verb
paschamō
Strong’sG3958
I am acted upon, suffer
stem pasch-42 times in the New Testamentin 14 of 27 books20 forms occur
What it means
A plain-English reading of the word, with the lexicons it draws on — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, and Liddell-Scott-Jones — right below it, in full.
AI Summary
πάσχω means to have something done to one, to be acted upon or to undergo an experience, as opposed to acting or doing 3. It denotes suffering or experiencing something, usually painful 24, and covers misfortunes and hardships of every kind 1 — used both without any qualifying word, simply "to suffer" 1, and with words or phrases specifying who or what causes the suffering, on whose behalf it is endured, or for how long 1.
Less commonly, the word can describe a good or pleasant experience rather than a bad one, but only when accompanied by a word such as "well" or a direct object naming the good thing experienced; on its own it normally carries the negative sense 1.
The word can also carry the specific legal sense of suffering punishment or paying a penalty 3.
Sources: 1 Abbott-Smith 2 Strong's 3 LSJ 4 Dodson. Condensed by anthropic/claude-sonnet-5 on 2026-09-23 — it may still misstate what these say; check them yourself if it matters to you.
The lexicons it was drawn from, in full:
Abbott-Smith — the 1922 lexicon entry, in full
πάσχω,
[in LXX: Am 6:6 (חלה ni.), Wi 12:27, Si 38:16, al.;]
G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 1922 — public domain. References open in the reader.
Strong’s G3958 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from
Saidpas'-kho
to experience a sensation or impression (usually painful)
Fromapparently a primary verb;
King Jamesfeel, passion, suffer, vex.
James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, 1890 — public domain. The numbers in it link to the entries here.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — the classical dictionary this word appears in
Refs 8th c.BC+: imperfect ἔπασχον Refs: future πείσομαι Refs 8th c.BC+; Doric dialect 3rd.pers. singular παισεῖται Refs 3rd c.BC+: aorist ἔπᾰθον Refs 8th c.BC+: perfect πέπονθα Refs 8th c.BC+pluperfect ἐπεπόνθεινRefs; Attic dialect ἐπεπόνθη Refs 5th c.BC+ (all the above tenses in Refs 8th c.BC+, present and aorist only in Refs 8th c.BC+perfect πέπασθε (so Refs 8th c.BC+; feminine perfect participle πεπᾰθυῖα Refs; Doric dialect perfect πέποσχα Refs 7th c.BC+:—have something done to one, suffer, opposed to do, ὅσσ᾽ ἔρξαν τ᾽ ἔπαθόν τε Refs 8th c.BC+; δρᾶν καὶ πάσχειν, see at {δρά; πολλὰ μὲν.. πείσεσθαι}, πολλὰ δὲ ποιήσειν Refs 5th c.BC+passive of ποιέω compare Refs 4th c.BC+ to be treated so and so by another, suffer it at his hands, ἃ πάσχοντες ὑφ᾽ ἑτέρων ὀργίζεσθε, ταῦτα τοὺς ἄλλους μὴ ποιεῖτε Refs 5th c.BC+
II to have something happen to one, to be or come to be in a state or case, καί τι ἔφη γελοῖον παθεῖν Refs 5th c.BC+; ὁρᾶτε μὴ ταὐτὸ πάθητε τῷ ἵππῳ see that it be not with you as with the horse in the fable, Refs 5th c.BC+; παραπλήσιον π. ὥσπερ ἂν εἰ.. Refs 5th c.BC+; ὁμοιότατον πεπονθέναι ὥσπερ ἂν εἴ τις.. Refs 5th c.BC+
II.2 of the influence of passion or feeling, to be affected in a certain way, be (or come to be) in a certain state of mind, οἱ Καμαριναῖοι ἐπεπόνθεσαν τοιόνδε Refs 5th c.BC+ adjective, ὑϊκὸν πάσχει he is swinishly disposed, Refs 5th c.BC+ the man of feeling or impulse, ὁ μὴ πάσχων the unimpassioned man, Refs 4th c.BC+
II.3 of things, πεπόνθασι.. αἱ Ἰώνων ὁρταὶ τοῦτο this is the case with.., Refs 5th c.BC+; πάσχει δὲ ταὐτὸ τοῦτο καὶ τὰ κάρδαμα this is just the way with.., Refs 5th c.BC+; ὁμοίως π. τῷ Νείλῳ to be in the same case with.., Refs 5th c.BC+
II.4 Grammars, of words, to be subject to certain changes, Refs; τὸ πεπονθός a modified form, Refs 2nd c.AD+
II.4.b to be passive in meaning, Refs
III frequently with adverbs, κακῶς πάσχειν or παθεῖν to be in evil plight, unlucky, Refs 8th c.BC+; κακῶς π. ὑπό τινος to be ill used, ill treated by.., Refs 5th c.BC+ adjective, κακά, αἰνά, λυγρὰ πRefs 8th c.BC+; πρέποντα πάσχεινRefs 8th c.BC+ substantive, ἄλγεα, κήδεα, πήματα, ἀεκήλια ἔργαRefs 8th c.BC+: rarely in Attic dialect, πράγματ᾽ αἴσχιστ᾽ ἂν ἐπάθομεν Refs 4th c.BC+
III.b εὖ πάσχειν to be well off, in good case, with genitive, τῶν αὑτοῦ (to be read ὧν αὐτοῦ, compare ὅς Possess.) κτεάνων εὖ πασχέμεν to have the good of, enjoy one's own, like{ἀπολαύω}, γεύομαι, etc., Refs 6th c.BC+; εὖ πάσχειν receive benefits, opposed to εὖ δρᾶν, Refs 5th c.BC+: also with an adjective, π. ἀγαθά Refs 7th c.BC+; χαρτά, ὅσια, Refs 5th c.BC+; γλυκέα, χαρίεντα π., Refs 5th c.BC+
III.2 without adverb, with reference to evil, used for κακῶς or κακὰπ., μάλα πόλλ᾽ ἔπαθον καὶ πόλλ᾽ ἐμόγησα Refs 8th c.BC+; ὁτιοῦν π. suffer anything whatever, Refs 5th c.BC+ by hard experience, Refs 8th c.BC+; ὁ παθών the injured parly, Refs 5th c.BC+ —Phrases: μή τι πάθῃς or πάθοι, lest thou, lest he suffer any ill, Refs 8th c.BC+, as euphemism, if aught were to happen to me, i.e. if I were to die, Refs 7th c.BC+
III.2.b in Law, suffer punishment, pay the penalty, NT+5th c.BC+; ὡς προδότης καὶ ἐπιβουλεύων τῷ δήμῳ πασχέτω τι Aen.Refs 5th c.BC+
III.3 τί πάθ; what is to become of me? ὤμοι ἐγώ, τί π.; Refs 8th c.BC+; sometimes what (else) am I to do? Refs 5th c.BC+; so especially τί γὰρ π.; Refs 5th c.BC+; ὡμολόγηκα· τί γὰρ π.; I allow it—how can I help it? Refs 5th c.BC+
III.4 in 2nd pers. singular, τί πάσχει; what's the matter with you? Refs 5th c.BC+; τί χρῆμα πάσχει; Refs: so in aorist participle, τί παθώ; τί παθόντε λελάσμεθα θούριδος ἀλκῆ; what possesses us that we have forgotten.. ? Refs 8th c.BC+; but τί παθόντες γαῖαν ἔδυτ; what befell you that you died ? Refs 8th c.BC+; also οὐδὲν θαυμαστὸν ἔπαθεν.. πεισθείς no wonder that he was induced, Refs 5th c.BC+
III.5 to be ill, suffer, with accusative of the part affected, π. τοὺς πόδας, τὴν πλευράν, Refs 3rd c.AD+participle, ὁ πάσχων, almost ={ὁ κάμνων}, the patient, PMag. Par.Refs; μεταβαίνει ἀπὸ τῶν παθῶν ἐπὶ τοὺς πάσχοντας ἀνθρώπους Refs 2nd c.AD+
IV in later Stoic Philos., πάσχειν is to be acted upon by outward objects, take impressions from, them, opposed to ἀποπάσχω, mostly followed by ὅτι, to be led to suppose that.., Refs 2nd c.AD+: also with accusative, have experience of, ἀρετήν, λόγον, Refs 1st c.AD+ (Πṇθσκω, future Πένθ-σομαι, compare πένθος.)
H. G. Liddell, R. Scott, H. S. Jones, A Greek-English Lexicon (9th ed., 1925–1940) — digitised by the Perseus Digital Library and corrected and expanded by Tyndale House, Cambridge, via STEPBible-Data's TFLSJ table, CC BY 4.0. Covers all of Greek literature, not just the Bible.
Translated as
Every occurrence, sorted by the English it was actually given — the evidence for what the word means, not a gloss of it.
Berean Standard Bible (BSB), dedicated to the public domain — berean.bible.
Biblang forms
What the New Testament actually uses, first — the whole system this verb is built from is one click further down.
| Form and the Greek behind it | What it is | Usually | Times |
|---|---|---|---|
| paschamōπάσχω | happening now · Ipresent active indicative 1st person singular | suffer | 1× |
| paschatōπάσχει | happening now · he/she/itpresent active indicative 3rd person singular | suffers | 2× |
| paschanōπάσχομεν | happening now · wepresent active indicative 1st person plural | suffer | 1× |
| paschavōπάσχετε | happening now · yepresent active indicative 2nd person plural | suffering | 1× |
| paschamaἔπαθον | happened · Iaorist active indicative 1st person singular | suffered | 1× |
| paschataἔπαθεν | happened · he/she/itaorist active indicative 3rd person singular | suffered | 5× |
| paschavaἐπάθετε | happened · yeaorist active indicative 2nd person plural | suffered | 2× |
| paschatēπέπονθεν | has happened · he/she/itperfect active indicative 3rd person singular | suffered | 1× |
| paschalēπεπόνθασιν | has happened · theyperfect active indicative 3rd person plural | suffered | 1× |
| paschateiaπάθῃ | happened · he/she/itaorist active subjunctive 3rd person singular | suffer | 1× |
| paschatōrπασχέτω | happening now · he/she/itpresent active imperative 3rd person singular | suffer | 1× |
| paschavoiōπάσχοιτε | happening now · yepresent active optative 2nd person plural | suffer | 1× |
| pascharōπάσχειν | happening now · the “to …” formpresent active infinitive | suffer | 4× |
| pascharaπαθεῖν | happened · the “to …” formaorist active infinitive | suffer | 12× |
| pascharōntosπάσχων | happening now · subjectpresent active participle nominative singular masculine | suffered | 2× |
| pascharōntoisπάσχοντες | happening now · subjectpresent active participle nominative plural masculine | suffer | 2× |
| pascharantosπαθὼν | happened · subjectaorist active participle nominative singular masculine | suffered | 1× |
| pascharantasπαθοῦσα | happened · subjectaorist active participle nominative singular feminine | endured | 1× |
| pascharantouπαθόντος | happened · of, belonging toaorist active participle genitive singular masculine | suffered | 1× |
| pascharantoinπαθόντας | happened · objectaorist active participle accusative plural masculine | suffered | 1× |
Every form the New Testament uses, in paradigm order. What the system can build beyond them — the whole of this verb, whether the text happens to use it or not — is in the tables below.
Every form the system can build — all 86, by mood, including the ones the New Testament never uses
Statements — indicative mood, 15 occurrences
| Who person | happening now present | was happening imperfect | will happen future | happened aorist | has happened perfect | had happened pluperfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I 1st person singular | paschamō1×πάσχω | paschame | paschami | paschama1×ἔπαθον | paschamē | paschamelē |
| you 2nd person singular | paschasō | paschase | paschasi | paschasa | paschasē | paschaselē |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | paschatō2×πάσχει | paschate | paschati | paschata5×ἔπαθεν | paschatē1×πέπονθεν | paschatelē |
| we 1st person plural | paschanō1×πάσχομεν | paschane | paschani | paschana | paschanē | paschanelē |
| ye 2nd person plural | paschavō1×πάσχετε | paschave | paschavi | paschava2×ἐπάθετε | paschavē | paschavelē |
| they 3rd person plural | paschalō | paschale | paschali | paschala | paschalē1×πεπόνθασιν | paschalelē |
May, might — subjunctive mood, 1 occurrence
| Who person | happening now present | happened aorist | has happened perfect |
|---|---|---|---|
| I 1st person singular | paschameiō | paschameia | paschameiē |
| you 2nd person singular | paschaseiō | paschaseia | paschaseiē |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | paschateiō | paschateia1×πάθῃ | paschateiē |
| we 1st person plural | paschaneiō | paschaneia | paschaneiē |
| ye 2nd person plural | paschaveiō | paschaveia | paschaveiē |
| they 3rd person plural | paschaleiō | paschaleia | paschaleiē |
Commands — imperative mood, 1 occurrence
| Who person | happening now present | happened aorist | has happened perfect |
|---|---|---|---|
| you 2nd person singular | paschasōr | paschasar | paschasēr |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | paschatōr1×πασχέτω | paschatar | paschatēr |
| ye 2nd person plural | paschavōr | paschavar | paschavēr |
| they 3rd person plural | paschalōr | paschalar | paschalēr |
Wishes — optative mood, 1 occurrence
| Who person | happening now present | happened aorist |
|---|---|---|
| I 1st person singular | paschamoiō | paschamoia |
| you 2nd person singular | paschasoiō | paschasoia |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | paschatoiō | paschatoia |
| we 1st person plural | paschanoiō | paschanoia |
| ye 2nd person plural | paschavoiō1×πάσχοιτε | paschavoia |
| they 3rd person plural | paschaloiō | paschaloia |
The “to …” form — infinitive, 16 occurrences
| Who is acting voice | happening now present | will happen future | happened aorist | has happened perfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| the subject acts active voice | pascharō4×πάσχειν | paschari | paschara12×παθεῖν | pascharē |
Used as an adjective — participle, 8 occurrences
| Who is acting voice | happening now present | will happen future | happened aorist | has happened perfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| the subject acts active voice | pascharōntos4×πάσχων | pascharintos | pascharantos4×παθὼν | pascharēntos |
Each is given in the form it takes as a subject. From there a participle carries the ordinary noun endings, in every case, number and gender — so these four columns are the whole of what the verb contributes.
How every form is built — the slots that make them
pasch 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
Words built on the same stem
Other words sharing the exact same stem — not merely related in meaning.
Where it appears
Every verse the word appears in, filed under the form it takes there.
42 occurrences, every one of them listed
paschamō“suffer”happening now · Ipresent active indicative 1st person singular1×
2 Timothy 1:12dia han aitian kai houteim paschamō, alla ouk epaischunomō, oidamē gar ho …For this reason, even though I suffer as I do, I am not …
paschatō“suffers”happening now · he/she/itpresent active indicative 3rd person singular2×
Matthew 17:15“suffers”… ton huion, hoti selēniazotō kai kakōs paschatō, pollakis gar piptatō eis tem purem …… on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering terribly. He often falls into the fire or into …
1 Corinthians 12:26kai eite paschatō henem melem, sumpaschatō panteim teim meleim; …If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if …
paschanō“suffer”happening now · wepresent active indicative 1st person plural1×
2 Corinthians 1:6“suffer”… teiu auteiu pathēmeiu heiu kai nis paschanō,… endurance of the same sufferings we experience.
paschavō“suffering”happening now · yepresent active indicative 2nd person plural1×
2 Thessalonians 1:5… basileiau tou theou, huper hau kai paschavō,… of God, for which you are suffering.
paschama“suffered”happened · Iaorist active indicative 1st person singular1×
Matthew 27:19… kai to dikaio ekeino, polleim gar paschama sēmeron kata onarem dia auton.… that innocent man, for I have suffered terribly in a dream today because …
paschata“suffered”happened · he/she/itaorist active indicative 3rd person singular5×
Acts 28:5… apotinassarantos tem thērem eis tem purem paschata oudenem kakosem;… creature off into the fire and suffered no ill effects.
Hebrews 5:8kaiper arōntos huios, mathata apo heiu paschata tan hupakoan,… He learned obedience from what He suffered.
Hebrews 13:12… haimeu ton laon, exō tau pulau paschata.And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate, to sanctify …
1 Peter 2:21… houtem gar kaliva, hoti kai Christos paschata huper vu, vi hupolimpanarōntos hupogrammon hina …… you were called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example …
1 Peter 3:18hoti kai Christos hapax peri hamartaiu paschata, dikaios huper adikoiu, hina vin prosagateia …For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the …
paschava“suffered”happened · yeaorist active indicative 2nd person plural2×
Galatians 3:4tosouteim paschava eikē? ei ge kai eikē.Have you suffered so much for nothing, if it …
1 Thessalonians 2:14… en Christo Iēso, hoti teim auteim paschava kai vis hupo toiu idioiu sumfuletoiu …… that are in Christ Jesus. You suffered from your own countrymen the very …
paschatē“suffered”has happened · he/she/itperfect active indicative 3rd person singular1×
Hebrews 2:18en he gar paschatē autos peirazirantos, dunotō toi peirazorōntoi boēthara.Because He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is …
paschalē“suffered”has happened · theyperfect active indicative 3rd person plural1×
Luke 13:2… pantoin toin Galilaioin genela, hoti houteim paschalē?… all the other Galileans, because they suffered this way?
paschateia“suffer”happened · he/she/itaorist active subjunctive 3rd person singular1×
Mark 9:12… ton huion tou anthrōpou hina polleim paschateia kai exoudeniteia?… that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected?
paschatōr“suffer”happening now · he/she/itpresent active imperative 3rd person singular1×
1 Peter 4:15mē gar tinos vu paschatōr hōs fonevos ē kleptos ē kakopoios …Indeed, none of you should suffer as a murderer or thief or …
paschavoiō“suffer”happening now · yepresent active optative 2nd person plural1×
1 Peter 3:14alla ei kai paschavoiō dia dikaiosunan, makariois. ton de fobon …But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are …
pascharō“suffer”happening now · the “to …” formpresent active infinitive4×
Matthew 17:12… kai tos huios tou anthrōpou mellatō pascharō hupo autoiu.… way, the Son of Man will suffer at their hands.”
Philippians 1:29… pisteuarō alla kai tem huper autou pascharō,… believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him,
1 Peter 3:17… ei thelatoiō tem thelēmem tou theou, pascharō ē kakopoiarōntoin.… if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing …
Revelation 2:10mēdenem fobosōr heim mellasō pascharō. idou mellatō balarō tos diabolos ek …… fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to …
paschara“suffer”happened · the “to …” formaorist active infinitive12×
Matthew 16:21… auton eis Hierosolumeim aperchara kai polleim paschara apo toiu presbuteroiu kai archierevoiu kai …… He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of …
Mark 8:31… datō ton huion tou anthrōpou polleim paschara kai apodokimazira hupo toiu presbuteroiu kai …… that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by …
Luke 9:22… Datō ton huion tou anthrōpou polleim paschara kai apodokimazira apo toiu presbuteroiu kai …“The Son of Man must suffer many things,” He said. “He must …
Luke 17:25prōtem de datō auton polleim paschara kai apodokimazira apo tau geneau houtau.But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by …
Luke 22:15“suffer”… esthiara meta vu pro teu min paschara;… to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before My suffering.
Luke 24:26ouchi houteim date paschara ton christon kai eiserchara eis tan …… not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and then to enter …
Luke 24:46kai legata autoi hoti houtōs grafotē paschara ton christon kai anastēara ek nekroiu …… what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on …
Acts 1:3… kai parastēata heauton zōarōnton meta tem paschara auton en pollei tekmēriei, dia hēmeraiu …After His suffering, He presented Himself to them with …
Acts 3:18… prokatangelata dia stomeu pantoiu toiu profētoiu paschara ton christon autou plērata houtōs.… prophets, saying that His Christ would suffer.
Acts 9:16… datō auton huper teu onomeu mu paschara.… show him how much he must suffer for My name.”
Acts 17:3… kai paratithorōntos hoti ton christon date paschara kai anastēara ek nekroiu, kai hoti …… proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This …
Hebrews 9:26epei date auton pollakis paschara apo katabolau kosmou; nuni de hapax …Otherwise, Christ would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the …
pascharōntos“suffered”happening now · subjectpresent active participle nominative singular masculine2×
1 Peter 2:19… dia suneidēsian theou hupoferatō tinos lupain pascharōntos adikōs;… anyone endures the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God …
1 Peter 2:23hos loidororōntos ouk antiloidorate, pascharōntos ouk apeilate, paradōate de to krinarōnto …… He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats, but entrusted …
pascharōntois“suffer”happening now · subjectpresent active participle nominative plural masculine2×
1 Peter 2:20… kolafizorōntois hupomenavi? alla ei agathopoiarōntois kai pascharōntois hupomenavi, houtem charitas para theo.… you endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure …
1 Peter 4:19hōste kai tois pascharōntois kata tem thelēmem tou theou pisto …So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should entrust …
pascharantos“suffered”happened · subjectaorist active participle nominative singular masculine1×
1 Peter 4:1… tan autan ennoian hoplizevar, hoti tos pascharantos sarka pauotē hamartau,… same resolve, because anyone who has suffered in his body is done with …
pascharantas“endured”happened · subjectaorist active participle nominative singular feminine1×
Mark 5:26“endured”kai polleim pascharantas hupo polloiu iatroiu kai dapanarantas teim …… had borne much agony under the care of many physicians and had spent all she …
pascharantou“suffered”happened · of, belonging toaorist active participle genitive singular masculine1×
1 Peter 4:1Christou oun pascharantou sarka kai vis tan autan ennoian …Therefore, since Christ suffered in His body, arm yourselves with …
pascharantoin“suffered”happened · objectaorist active participle accusative plural masculine1×
1 Peter 5:10… aiōnian autou doxan en Christo, oligem pascharantoin autos katartizati, stērizati, sthenati, themeliati.And after you have suffered for a little while, the God …