What does φυσιόω (physióō) mean in the Bible?
G5448 is a verb for becoming puffed up or inflated with pride. All seven governed forms occur in 1 Corinthians and Colossians.
Greek · G5448
φυσιόω
To inflate
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φυσιόω G5448
Pronunciation physióō
What does φυσιόω (physióō) mean in the Bible?
G5448 is a verb for becoming puffed up or inflated with pride. All seven governed forms occur in 1 Corinthians and Colossians.
Reader summary
Full entry for φυσιόω (G5448) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G5448?
The BSB source-word alignment has 7 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include [Such a person] is puffed up (1), arrogant [people] (1), have become arrogant (1), it is not proud (1), proud (1).
Where does φυσιόω (physióō) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at 1 Corinthians 4:6. Its strongest book concentrations include 1 Corinthians (6), Colossians (1).
What This Word Actually Means
G5448 is a verb for becoming puffed up or inflated with pride. All seven governed forms occur in 1 Corinthians and Colossians. Paul applies the image to rivalry around teachers, arrogant confidence about his absence, boasting amid a serious community failure, knowledge detached from love, loveless self-importance, and confidence in visionary claims. The verb exposes self-exaltation that distorts judgment and harms a community; it is not a label for confidence, education, expertise, emotion, cultural difference, or disagreement as such.
In 1 Corinthians 5:2 the rebuke addresses the congregation's response to a reported sexual relationship, not a license for humiliating victims, concealing abuse, bypassing lawful reporting, or applying punitive discipline without evidence and safeguarding. In Colossians 2:18 it challenges a particular disqualifying claim and does not authorize contempt for every spiritual experience.
Teachers should examine power, fruit, accountability, truth, and love before naming pride.
How the Bible Uses It
Seven G5448 forms in seven verses expose inflated self-importance in leader rivalry, arrogant speech, congregational failure, knowledge without love, loveless conduct, and unsupported visionary confidence.
- 1Cor.13.4
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
Love is not inflated with self-importance. The statement evaluates how love acts; it must not become a demand that harmed people minimize danger, suppress truthful testimony, or accept abuse.
- Col.2.18
Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you with speculation about what he has seen. Such a person is puffed up without basis by his unspiritual mind.
Paul describes a person who disqualifies others through ascetic and angelic claims and is puffed up without basis. The warning tests a specific claim and does not ridicule every spiritual experience or culturally unfamiliar practice.
- 1Cor.4.18
Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you.
Some have become arrogant because they assume Paul will not come. The next verse distinguishes talk from power, so the rebuke concerns concrete conduct and accountability rather than a leader's access to hidden motives.
- 1Cor.5.2
And you are proud! Shouldn't you rather have been stricken with grief and removed from your fellowship the man who did this?
Paul rebukes the congregation's pride amid a reported sexual relationship. Application requires evidence, victim protection, lawful reporting, impartial process, and pastoral care; the verse cannot excuse secrecy, retaliation, or summary punishment.
- 1Cor.8.1
Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.
In the dispute about food offered to idols, knowledge detached from regard for a vulnerable believer becomes self-inflating. Paul does not condemn learning itself; he subjects its use to love and responsibility.
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It [Such a person] is puffed up 1× Colossians 2:18
arrogant [people] 1× 1 Corinthians 4:19
have become arrogant 1× 1 Corinthians 4:18
it is not proud 1× 1 Corinthians 13:4
proud 1× 1 Corinthians 5:2
puffs up 1× 1 Corinthians 8:1
you will not take pride 1× 1 Corinthians 4:6
Show sample aligned rows
1 Corinthians 4:6 φυσιοῦσθε to you will not take pride Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 2nd Person Plural 1 Corinthians 4:18 ἐφυσιώθησάν to have become arrogant Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Plural 1 Corinthians 4:19 πεφυσιωμένων to arrogant [people] Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Genitive Masculine Plural 1 Corinthians 5:2 πεφυσιωμένοι to proud Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Plural 1 Corinthians 8:1 φυσιοῖ to puffs up Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular 1 Corinthians 13:4 φυσιοῦται to it is not proud Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular Colossians 2:18 φυσιούμενος to [Such a person] is puffed up Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row 1 Corinthians 4:6
Aligned rows 7
Books represented 2
1 Corinthians 6 Colossians 1
Source forms
ἐφυσιώθησάν 1x ephysiōthēsan 1 Corinthians 4:18
πεφυσιωμένοι 1x pephysiōmenoi 1 Corinthians 5:2
πεφυσιωμένων 1x pephysiōmenōn 1 Corinthians 4:19
φυσιοῖ 1x physioi 1 Corinthians 8:1
φυσιούμενος 1x physioumenos Colossians 2:18
φυσιοῦσθε 1x physiousthe 1 Corinthians 4:6
φυσιοῦται 1x physioutai 1 Corinthians 13:4
Parsing patterns
Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Plural 1x 1 Corinthians 4:18
Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Genitive Masculine Plural 1x 1 Corinthians 4:19
Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Plural 1x 1 Corinthians 5:2
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular 1x 1 Corinthians 8:1
Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 2nd Person Plural 1x 1 Corinthians 4:6
Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular 1x 1 Corinthians 13:4
Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Singular 1x Colossians 2:18
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Name pride through observable claims, power, conduct, and effects rather than assuming access to another person's hidden motives.
- When applying 1 Corinthians 5, protect vulnerable people, preserve evidence, follow lawful reporting duties, and refuse retaliatory or secret discipline.
- Do not equate education, expertise, confidence, emotion, disability, cultural difference, or principled disagreement with being puffed up.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not use love language to silence truthful testimony, minimize danger, pressure reconciliation, or require someone to remain in an abusive setting.
- Do not claim that knowledge itself is sinful; Paul contrasts loveless use of knowledge with the constructive work of love.
Evidence Summary
Greek word. Inflates with pride or arrogance; used in Paul to describe spiritual presumption and self-exaltation.
Strong's G5448
Lexical occurrences 7 verses Greek text appearances 7 times Word forms 2 forms 7 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link 1 Corinthians 8:1-3 Source Gloss
to inflate
Extended definition Source: STEPBible TBESG + Abbott-Smith
Inflates with pride or arrogance; used in Paul to describe spiritual presumption and self-exaltation.
(φῦσα, bellows), = cl. φυσάω, to puff or blow up, inflate. Metaphorical, to puff up, make proud: 1Co.8:1. Pass., to be puffed up with pride: 1Co.4:18-19 5:2 13:4; before ὑπό, Col.2:18; before ὑπὲρ . . . κατά, 1Co.4:6 (on the form of the subjc., see M, Pr., 54; Bl., § 22, 3).
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
7 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
1 Corinthians 4:6 Verb Second Person Plural Present Passive Subjunctive
φυσιοῦσθε fusiousqe
I inflate, puff up
Read verse 1 Corinthians 4:18 Verb Third Person Plural Aorist Passive Indicative
ἐφυσιώθησάν efusiwqhsan
I inflate, puff up
Read verse 1 Corinthians 4:19 Verb Perfect Passive Participle Genitive Plural Masculine
πεφυσιωμένων, pefusiwmenwn
I inflate, puff up
Read verse 1 Corinthians 5:2 Verb Perfect Passive Participle Nominative Plural Masculine
πεφυσιωμένοι pefusiwmenoi
I inflate, puff up
Read verse 1 Corinthians 8:1 Verb Third Person Singular Present Active Indicative
φυσιοῖ, fusioi
I inflate, puff up
Read verse 1 Corinthians 13:4 Verb Third Person Singular Present Passive Indicative
φυσιοῦται, fusioutai
I inflate, puff up
Read verse Colossians 2:18 Verb Present Passive Participle Nominative Singular Masculine
φυσιούμενος fusioumenov
I inflate, puff up
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
Grammatical Forms
How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 2 Aligned forms 7 Tenses Present, Aorist, Perfect Voices Passive, Active
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Tenses
Voices
Indicative states a fact or reality 4×
Present Passive 1 Cor 4:6 · 1 Cor 13:4 2×
Aorist Passive 1 Cor 4:18 1×
Present Active 1 Cor 8:1 1×
Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 3×
Perfect Passive 1 Cor 4:19 · 1 Cor 5:2 2×
Present Passive Col 2:18 1×
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 6 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect
Tense
present 4 aorist 1 perfect 1
Voice
passive 5 active 1
Mood
indicative 4 participle 2
NT Occurrences
1 Corinthians 4:18 ἐφυσιώθησάν aorist passive indicative completed 1 Corinthians 4:19 πεφυσιωμένων perfect passive participle participle 1 Corinthians 4:6 φυσιοῦσθε present passive indicative ongoing 1 Corinthians 8:1 φυσιοῖ present active indicative ongoing 1 Corinthians 13:4 φυσιοῦται present passive indicative ongoing Colossians 2:18 φυσιούμενος present passive participle participle
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)
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Knowledge inflates with pride, but love builds up the church
Some become arrogant, inflated with false confidence in Paul's absence
Community inflated with pride over tolerating sexual immorality among believers
Believers become inflated with pride, exalting one leader over another
Showing 4 selected witnesses from 7 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
φυσιόω is built from this root:
For the Preacher and Teacher
G5448 gives Paul a vivid image for self-importance that expands beyond the truth. In 1 Corinthians 4 it accompanies rivalry around teachers and arrogant confidence that avoids accountability. In chapter 5 it marks a congregation's distorted response to a serious reported relationship. In chapter 8 knowledge becomes inflating when it is detached from love for a vulnerable believer.
Chapter 13 denies this self-expansion to love itself. Colossians 2 applies the image to a person who disqualifies others through claims that lack a sound basis. The shared concern is not healthy confidence or expertise but pride that elevates self, distorts judgment, and harms others. Application must assess evidence, power, conduct, love, and accountability without mind-reading, anti-intellectualism, victim blaming, retaliatory discipline, or contempt for unfamiliar spiritual experience.
Anchor passage
1Cor.13.4
Doctrinal connections
- 1 Corinthians 4:6,18-19 - factional loyalty and boastful talk are tested by accountable power.
- 1 Corinthians 5:2 - congregational pride amid serious wrongdoing calls for grief, truth, protection, and responsible action.
- 1 Corinthians 8:1 - knowledge without love can inflate, while love builds up.
- 1 Corinthians 13:4 - love refuses boastful self-expansion.
- Colossians 2:18-19 - disqualifying spiritual claims are tested by their basis and connection to Christ.
The seven governed forms include active and passive forms across present, aorist, and perfect constructions. The inflation image is figurative in every occurrence, but syntax identifies who is inflated, what contributes to it, and how the surrounding argument evaluates the condition.
From Old to New Testament
Scripture's warnings about boasting, false scales, oppressive leadership, and wisdom without humility can provide canonical background. Those themes do not turn every confident speaker, educated person, or disputed spiritual claim into a direct G5448 case.
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
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain