noun · masculine

harpagmos

Greekἁρπαγμός (harpagmos)

Strong’sG725

spoil, an object of eager desire, a prize

stem harpagm-once in the New Testament1 of 10 forms occur

Translated as

something to be exploited1×

What it means

*† ἁρπαγμός, οῦ, ὁ

(< ἁρπάζω);

1. prop., acc., to the rule of its formation (Bl., § 27, 2), actively, the act of seizing, robbery (Plut., de Puer. Educ., p. 12A), Phl 2:6, AV (Waterland, Works, II, 108; Cremer, 649 f.; Meyer, in l.; cf. also JThS, July, 1909, April, 1911; MM, s.v.).

2. Passively = ἅρπαγμα (Ez 22:25, of a lion's prey, טֶרֶף), a thing seized, hence, a prize: Phl 2:6, RV (Lft., Ellic., ICC, in l.; Donaldson, NCrat., 450 ff.; and esp. Gifford, The Incarnation, 59-71, and reff. in DB, ii, 835 B). The lexical data favour the active meaning, but as they also admit the possibility of the alternative, most modern expositors have accepted the latter as seeming to suit the logic of the passage better. The lexical difficulty, however, remains (MM, s.v., esp. the last ref.). As to the usage of St. Paul, he seems inclined to adopt the -μα form where it is appropriate (e.g. Ro 11:9, where cf. LXX; I Co 13:9, II Co 1:9), and there is certainly a presumption in favour of the active meaning here from the fact that he does not use the LXX ἅρπαγμα. Suggestions looking to a fresh exegesis are given in JThS, July, 1909, April, 1911.†

G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 1922 — public domain. References open in the reader.

Strong’s G725 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from

Saidhar-pag-mos'

plunder (properly concrete)

Fromfrom G726;

King Jamesrobbery.

James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, 1890 — public domain. The numbers in it link to the entries here.

Every form

Job in the sentence case	one singular	more than one plural
subject nominative	harpagmos	harpagmois
object accusative	harpagmon1×ἁρπαγμὸν	harpagmoin
direct address vocative	harpagmor	harpagmoir
of, belonging to genitive	harpagmou	harpagmoiu
to, for dative	harpagmo	harpagmoi

Tinted cells are forms the New Testament never uses, so there is no Greek to show against them — but they are still correct Biblang, built from the slots below like any other.

Why these forms, and no others — the slots that make them

harpagmstem+ogender+snru—its job in the sentence case+—ione · more than one number

harpagmo is this word in every one of its forms. The slots after it make all the rest.

same in every form varies — every value shown

Where it appears

1 occurrence, every one of them listed

harpagmon“something to be exploited”objectaccusative singular1×

Philippians 2:6“something to be exploited”hos en morfa theou huparcharōtos ouk harpagmon hēgeta tem arō iseim theo,Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,