Greek · G5342 · unreviewed

φέρω

To bear/lead

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φέρω G5342

Pronunciation phérō

What does φέρω (phérō) mean in the Bible?

φέρω (phérō) is a Greek word meaning "to bear/lead". φέρω [in LXX chiefly for בּוֹא.

Full entry for φέρω (G5342) · Browse the biblical lexicon

Meaning

to bear/lead

Extended definition

Denotes singular, momentary bearing or carrying, contrasting with habitual continuous bearing expressed by φορέω.

to bear;

1to bear, carry: with accusative, Luk.23:26 24:1, Jhn.19:39, Heb.1:3 (see Westc., in l); pass., Act.2:2 27:15, 17 Heb.6:1, 2Pe.1:17-18; of the mind, 2Pe.1:21.

2to bear, endure: with accusative of thing(s), Heb.12:20 13:13; with accusative of person(s), Rom.9:22.

3to bring, bring forward: with accusative of person(s), Act.5:16; id. before πρός, Mrk.1:32 2:3 9:17, 19-20; ἐπί, Luk.5:18; with dative, Mrk.7:32 8:22; with accusative of thing(s), Mrk.6:27 11:2 12:15, Luk.15:23, Act.4:34, 37 5:2, 2Ti.4:13; id. before πρός, Mrk.11:7; εἰς, Rev.21:24, 26; ἐπί, Mat.14:11, Mrk.6:28; ἀπό, Jhn.21:10; with dative, Mrk.12:15, Jhn.2:8; id. before ὧδε, Mat.14:18 17:17; before φαγεῖν (sc. τι), Jhn.4:33; τ. δάκτυλον (χεῖρα), Jhn.20:27; pass., ἡ χάρις, 1Pe.1:13; διδαχήν, II Jn 10; θάνατον (cf. Field, Notes, 230), Heb.9:16; κρίσιν, 2Pe.2:11; κατηγορίαν, Jhn.18:29; αἰτίαν, Act.25:18; αἰτιώματα, Act.25:7, Rec.

4to bear, produce, bring forth: καρπόν, Mat.7:18, Mrk.4:8, Jhn.12:24 15:2, 4-5 15:8, 16.

5to bring, lead: Mrk.15:22, Jhn.21:18, Act.14:13; metaphorically, of a gate (ὁδός, cl.), Seq. εἰς, Act.12:10 (cf. ἀνα-, ἀπο-, δια-, εἰσ-, παρ-εισ-, ἐκ-, ἐπι-, κατα-, -παρα-, περι-, προ-, προσ-, συν-, ὑπο-φέρω). SYN: φορέω, which expresses habitual and continuous bearing as distinct from (φέρω) that which is accidental and temporary (cf. Mat.11:8, al., see word φορέω, and see Tr., Syn., § lviii)

Source: STEPBible TBESG + Abbott-Smith

Grammatical Forms

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

Tenses

Present Aorist Imperfect Future

Voices

Active Passive

Imperative command or strong request 11×

Present Active Matt 14:18 · Matt 17:17 · Mark 9:19 · Mark 11:2 · Mark 12:15 · Luke 15:23 · John 2:8 · John 20:27 · 2 Tim 4:13 10×

Aorist Active John 21:10 1×

Indicative states a fact or reality 30×

Present Active Mark 7:32 · Mark 8:22 · Mark 11:7 · Mark 15:22 · 2 Pet 2:11 · Rev 21:24 · John 12:24 · John 15:5 · 2 John 1:10 · John 18:29 10×

Aorist Active Matt 14:11 · Mark 6:28 · John 4:33 · Acts 4:37 · Rom 9:22 · Mark 9:20 · Mark 12:16 · John 2:8 · Mark 9:17 9×

Imperfect Active Mark 1:32 · Acts 4:34 · Acts 25:18 · Heb 12:20 · Mark 4:8 5×

Aorist Passive Matt 14:11 · 2 Pet 1:21 2×

Future Active John 21:18 · Rev 21:26 2×

Imperfect Passive Acts 27:15 · Acts 27:17 2×

Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 17×

Present Active Mark 2:3 · Luke 5:18 · Acts 5:16 · Heb 13:13 · John 15:2 · John 19:39 · Heb 1:3 · Luke 24:1 · Acts 12:10 10×

Present Passive Acts 2:2 · 1 Pet 1:13 · 2 Pet 1:21 3×

Aorist Active Acts 5:2 · Acts 14:13 2×

Aorist Passive 2 Pet 1:17 · 2 Pet 1:18 2×

Infinitive verbal noun — the action in abstract 4×

Present Active Luke 23:26 · John 15:4 2×

Aorist Active Mark 6:27 1×

Present Passive Heb 9:16 1×

Subjunctive possibility, probability, or purpose 4×

Present Active John 15:8 · John 15:16 · John 15:2 3×

Present Passive Heb 6:1 1×

Discourse Aspect

How this verb appears across 66 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).

Aspect

completed 11 ongoing 10 prospective 2 imperative 11 background 7 subjunctive 4 infinitive 4 participle 17

Tense

present 40 aorist 17 imperfect 7 future 2

Voice

active 55 passive 11

Mood

indicative 30 participle 17 imperative 11 subjunctive 4 infinitive 4

NT Occurrences

Matthew 14:11 ἠνέχθη aorist passive indicative completed Matthew 14:11 ἤνεγκεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 14:18 Φέρετέ present active imperative imperative Matthew 17:17 φέρετέ present active imperative imperative Mark 1:32 ἔφερον imperfect active indicative background Mark 2:3 φέροντες present active participle participle Mark 4:8 ἔφερεν imperfect active indicative background Mark 6:27 ἐνέγκαι aorist active infinitive infinitive Mark 6:28 ἤνεγκεν aorist active indicative completed Mark 7:32 φέρουσιν present active indicative ongoing Mark 8:22 φέρουσιν present active indicative ongoing Mark 9:17 ἤνεγκα aorist active indicative completed Mark 9:19 φέρετε present active imperative imperative Mark 9:20 ἤνεγκαν aorist active indicative completed Mark 11:2 φέρετε present active imperative imperative Mark 11:7 φέρουσιν present active indicative ongoing Mark 12:15 φέρετέ present active imperative imperative Mark 12:16 ἤνεγκαν aorist active indicative completed Mark 15:22 φέρουσιν present active indicative ongoing Luke 5:18 φέροντες present active participle participle Luke 15:23 φέρετε present active imperative imperative Luke 23:26 φέρειν present active infinitive infinitive Luke 24:1 φέρουσαι present active participle participle John 2:8 φέρετε present active imperative imperative John 2:8 ἤνεγκαν aorist active indicative completed John 4:33 ἤνεγκεν aorist active indicative completed John 12:24 φέρει present active indicative ongoing John 15:16 φέρητε present active subjunctive subjunctive John 15:2 φέρον present active participle participle John 15:2 φέρον present active participle participle John 15:2 φέρῃ present active subjunctive subjunctive John 15:4 φέρειν present active infinitive infinitive John 15:5 φέρει present active indicative ongoing John 15:8 φέρητε present active subjunctive subjunctive John 18:29 φέρετε present active indicative ongoing John 19:39 φέρων present active participle participle John 20:27 Φέρε present active imperative imperative John 20:27 φέρε present active imperative imperative John 21:10 Ἐνέγκατε aorist active imperative imperative John 21:18 οἴσει future active indicative prospective +26 more occurrences

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

Luke 23:26 carried phérō Infinitive · Present Active

Physical bearing or carrying of an object, the cross

John 15:2 bears phérō Participle · Present Active

Producing or bringing forth fruit, horticultural metaphor

Romans 9:22 endured phérō Indicative · Aorist Active

Bearing or enduring with patience, tolerating vessels of wrath

2 Peter 1:21 carried phérō Indicative · Aorist Passive

Being borne along or moved by the Holy Spirit, prophetic inspiration

Acts 5:16 brought phérō Participle · Present Active

Bringing forward or conveying persons to a place or person

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.

Acts 27 — The Storm, the Shipwreck, and the Promise of God John 15 — The True Vine, Abiding Fruitfulness, Christlike Love, and the World’s Hatred John 21 — The Risen Lord Restores, Commissions, Shepherds, and Testifies through His Witness

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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