Lexical Summary pipraskó: to sell, to be sold Original Word: πιπράσκω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance sell. A reduplicated and prolonged form of prao (prah'-o); (which occurs only as an alternate in certain tenses) contracted from perao (to traverse; from the base of peran); to traffic (by travelling), i.e. Dispose of as merchandise or into slavery (literally or figuratively) -- sell. see GREEK peran NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom pernémi (to export for sale) Definition to sell NASB Translation sales (1), selling (1), sold (7). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4097: πιπράσκωπιπράσκω: imperfect ἐπίπρασκον; perfect πέπρακα; passive, present participle πιπρασκόμενος; perfect participle πεπραμένος; 1 aorist ἐπράθην; (from περάω to cross, to transport to a distant land); from Aeschylus and Herodotus down; the Sept. for מָכַר; to sell: Matthew 13:46 (on the use of the perfect, cf. Sophocles' Glossary, etc., Introduction, § 82, 4) Acts 2:45; Acts 4:34; Acts 5:4; with the genitive of price, Matthew 26:9; Mark 14:5; John 12:5 (Deuteronomy 21:14); τινα, one into slavery, Matthew 18:25; hence, metaphorically, πεπραμένος ὑπό τήν ἁμαρτίαν (A. V. sold under sin) i. e. entirely under the control of the love of sinning, Romans 7:14 (ἐπράθησαν τοῦ ποιῆσαι τό πονηρόν, 2 Kings 17:17; 1 Macc. 1:15, cf. 1 Kings 20:25 ( Topical Lexicon Semantic Range and Narrative Settings The verb group translated “to sell” appears in varied contexts, ranging from literal marketplace transactions to the spiritual language of bondage. Whether describing land freely surrendered for the support of fellow believers or the master’s decision to liquidate a debtor’s household, the term frames decisive moments in which motives of the heart are exposed. Nine New Testament verses employ this vocabulary, balancing concrete economic activity with profound theological insight. Historical and Commercial Backdrop In first-century Judea and the wider Greco-Roman world, selling goods, land, or even persons was regulated by a complex mix of Roman law, local custom, and Mosaic stipulations. Real estate sales required witnesses and written contracts; the proceeds could be held in coinage, ingots, or barterable goods. Debt slavery—though limited by Jewish law to six years—remained a legal remedy for insolvency (Exodus 21:2). Understanding these practices clarifies why liquidation of assets in Acts functioned as radical generosity and why Jesus’ parables about sale and servitude resonated with everyday hearers. Acts: Voluntary Sale for Kingdom Distribution Acts 2:45 portrays the earliest church as a Spirit-formed community that “sold property and possessions, they shared with anyone who had need”. The sale is voluntary, not communal coercion, demonstrating stewardship rather than socialism. Acts 4:34 repeats the pattern: landowners, moved by love, liquidate holdings and lay the proceeds at the apostles’ feet. The term underscores that genuine faith produces open-handedness; temporal assets are expendable when eternal welfare is at stake. In Acts 5:4 Peter reminds Ananias that the land “was unsold and it was under your authority when sold.” The verb distinguishes between possession and disposition, exposing deceit when motives shift from worship to self-promotion. The contrast between Barnabas’ transparent sale (Acts 4:36-37) and Ananias’ hypocritical sale instructs on integrity in giving. Gospel Narratives: Devotion Versus Mercenary Mindsets When Mary of Bethany anoints Jesus, Judas objects: “Why wasn’t this perfume sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?” (John 12:5). Parallel protests surface in Matthew 26:9 and Mark 14:5. The proposed sale sounds charitable yet masks greed (John 12:6). The vocabulary exposes how pious rhetoric can cloak covetousness; a true valuation of Christ eclipses any economic calculation. Matthew 13:46 depicts the merchant who, on finding a pearl of great value, “went and sold all he had and bought it.” Here the term illustrates total commitment required for the kingdom, elevating spiritual treasure above material security. The action is deliberate, joyful, and irreversible. Parabolic Teaching on Debt and Servitude In the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant (Matthew 18:25) the master commands that the debtor “be sold, along with his wife and children and all he had, and payment be made.” The verb carries legal weight: a household could indeed be sold into servitude for an unpayable debt. The severity magnifies the magnitude of mercy when the master subsequently forgives. Forgiven people lose all ground for withholding forgiveness from others. Pauline Theology: Bondage to Sin Romans 7:14 shifts the term from commerce to captivity: “I am of the flesh, sold under sin.” Paul borrows slavery language to describe human inability under the law. The perfect passive highlights a state resulting from Adam’s fall—humanity stands as a commodity transferred into sin’s ownership. Redemption therefore requires a purchase price (1 Corinthians 6:20; though a different verb), connecting the economic imagery of sale to the atonement accomplished by Christ. Pastoral and Missional Implications 1. Stewardship: Believers are free to convert assets into ministry resources, mirroring the generosity of Acts without compulsion (2 Corinthians 9:7). Related Biblical Themes • Redemption (agorazō, “to buy”) Forms and Transliterations επιπρασκον επίπρασκον ἐπίπρασκον επραθη επράθη ἐπράθη επράθημεν επράθησαν επράθητε πέπρακα πέπρακά πέπρακε πεπρακεν πέπρακεν πεπραμενος πεπραμένος πέπρασαι πιπρασκομενων πιπρασκομένων πραθεν πραθέν πραθὲν πραθή πραθηναι πραθήναι πραθῆναι πραθήσεσθε πραθήσεται πραθήσεταί πραθήσονται πραθήτω epipraskon epípraskon eprathe eprathē epráthe epráthē pepraken pépraken pepramenos pepraménos pipraskomenon pipraskomenōn pipraskoménon pipraskoménōn prathen prathèn prathenai prathênai prathēnai prathē̂naiLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Matthew 13:46 V-RIA-3SGRK: μαργαρίτην ἀπελθὼν πέπρακεν πάντα ὅσα NAS: he went and sold all KJV: of great price, went and sold all that INT: pearl having gone away he has sold all things as many as Matthew 18:25 V-ANP Matthew 26:9 V-ANP Mark 14:5 V-ANP John 12:5 V-AIP-3S Acts 2:45 V-IIA-3P Acts 4:34 V-PPM/P-GMP Acts 5:4 V-APP-NNS Romans 7:14 V-RPM/P-NMS Strong's Greek 4097 |
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