubjunctiveLuke 6:27μισοῦσινpresent active participleparticipleLuke 14:26μισεῖpresent active indicativeongoingLuke 16:13μισήσειfuture active indicativeprospectiveLuke 19:14ἐμίσουνimperfect active indicativebackgroundJohn 3:20μισεῖpresent active indicativeongoingJohn 7:7μισεῖνpresent active infinitiveinfinitiveJohn 7:7μισεῖpresent active indicativeongoingJohn 12:25μισῶνpresent active participleparticipleJohn 15:18μισεῖpresent active indicativeongoingJohn 15:18μεμίσηκενperfect active indicativeresultantJohn 15:19μισεῖpresent active indicativeongoingJohn 15:23μισῶνpresent active participleparticipleJohn 15:23μισεῖpresent active indicativeongoingJohn 15:25Ἐμίσησάνaorist active indicativecompletedJohn 17:14ἐμίσησενaorist active indicativecompletedRomans 7:15μισῶpresent active indicativeongoingRomans 9:13ἐμίσησαaorist active indicativecompletedEphesians 5:29ἐμίσησενaorist active indicativecompletedTitus 3:3μισοῦντεςpresent active participleparticipleHebrews 1:9ἐμίσησαςaorist active indicativecompleted1 John 2:11μισῶνpresent active participleparticiple1 John 2:9μισῶνpresent active participleparticiple1 John 3:13μισεῖpresent active indicativeongoing1 John 3:15μισῶνpresent active participleparticiple1 John 4:20μισῇpresent active subjunctivesubjunctiveJude 1:23μισοῦντεςpresent active participleparticipleRevelation 2:6μισεῖςpresent active indicativeongoingRevelation 2:6μισῶpresent active indicativeongoingRevelation 17:16μισήσουσιfuture active indicativeprospectiveRevelation 18:2μεμισημένουperfect passive participleparticiple
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
φιλέω / μισέω τὴν ψυχήν is built from this root:
Cross-Language Connections
Hebrew roots and equivalents that share conceptual or etymological ground with this Greek word.
נֶפֶשׁnafshoH5315RelatedHebrew
properly, a breathing creature , i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality ; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental)
רוּחַrûaḥH7307RelatedHebrew
wind ; by resemblance breath , i.e. a sensible (or even violent) exhalation ; figuratively, life , anger , unsubstantiality ; by extension, a region of the sky ; by resemblance spirit , but only of a rational being (including its expression and functions)
חַיḥayH2416RelatedHebrew
alive ; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong ; also (as noun, especially in the feminine singular and masculine plural) life (or living thing), whether literally or figuratively