verb
trefamō
Greekτρέφω (trefō)
Strong’sG5142
I feed, rear
stem tref-9 times in the New Testamentin 5 of 27 books8 forms occur
Translated as
What it means
τρέφω
[in LXX for חָיָה hi., גָּדַל pi., אָכַל hi., etc.;]
G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 1922 — public domain. References open in the reader.
Strong’s G5142 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from
Saidtref'-o
but perhaps strengthened from the base of G5157 through the idea of convolution); properly, to stiffen, i.e. fatten (by implication, to cherish (with food, etc.), pamper, rear)
Froma primary verb (properly, τρέφω;
King Jamesbring up, feed, nourish.
James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, 1890 — public domain. The numbers in it link to the entries here.
Forms in the New Testament
| Form and the Greek behind it | What it is | Usually | Times |
|---|---|---|---|
| trefatōτρέφει | happening now · he/she/itpresent active indicative 3rd person singular | feeds | 2× |
| trefitōτρέφεται | happening now · he/she/itpresent passive indicative 3rd person singular | nourished | 1× |
| trefanaἐθρέψαμεν | happened · weaorist active indicative 1st person plural | feed | 1× |
| trefavaἐθρέψατε | happened · yeaorist active indicative 2nd person plural | fattened | 1× |
| trefalaἔθρεψαν | happened · theyaorist active indicative 3rd person plural | nursed | 1× |
| trefaleiōτρέφωσιν | happening now · theypresent active subjunctive 3rd person plural | nourished | 1× |
| trefirōτρέφεσθαι | happening now · the “to …” formpresent passive infinitive | supplied with food | 1× |
| trefirētosτεθραμμένος | has happened · subjectperfect passive participle nominative singular masculine | brought up | 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 172, by mood, including the ones the New Testament never uses
Statements — indicative mood, 6 occurrences
the subject acts active voice
| Who person | happening now present | was happening imperfect | will happen future | happened aorist | has happened perfect | had happened pluperfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I 1st person singular | trefamō | trefame | trefami | trefama | trefamē | trefamelē |
| you 2nd person singular | trefasō | trefase | trefasi | trefasa | trefasē | trefaselē |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | trefatō2×τρέφει | trefate | trefati | trefata | trefatē | trefatelē |
| we 1st person plural | trefanō | trefane | trefani | trefana1×ἐθρέψαμεν | trefanē | trefanelē |
| ye 2nd person plural | trefavō | trefave | trefavi | trefava1×ἐθρέψατε | trefavē | trefavelē |
| they 3rd person plural | trefalō | trefale | trefali | trefala1×ἔθρεψαν | trefalē | trefalelē |
acted on passive voice
| Who person | happening now present | was happening imperfect | will happen future | happened aorist | has happened perfect | had happened pluperfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I 1st person singular | trefimō | trefime | trefimi | trefima | trefimē | trefimelē |
| you 2nd person singular | trefisō | trefise | trefisi | trefisa | trefisē | trefiselē |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | trefitō1×τρέφεται | trefite | trefiti | trefita | trefitē | trefitelē |
| we 1st person plural | trefinō | trefine | trefini | trefina | trefinē | trefinelē |
| ye 2nd person plural | trefivō | trefive | trefivi | trefiva | trefivē | trefivelē |
| they 3rd person plural | trefilō | trefile | trefili | trefila | trefilē | trefilelē |
May, might — subjunctive mood, 1 occurrence
the subject acts active voice
| Who person | happening now present | happened aorist | has happened perfect |
|---|---|---|---|
| I 1st person singular | trefameiō | trefameia | trefameiē |
| you 2nd person singular | trefaseiō | trefaseia | trefaseiē |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | trefateiō | trefateia | trefateiē |
| we 1st person plural | trefaneiō | trefaneia | trefaneiē |
| ye 2nd person plural | trefaveiō | trefaveia | trefaveiē |
| they 3rd person plural | trefaleiō1×τρέφωσιν | trefaleia | trefaleiē |
acted on passive voice
| Who person | happening now present | happened aorist | has happened perfect |
|---|---|---|---|
| I 1st person singular | trefimeiō | trefimeia | trefimeiē |
| you 2nd person singular | trefiseiō | trefiseia | trefiseiē |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | trefiteiō | trefiteia | trefiteiē |
| we 1st person plural | trefineiō | trefineia | trefineiē |
| ye 2nd person plural | trefiveiō | trefiveia | trefiveiē |
| they 3rd person plural | trefileiō | trefileia | trefileiē |
Commands — imperative mood, no occurrences
the subject acts active voice
| Who person | happening now present | happened aorist | has happened perfect |
|---|---|---|---|
| you 2nd person singular | trefasōr | trefasar | trefasēr |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | trefatōr | trefatar | trefatēr |
| ye 2nd person plural | trefavōr | trefavar | trefavēr |
| they 3rd person plural | trefalōr | trefalar | trefalēr |
acted on passive voice
| Who person | happening now present | happened aorist | has happened perfect |
|---|---|---|---|
| you 2nd person singular | trefisōr | trefisar | trefisēr |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | trefitōr | trefitar | trefitēr |
| ye 2nd person plural | trefivōr | trefivar | trefivēr |
| they 3rd person plural | trefilōr | trefilar | trefilēr |
Wishes — optative mood, no occurrences
the subject acts active voice
| Who person | happening now present | happened aorist |
|---|---|---|
| I 1st person singular | trefamoiō | trefamoia |
| you 2nd person singular | trefasoiō | trefasoia |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | trefatoiō | trefatoia |
| we 1st person plural | trefanoiō | trefanoia |
| ye 2nd person plural | trefavoiō | trefavoia |
| they 3rd person plural | trefaloiō | trefaloia |
acted on passive voice
| Who person | happening now present | happened aorist |
|---|---|---|
| I 1st person singular | trefimoiō | trefimoia |
| you 2nd person singular | trefisoiō | trefisoia |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | trefitoiō | trefitoia |
| we 1st person plural | trefinoiō | trefinoia |
| ye 2nd person plural | trefivoiō | trefivoia |
| they 3rd person plural | trefiloiō | trefiloia |
The “to …” form — infinitive, 1 occurrence
| Who is acting voice | happening now present | will happen future | happened aorist | has happened perfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| the subject acts active voice | trefarō | trefari | trefara | trefarē |
| acted on passive voice | trefirō1×τρέφεσθαι | trefiri | trefira | trefirē |
Used as an adjective — participle, 1 occurrence
| Who is acting voice | happening now present | will happen future | happened aorist | has happened perfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| the subject acts active voice | trefarōtos | trefaritos | trefaratos | trefarētos |
| acted on passive voice | trefirōtos | trefiritos | trefiratos | trefirētos1×τεθραμμένος |
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
tref 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
9 occurrences, every one of them listed
trefatō“feeds”happening now · he/she/itpresent active indicative 3rd person singular2×
Matthew 6:26“feeds”emblepavar eis teim peteineim tou ouranou hoti ouk speiralō oude therizalō oude sunagalō eis apothēkain, kai tos patēros vu tos ouranios trefatō auteim; ouk vis mallon diaferavō auteiu?Look at the birds of the air: They do not sow or reap or gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
Luke 12:24“feeds”katanoavar toin koraxoin hoti ouk speiralō oude therizalō, hoi ouk atō tameiem oude apothēkas, kai tos theos trefatō autoin; pose mallon vis diaferavō teiu peteineiu.Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storehouse or barn; yet God feeds them. How much more valuable you are than the birds!
trefitō“nourished”happening now · he/she/itpresent passive indicative 3rd person singular1×
Revelation 12:14“nourished”kai dōila ta gunaika tais duo pteruxais tou aetou tou megou, hina peteteiō eis tan erēman eis ton topon autau, hopou trefitō ekei kairon kai kairoin kai hēmisuem kairou apo prosōpeu tou ofiou.But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle to fly from the presence of the serpent to her place in the wilderness, where she was nourished for a time, and times, and half a time.
trefana“feed”happened · weaorist active indicative 1st person plural1×
Matthew 25:37“feed”tote apokrinili auto tois dikaiois legarōtois; Kurior, pote sin horana peinarōton kai trefana, ē dipsarōton kai potizana?Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink?
trefava“fattened”happened · yeaorist active indicative 2nd person plural1×
James 5:5“fattened”trufava epi tau gēau kai spatalava, trefava tain kardiain vu en hēmera sfagau.You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in the day of slaughter.
trefala“nursed”happened · theyaorist active indicative 3rd person plural1×
Luke 23:29“nursed”hoti idou erchelō hēmerais en hai legali Makariais tais steirais kai tais koiliais hais ouk gennala kai mastois hois ouk trefala.Look, the days are coming when people will say, ‘Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never bore, and breasts that never nursed!’
trefaleiō“nourished”happening now · theypresent active subjunctive 3rd person plural1×
Revelation 12:6“nourished”kai tas gunaikas feugata eis tan erēman, hopou echatō ekei topon hetoimazirēton apo tou theou, hina ekei trefaleiō autan hēmerain chilioi diakosioi hexēkonta.And the woman fled into the wilderness, where God had prepared a place for her to be nourished for 1,260 days.
trefirō“supplied with food”happening now · the “to …” formpresent passive infinitive1×
Acts 12:20“supplied with food”Ate de thumomacharōtos Turioi kai Sidōnioi; homothumadōs de pareiale pros auton, kai peitharatois Blaston ton epi tou koitōnou tou basilevou aitele eirēnan dia tem trefirō autoiu tan chōran apo tau basilikau.Now Herod was in a furious dispute with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they convened before him. Having secured the support of Blastus, the king’s chamberlain, they asked for peace, because their region depended on the king’s country for food.
trefirētos“brought up”has happened · subjectperfect passive participle nominative singular masculine1×
Luke 4:16“brought up”Kai erchata eis Nazara, hou ate trefirētos, kai eiserchata kata tem eiōtharētem auto en ta hēmera teiu sabbateiu eis tan sunagōgan, kai anistanata anaginōskara.Then Jesus came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. As was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath. And when He stood up to read,