Word Study for G5389 (φιλοτιμέομαι)

philotiméomai /fil-ot-im-eh'-om-ahee/ Ask about this word

Meaningmiddle voice from a compound of φίλος and τιμή; to be fond of honor, i.e. emulous (eager or earnest to do something)

KJV usagelabour, strive, study.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of philotiméomai — 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 philotiméomai, represented by G5389, describes a focused ambition or earnest striving. Derived from the concepts of being "fond of honor," it is translated as to labour, strive, or study. It appears 3 times across 3 unique verses in the Bible, each instance highlighting a goal-oriented eagerness to achieve a specific purpose.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical usage, G5389 is applied to three distinct spiritual ambitions. Paul explains that he strived to preach the gospel G2097 not where Christ was already named, desiring to lay a new foundation Romans 15:20. He also uses the term to express a deep-seated goal: "we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted G2101 of him" 2 Corinthians 5:9. Finally, it is used to exhort believers to study (or make it their ambition) "to be quiet G2270" and to attend to their own business G2398, a command focused on humble and diligent living 1 Thessalonians 4:11.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words clarify the object and nature of the ambition described by G5389:

G2270 hēsycházō (to keep still... be quiet, rest): This is the paradoxical goal of the "study" or ambition in 1 Thessalonians 4:11, directing believers to seek a quiet and peaceful life rather than worldly prominence.
G2097 euangelízō (to announce good news... preach the gospel): This word defines the specific mission Paul strived G5389 to accomplish, channeling his ambition into the spread of the gospel to new territories Romans 15:20.
G2101 euárestos (fully agreeable... acceptable(-ted), wellpleasing): This term reveals the ultimate motivation for the believer's "labour," which is to be found wellpleasing in God's sight 2 Corinthians 5:9.

Theological Significance

Theologically, G5389 redefines worldly ambition, directing it toward godly pursuits:

A Redirected Ambition: The term takes the natural desire for honor and channels it away from self-glory toward spiritual goals. This is exemplified in the exhortation to "study to be quiet" G2270, a complete inversion of worldly striving 1 Thessalonians 4:11.
The Labor of Pleasing God: The highest aim of this spiritual striving is to be accepted G2101 by God. The use of labour G5389 in 2 Corinthians 5:9 frames the entire Christian life as an earnest effort to be wellpleasing to Him.
Pioneering for the Gospel: Paul's ambition was not merely to preach, but specifically to preach the gospel G2097 where it had not been heard, so as not to build G3618 upon another's foundation Romans 15:20.

Summary

In summary, G5389 is more than a simple aspiration; it is a dedicated and purposeful striving. It channels the human desire for honor toward goals that are spiritual in nature. Whether applied to the pioneering ambition to preach the gospel in new fields Romans 15:20, the foundational desire to be accepted by God 2 Corinthians 5:9, or the disciplined effort to live a quiet and productive life 1 Thessalonians 4:11, philotiméomai defines a uniquely Christian form of ambition focused on divine approval and service.

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.

Present Middle Or Passive Deponent Indicative 1st Plural 1×
Present Middle Or Passive Deponent Infinitive 1×
Present Middle Or Passive Deponent Participle Accusative Singular Masculine 1×

Accusative: The direct object of the verb.
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
1st: First person — the speaker ("I"/"we").
Present: Action in progress or repeated — happening now or continually.
Middle: The subject acts on or for itself.
Passive: The subject is acted upon.
Passive Deponent: Passive in form but active in meaning.
Middle Or Passive: Can be read as middle or passive; context decides.
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.

Related Words

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

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 3 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Romans, 2 Corinthians, and 1 Thessalonians (1 verse each); never once in the other 24.

Romans

2 Corinthians

1 Thessalonians

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.