Word Study for G3557 (νοσφίζομαι)

nosphízomai /nos-fid'-zom-ahee/ Ask about this word

Meaningmiddle voice from (apart or clandestinely); to sequestrate for oneself, i.e. embezzle

KJV usagekeep back, purloin.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of nosphízomai — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Greek word nosphízomai, represented by G3557, means to sequestrate for oneself, often translated as to keep back or purloin. It appears 3 times across 3 unique verses in the Bible. The term describes an act of embezzling or secretly setting aside something for one's own gain, highlighting a clandestine form of dishonesty.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, G3557 is most notably used to describe the sin of Ananias. He and his wife kept back part of the money from a land sale while pretending to give the full amount Acts 5:2. The Apostle Peter directly confronts Ananias for this act, framing it as an attempt to lie to the Holy Ghost Acts 5:3. The word is also used in the pastoral epistles, where servants are instructed against purloining, setting a standard of complete honesty and faithfulness in their duties Titus 2:10.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help to clarify the meaning of G3557:

G5574 pseúdomai (to utter an untruth or attempt to deceive by falsehood): This is directly linked to the act of keeping something back, as Peter accuses Ananias of a plan to lie to the Holy Ghost Acts 5:3.
G3361 mḗ (not): This particle of qualified negation is used to command against the action in Titus 2:10, emphasizing that purloining is forbidden ("Not purloining").
G1731 endeíknymi (to indicate (by word or act)): In Titus 2:10, this word is presented as the direct opposite of purloining. Instead of taking what is not theirs, believers are to be shewing all good fidelity.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G3557 centers on integrity and the nature of sin against God.

Sin Against the Holy Spirit: The account in Acts demonstrates that to keep back what was pledged to God is not merely a financial misstep but a deliberate lie to the Holy Ghost, an act of profound spiritual deception Acts 5:3.
The Mark of True Fidelity: In Titus, the prohibition against purloining is contrasted with shewing all good fidelity G4102. This establishes that financial honesty is a critical component of a believer's witness, which serves to "adorn the doctrine of God" Titus 2:10.
A Clandestine Act of the Heart: The act of purloining is shown to originate from a heart that Satan has filled G4137, revealing that such dishonesty is not just an external action but a reflection of a compromised spiritual condition Acts 5:3.

Summary

In summary, G3557 is a specific term for embezzlement or clandestine theft. Though used sparingly, its appearances in Scripture are significant, defining a sin that is both a tangible act of dishonesty and a spiritual lie against God. It stands in direct opposition to the fidelity and integrity that should characterize a believer, illustrating how personal conduct is directly tied to the honor of the Gospel.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Greek New Testament, this word appears as a verb across 3 occurrences, inflected in 3 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Aorist Middle Indicative 3rd Singular 1×
Aorist Middle Infinitive 1×
Present Middle Participle Accusative Plural Masculine 1×

Accusative: The direct object of the verb.
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Present: Action in progress or repeated — happening now or continually.
Aorist: Action viewed as a single whole — usually a simple past event.
Middle: The subject acts on or for itself.
Indicative: A plain statement of fact.
Infinitive: The verb as a noun — "to do".
Participle: A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 3 verses across 2 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Acts (2 verses); never once in the other 25.

Acts

Titus

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.