Greek · G4561 · unreviewed

σάρξ

Flesh

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σάρξ G4561

Pronunciation sárx

What does σάρξ (sárx) mean in the Bible?

σάρξ (sárx) is a Greek word meaning "flesh". σάρξ, σαρκός, ἡ [in LXX chiefly for בָּשָׂר ;] flesh; __1. Describes the sphere of weakness and sin opposed to God’s will. This term runs through the canonical themes of Messiah, Priesthood, Spirit.

Full entry for σάρξ (G4561) · Browse the biblical lexicon

Meaning

flesh

Extended definition

In Paul, flesh denotes humanity's fallen nature as opposed to God's Spirit, not mere physical body.

flesh;

1as in cl. generally,

aprop., of the soft substance of the animal body: 1Co.15:39, 2Co.12:7, Gal.6:13, al.; σ. καὶ αἷμα, 1Co.5:50; σ. καὶ ὀστέα, Luk.24:39; pl., of the flesh of many or parts of the flesh of one (cl.), Rev.17:16 19:18; φαγεῖν, Re, ll. with (cf. κατεσθίειν, 4Ki.9:36, al., and βιβρώσκειν, frequently in l.); metaphorically, Jas.5:3; mystically, φ. (τρώγειν) τὴν σ. τοῦ υἱοῦ τ. ἀνθρώπου, Jhn.6:52-56;

bOf the whole substance of the body, = σῶμα: Act.2:26 (LXX), 31, 2Co.12:7, Gal.4:14, Eph.5:29; μία σ., Mrk.10:8; εἰς σ. μίαν (Gen.2:24), Mat.19:5, Mrk.10:8, 1Co.6:16, Eph.5:31; hence, of the material as opposite to the immaterial part of man (cf. Lft., Notes, 88): opposite to πνεῦμα, 1Co.5:5, 2Co.7:1, Col.2:5, 1Pe.3:18, 4:6; to ψύχη, Act.2:31, Rec.; of the present life, ἐν (τῇ) σ., Rom.7:5, Gal.2:20, Php.1:22, 24 1Pe.4:2; of Christ's life on earth, αἱ ἡμέραι τ. σαρκὸς αὐτοῦ, Heb.5:7; of things pertaining to the body, ἐν (τῇ) σ., Gal.6:12, 13 Php.3:3, 4.

2As in Heb. idiom,

aof a living creature: πᾶσα σ. (Heb. כָּל־בָּשָׂר; cf. Bl., §47, 9), Mat.24:22, Mrk.13:20, 1Pe.1:24; esp. of man and his mortality (Psa.55 (56):5, Sir.28:5, al.), Jhn.1:14; πᾶσα σ. (see supr.), Luk.3:6, Jhn.17:2, Act.2:17, ἐν σ., 1Jo.4:2, 1Ti.3:16;

bof natural origin and relationship (Gen.2:24, Isa.58:7, al.): τέκνα τῆς σ., Rom.9:8; κατὰ σάρκα, ib. 3, 5, 1Co.10:18, Gal.4:23, 29; ἡ σ. μου, Rom.11:14 (cf. Jdg.9:2, 2Ki.5:1, al.).

3Of the physical nature as subject to sensation and desire (Plut.),

awithout any ethical disparagement: Rom.7:18 13:14; opposite to πνεῦμα, Mat.26:41, Mrk.14:38; τ. θέλημα τῆς σ., Jhn.1:13; ἡ ἐπιθυμία τῆς σ., 1Jn.2:16; pl., 2Pe.2:18; παθεῖν σαρκί, 1Pe.4:1;

bin ethical sense, esp. in Pauline Epp., of the flesh as the seat and vehicle of sinful desires: opposite to νοῦς, Rom.7:25; to πνεῦμα, Rom.8:4-9, 12, 13, Gal.5:16, 17 19 6:8 (cf. DB, ii, 14f.; iv, 165f.; Cremer, 844ff.).

Source: STEPBible TBESG + Abbott-Smith

Why This Word Matters

Describes the sphere of weakness and sin opposed to God’s will. 1 John 4:1-6

Contrasts with the Spirit as the realm of hostility and death. Romans 7:14-25

Affirms real incarnation, not illusion. Romans 8:1-11

Points to incarnation and sacrificial offering.

Human limitation apart from divine grace.

Affirms the genuine humanity of Christ against docetic denial.

Affirming Christ’s real incarnation safeguards the reality of atonement.

Grammatical Forms

How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.

Nominative · Singular · Feminine Matt 16:17 · Matt 19:6 · Matt 24:22 · Matt 26:41 · Mark 10:8 · Mark 13:20 · Mark 14:38 · Luke 3:6 · John 1:14 · John 3:6 · John 6:51 · John 6:55 · John 6:63 · Acts 2:26 · Acts 2:31 · Rom 3:20 26×

Genitive · Singular · Feminine John 1:13 · John 3:6 · John 17:2 · Rom 6:19 · Rom 8:3 · Rom 8:5 · Rom 8:6 · Rom 8:7 · Rom 9:8 · Rom 13:14 · 1 Cor 5:5 · 2 Cor 7:1 · Gal 4:13 · Gal 5:16 · Gal 5:17 · Gal 5:19 37×

Genitive · Plural · Feminine Rev 19:21 1×

Dative · Singular · Feminine Rom 2:28 · Rom 7:5 · Rom 7:18 · Rom 7:25 · Rom 8:3 · Rom 8:8 · Rom 8:9 · Rom 8:12 · 1 Cor 7:28 · 2 Cor 4:11 · 2 Cor 10:3 · 2 Cor 12:7 · Gal 1:16 · Gal 2:20 · Gal 3:3 · Gal 4:14 39×

Accusative · Singular · Feminine Matt 19:5 · Mark 10:8 · Luke 24:39 · John 6:52 · John 6:53 · John 6:54 · John 6:56 · John 8:15 · Acts 2:17 · Rom 1:3 · Rom 4:1 · Rom 8:4 · Rom 8:5 · Rom 8:12 · Rom 8:13 · Rom 9:3 37×

Accusative · Plural · Feminine Jas 5:3 · Rev 17:16 · Rev 19:18 7×

Canonical Themes

Messiah Priesthood Spirit

Biblical Occurrences

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

New Testament Witnesses

1 John 4:1-6 flesh sárx

Human nature in its embodied form.

Romans 7:14-25 σάρξ sárx Dative · Singular · Feminine

Flesh, fallen human nature.

Romans 8:1-11 σάρξ sárx Genitive · Singular · Feminine

Flesh, fallen human nature.

Additional Occurrences

1-john Flesh sárx

human nature in physical reality

John 1:1-18 ϒὰξ sárx

flesh

John 6:22-59 ϒάξ sárx

flesh

John 6:60-71 ϒάξ sárx

flesh

Mark 10:1–12 σάρξ sárx

flesh; bodily unity

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.

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 5 — Purge the Evil, Keep the Feast, and Guard the Holiness of the Church Galatians 5 — Stand Firm in Freedom: Faith Working Through Love and Life by the Spirit Galatians 6 — Boasting Only in the Cross: Spirit-Shaped Community and New Creation John 1 — The Word Made Flesh, Witnessed, and Followed John 17 — The Son’s High Priestly Prayer: Glory, Preservation, Sanctification, Unity, Mission, and Love John 3 — New Birth, Lifted-Up Son, and the Love of God for the World John 6 — The Bread of Life, the Words of Eternal Life, and the Crisis of True Discipleship John 8 — The Light of the World, True Freedom, and the I AM Before Abraham Luke 24 — The Risen Christ Opens the Scriptures, Commissions Witnesses, and Ascends in Blessing Mark 10 — The Way of the Servant King: Marriage, Children, Wealth, Cross, Ransom, and Sight Mark 14 — The Son of Man Handed Over: Anointing, Supper, Gethsemane, Betrayal, Trial, and Denial Matthew 16 — The Confession of the Christ, the Church Christ Builds, and the Cross-Shaped Way of Discipleship Matthew 19 — Marriage from Creation, Children Received, Riches Renounced, and the Reward of Following Christ Philippians 3 — Counting All Things Loss and Pressing On Toward Christ Romans 13 — Submission to Governing Authorities, Love as the Fulfillment of the Law, and Life in the Light of the Coming Day Romans 7 — Released from the Law, Exposed by the Law, and Crying Out for Deliverance Romans 8 — No Condemnation, Life in the Spirit, and the Unbreakable Love of God in Christ Romans 9 — God’s Faithfulness, Sovereign Mercy, and Israel’s Stumbling Over Christ

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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