adjective
ptōchos
Strong’sG4434
poor, destitute
stem ptōch-34 times in the New Testamentin 9 of 27 books9 of 26 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
πτωχός describes someone who is utterly poor or destitute, a beggar who has nothing and depends on others 123. Strong's notes that this word denotes absolute, public begging, in contrast to a milder term that means only being in straitened circumstances 2.
More broadly, the word is also used as an adjective simply meaning poor, in contrast to being rich, without necessarily implying literal begging 1.
The word is also used figuratively, of one who is "poor in spirit" or otherwise distressed rather than materially destitute 123. In one figurative use it can also describe something as beggarly or worthless, as when applied to elemental principles 1.
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
πτωχός, -ή, -όν
(< πτώσσω, to crouch, cower), [in LXX for עָנִי, דַּל, רָשׁ, etc.;]
SYN.: πένης, q.v.
G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 1922 — public domain. References open in the reader.
Strong’s G4434 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from
Saidpto-khos'
akin to G4422 and the alternate of G4098); a beggar (as cringing), i.e. pauper (strictly denoting absolute or public mendicancy, although also used in a qualified or relative sense; whereas G3993 properly means only straitened circumstances in private), literally (often as noun) or figuratively (distressed)
Fromfrom πτώσσω (to crouch);
King Jamesbeggar(-ly), poor.
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
also ός, όν Refs 5th c.BC+:— beggar, Refs 8th c.BC+ beggar-woman, NT+5th c.BC+
2 metaphorically, οἱ π. τῷ πνεύματι NT
II as adjective, beggarly, πτωχῷ διαίτῃ NT+5th c.BC+: with genitive, beggared of, poor in, [πηγὴ] π. νυμφῶν Refs 1st c.AD+
II.2 comparative πτωχότερος Refs 4th c.BC+; proverbial, π. κίγκλου 'as poor as a church mouse', Refs 5th c.BC+: superlative πτωχότατος Refs 6th c.AD+
II.3 adverb -χῶς poorly, scantily, ἠροτρία π. μέν, ἀλλ᾽ ἀναγκαίως Refs 2nd c.AD+
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
Every form this word takes in Biblang, with the Greek it corresponds to and how often the New Testament uses it.
| Job in the sentence case | masculine singular | feminine singular | neuter singular | masculine plural | feminine plural | neuter plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| subject nominative | ptōchos3×πτωχὸς | ptōchas3×πτωχὴ | ptōchem | ptōchois5×πτωχοὶ | ptōchais | ptōcheim1×πτωχὰ |
| object accusative | ptōchon2×πτωχὸν | ptōchan | ptōchoin8×πτωχοὺς | ptōchain | ||
| direct address vocative | ptōchor | ptōchar | ptōchoir | ptōchair | ||
| of, belonging to genitive | ptōchou | ptōchau | ptōcheu | ptōchoiu2×πτωχῶν | ptōchaiu | ptōcheiu |
| to, for dative | ptōcho1×πτωχῷ | ptōcha | ptōche | ptōchoi9×πτωχοῖς | ptōchai | ptōchei |
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
ptōch 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
Every verse the word appears in, filed under the form it takes there.
34 occurrences, every one of them listed
ptōchos“poor”subjectnominative singular3×
Luke 16:20“poor”ptōchos de tinos onome Lazaros balotelē pros …And a beggar named Lazarus lay at his gate …
James 2:2… en estha lampra, eiserchateia de kai ptōchos en rupara estha,… ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes …
Revelation 3:17… asō tos talaipōros kai eleeinos kai ptōchos kai tuflos kai gumnos,… realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.
ptōchon“poor”objectaccusative singular2×
Luke 16:22“poor”geneta de apothnēskara ton ptōchon kai apoferira auton hupo toiu angeloiu …One day the beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s …
James 2:6vis de atimazava ton ptōchon. ouk tois plousiois katadunasteualō vu, kai …But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who …
ptōcho“poor”to, fordative singular1×
James 2:3… Sis kathosōr hōde kalōs, kai to ptōcho legaveia; Sis stēasar ē kathosōr ekei …… of honor,” but say to the poor man, “You must stand” or “Sit …
ptōchas“poor”subjectnominative singular3×
Mark 12:42kai ercharantas henas chēras ptōchas balata lepteim duo, hem atō kodrantos.Then one poor widow came and put in two …
Mark 12:43… vi hoti tas chēras houtas tas ptōchas polloterem pantoiu balata toiu balarōntoiu eis …… said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more than all …
Luke 21:3… legamō vi hoti tas chēras tas ptōchas houtas polloterem pantoiu balata;… I tell you,” He said, “this poor widow has put in more than …
ptōchois“poor”subjectnominative plural5×
Matthew 5:3Makariois tois ptōchois te pneume, hoti autoiu atō tas …“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the …
Matthew 11:5… kōfois akoualō, kai nekrois egerolō kai ptōchois euangelizolō;… good news is preached to the poor.
Luke 6:20… toin mathētoin autou legate; Makariois tois ptōchois, hoti humeteras atō tas basileias tou …… said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of …
Luke 7:22… leprois katharizolō, kōfois akoualō, nekrois egerolō, ptōchois euangelizolō;… good news is preached to the poor.
2 Corinthians 6:10hōs luporōntois aei de chairarōntois, hōs ptōchois polloin de ploutizarōntois, hōs mēdenem echarōntois …sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing …
ptōchoin“poor”objectaccusative plural8×
Matthew 26:11pantote gar toin ptōchoin echavō meta heautoiu, min de ouk …The poor you will always have with you …
Mark 14:7pantote gar toin ptōchoin echavō meta heautoiu, kai hotan thelaveiō …The poor you will always have with you …
Luke 14:13alla hotan dochan poiaseiō, kalasōr ptōchoin, anapēroin, chōloin, tufloin;… you host a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the …
Luke 14:21… kai rumain tau polau, kai toin ptōchoin kai anapēroin kai tufloin kai chōloin …… the city, and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the …
John 12:8toin ptōchoin gar pantote echavō meta heautoiu, min …The poor you will always have with you …
Romans 15:26… Achaias koinōnian tinan poiera eis toin ptōchoin toiu hagioiu toiu en Ierousalēm.… to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.
James 2:5… agapētoir. ouk tos theos eklegeta toin ptōchoin to kosmo plousioin en pistia kai …… brothers: Has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich …
Revelation 13:16… megoin, kai toin plousioin kai toin ptōchoin, kai toin eleutheroin kai toin douloin, …… people, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a …
ptōchoiu“poor”of, belonging togenitive plural2×
John 12:6… de houtem ouk hoti peri toiu ptōchoiu meleiate auto, alla hoti kleptos ate …… this because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief …
Galatians 2:10monem toiu ptōchoiu hina mnēmoneuaneiō, hem kai spoudazama autem …… only asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager …
ptōchoi“poor”to, fordative plural9×
Matthew 19:21… pōlasar su teim huparcharōnteim kai dōasar ptōchoi, kai echasi thēsauron en ouranoi, kai …… your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in …
Matthew 26:9… gar houtem pipraskira polleu kai dōira ptōchoi.… and the money given to the poor.”
Mark 10:21… hoseim echasō pōlasar kai dōasar toi ptōchoi, kai echasi thēsauron en ourano, kai …… you own and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in …
Mark 14:5… epanō dēnarieiu triakosioi kai dōira toi ptōchoi; kai embrimole auta.… and the money given to the poor.” And they scolded her.
Luke 4:18… min, heu heineken chriata min euangelizera ptōchoi, apostelatē min kērussara aichmalōtoi afesian kai …… to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim …
Luke 18:22… panteim hoseim echasō pōlasar kai diadōasar ptōchoi, kai echasi thēsauron en ouranoi, kai …… you own and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in …
Luke 19:8… hēmisueim mu teiu huparcharōnteiu, kurior, toi ptōchoi dōamō, kai ei tinou tinem sukofantama …… my possessions I give to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone …
John 12:5… ouk pipraskita triakosioi dēnarieiu kai dōita ptōchoi?… and the money given to the poor?”
John 13:29… echanō eis tan heortan, ē toi ptōchoi hina tinem dōateia.… or to give something to the poor.
ptōcheim“worthless”subject or objectdirect plural1×
Galatians 4:9… epistrefavō palin epi teim astheneim kai ptōcheim stoicheieim, hei palin anōthen douleuarō thelavō?… turning back to those weak and worthless principles? Do you wish to be …