Word Study for G3983 (πεινάω)

peináō /pi-nah'-o/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom the same as πένης (through the idea of pinching toil; "pine")

Meaningto famish (absolutely or comparatively); figuratively, to crave

KJV usagebe an hungered.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of peináō — 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 peináō, represented by G3983, means to famish or, figuratively, to crave. It appears 24 times across 23 unique verses in the Bible. The term describes not only the literal, physical state of being hungry but also a deep spiritual desire or longing.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In scripture, G3983 is used in several distinct ways. It describes literal, physical hunger, such as when Jesus was an hungred after fasting forty days Matthew 4:2, or when his disciples were an hungred and plucked ears of corn Matthew 12:1. The term also depicts the hardships faced by the apostles, who experienced states where they would both hunger and thirst 1 Corinthians 4:11. Figuratively, it is used to describe a spiritual craving, most notably in the Beatitudes, where Jesus blesses those who hunger and thirst after righteousness Matthew 5:6. This spiritual application is further emphasized when Jesus declares Himself the bread of life, promising that anyone who comes to Him shall never hunger John 6:35.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help to frame the concept of hunger and its satisfaction:

G5526 chortázō (to fodder, i.e. (generally) to gorge (supply food in abundance):--feed, fill, satisfy): This word serves as the divine response to hunger. It is promised that those who hunger for righteousness "shall be filled" (Matthew 5:6, Luke 6:21).
G1372 dipsáō (to thirst for (literally or figuratively):--(be, be a-)thirst(-y)): This term is frequently paired with peináō to express a complete state of physical or spiritual need, such as hungering and thirsting for righteousness Matthew 5:6 or the future promise that the redeemed will neither hunger nor thirst any more Revelation 7:16.
G740 ártos (bread (as raised) or a loaf:--(shew-)bread, loaf): This represents the very substance that satisfies hunger. Jesus uses this concept powerfully when he declares, "I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger" John 6:35.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G3983 is significant, touching on core Christian principles.

A Condition for Blessing: Spiritual hunger is presented as a prerequisite for divine blessing. The state of being hungry for righteousness is declared blessed G3107, with the promise of being filled (Matthew 5:6, Luke 6:21).
A Test of Righteousness: How one responds to the physical hunger of others is a mark of true faith. In Jesus's parable of the sheep and the goats, feeding the hungry is an act done directly to Christ, and failing to do so results in condemnation (Matthew 25:35, Matthew 25:42).
The Nature of Spiritual Fulfillment: The word is used to contrast physical lack with spiritual satisfaction. Paul speaks of being instructed G3453 to be content whether he is hungry or full, abasing or abounding Philippians 4:12, while Jesus promises a permanent end to spiritual hunger for all who come to him John 6:35.
An Aspect of Judgment: The term is also used in pronouncing woes. Those who are currently "full" are warned that they will one day hunger Luke 6:25, reversing worldly fortunes in a spiritual context.

Summary

In summary, G3983 conveys a meaning far deeper than a simple physical sensation. It is a foundational biblical concept that illustrates a state of profound need, both literal and spiritual. Whether describing the physical trials of Jesus and his followers, establishing a benchmark for righteous living, or defining the human longing that only God can satisfy, to hunger is a central theme in understanding need and fulfillment in scripture.

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 23 occurrences, inflected in 13 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Aorist Active Indicative 3rd Singular 7×
Aorist Active Indicative 1st Singular 2×
Present Active Indicative 3rd Singular 2×
Present Active Participle Accusative Singular Masculine 2×
Present Active Participle Nominative Plural Masculine 2×
Aorist Active Indicative 3rd Plural 1×
Aorist Active Subjunctive 3rd Singular 1×
Future Active Indicative 2nd Plural 1×
Future Active Indicative 3rd Plural 1×
Present Active Indicative 1st Plural 1×
Present Active Infinitive 1×
Present Active Participle Accusative Plural Masculine 1×

+ 1 rarer form

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
Accusative: The direct object of the verb.
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
1st: First person — the speaker ("I"/"we").
2nd: Second person — the one addressed ("you").
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Present: Action in progress or repeated — happening now or continually.
Future: Action yet to take place.
Aorist: Action viewed as a single whole — usually a simple past event.
Active: The subject performs the action.
Indicative: A plain statement of fact.
Subjunctive: Possibility or purpose — "might", "should".
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 23 verses across 8 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Matthew (9 verses); never once in the other 19.

Matthew

Mark

Luke

John

Romans

1 Corinthians

Philippians

Revelation

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.