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Greek · G2872 · unreviewed

κοπιάω

To feel fatigue; by implication, to work hard

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κοπιάω G2872
Pronunciation kopiáō

What does κοπιάω (kopiáō) mean in the Bible?

κοπιάω (kopiáō) is a Greek word meaning "to feel fatigue; by implication, to work hard". κοπιάω, -ῶ (κόπος), [in LXX chiefly for יָגַע ;] __1.

Full entry for κοπιάω (G2872) · Browse the biblical lexicon

Meaning

to feel fatigue; by implication, to work hard
Extended definition

To labor intensely with physical or spiritual exertion; exhaustion results from the work itself, not mere activity

(κόπος), [in LXX chiefly for יָגַע ;]

1(as in cl.) to grow weary: Mat.11:28, Jhn.4:6, Rev.2:3 (cf. Isa.40:31).
2Hence, in LXX and NT, to work with effort, to toil: absol., Mat.6:23, Luk.5:5 12:27, Jhn.4:38, Act.20:35, 1Co.4:12, Eph.4:28, 2Ti.2:5; with accusative of thing(s), Jhn.4:38; frequently in Paul. Epp., of ministerial labour: 1Co.15:10 16:16; before ἐν, Rom.16:12, 1Th.5:12 (see M, Th., in l), 1Ti.5:17; εἰς, Rom.16:6, Gal.4:11, Php.2:16, Col.1:29, 1Ti.4:10.
Source: STEPBible TBESG + Abbott-Smith
Grammatical Forms

How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.

Tenses
Present Aorist Perfect
Voices
Active
Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 9×
Present Active Matt 11:28 · 1 Tim 5:17 · Acts 20:35 · 1 Thess 5:12 · Rom 16:12 · 1 Cor 16:16 · 2 Tim 2:6 7×
Aorist Active Luke 5:5 1×
Perfect Active John 4:6 1×
Indicative states a fact or reality 13×
Present Active 1 Cor 4:12 · 1 Tim 4:10 · Matt 6:28 · Luke 12:27 · Col 1:29 5×
Aorist Active Rom 16:6 · Rom 16:12 · 1 Cor 15:10 · Phil 2:16 4×
Perfect Active John 4:38 · Gal 4:11 · Rev 2:3 4×
Imperative command or strong request 1×
Present Active Eph 4:28 1×
23 total occurrences across all forms in the biblical text Morphology: MorphGNT SBLGNT — CC BY-SA 3.0
Discourse Aspect

How this verb appears across 22 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).

Aspect
completed 4 ongoing 4 resultant 4 imperative 1 participle 9
Tense
present 12 aorist 5 perfect 5
Voice
active 22
Mood
indicative 12 participle 9 imperative 1
NT Occurrences
Matthew 6:28 κοπιῶσιν present active indicative ongoing Matthew 11:28 κοπιῶντες present active participle participle Luke 5:5 κοπιάσαντες aorist active participle participle Luke 12:27 κοπιᾷ present active indicative ongoing John 4:38 κεκοπιάκατε perfect active indicative resultant John 4:38 κεκοπιάκασιν perfect active indicative resultant John 4:6 κεκοπιακὼς perfect active participle participle Acts 20:35 κοπιῶντας present active participle participle Romans 16:12 κοπιώσας present active participle participle Romans 16:12 ἐκοπίασεν aorist active indicative completed Romans 16:6 ἐκοπίασεν aorist active indicative completed 1 Corinthians 4:12 κοπιῶμεν present active indicative ongoing 1 Corinthians 15:10 ἐκοπίασα aorist active indicative completed 1 Corinthians 16:16 κοπιῶντι present active participle participle Galatians 4:11 κεκοπίακα perfect active indicative resultant Ephesians 4:28 κοπιάτω present active imperative imperative Philippians 2:16 ἐκοπίασα aorist active indicative completed Colossians 1:29 κοπιῶ present active indicative ongoing 1 Thessalonians 5:12 κοπιῶντας present active participle participle 1 Timothy 5:17 κοπιῶντες present active participle participle 2 Timothy 2:6 κοπιῶντα present active participle participle Revelation 2:3 κεκοπίακες perfect active indicative resultant

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)

Biblical Occurrences

Each occurrence shows the passage reference, the original language term as it appears in that context, its transliteration, and the contextual sense.

Biblical Witnesses
1 Corinthians 15:5-11 labored kopiáō Indicative · Aorist Active
Apostolic toil and effort in ministerial work, specifically Paul's labor in preaching
Luke 12:22-34 toil kopiáō Indicative · Present Active
Physical effort and anxiety in daily labor for sustenance and livelihood
Ephesians 4:25-32 labor kopiáō Imperative · Present Active
Honest work and effort as spiritual practice within Christian community
Proverbs 16:26 labors kopiáō
Appetite driving human effort and toil for economic sustenance
Appears In

Compound and idiomatic lexemes in which this word is a constituent. Follow a link to study the phrase and its other participating words.

κοπιάω · νήθω G2872, G3514
they do not toil or spin thread
Word Pictures (Robertson)

A.T. Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) discusses this term in the following chapters. Open any chapter and go to the Word Pictures tab to read his verse-by-verse commentary.

1 Corinthians 16 — Ordered Giving, Open Doors, Faithful Labor, and Final Exhortations in the Lord Colossians 1 — The Supremacy of Christ and the Gospel of Reconciliation Matthew 11 — The Messiah Question, the Rejected Generation, and Rest for the Weary Romans 16 — Gospel Partnership, Holy Greeting, False-Teacher Warning, and Doxology to the God Who Establishes

A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) — public domain

Sources

MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain

Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0

Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0

STEPBible Data — CC BY 4.0

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