4421. pténos

Lexical Summary

pténos: Feathered, winged

Original Word: πτενός
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: pténos
Pronunciation: pteh-NOS
Phonetic Spelling: (ptay-non')
KJV: bird
NASB: birds
Word Origin: [contraction for G4071 (πετεινόν - birds)]

1. a bird

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

bird.

Contraction for peteinon; a bird -- bird.

see GREEK peteinon

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from petomai
Definition
winged
NASB Translation
birds (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 4421: πτηνός

πτηνός, πτηνη, πτηνον (πέτομαι, πτῆναι), furnished with wings; winged, flying: τά πτηνα, birds (often so in Greek writings from Aeschylus down), 1 Corinthians 15:39.

Topical Lexicon

Semantic Field and Connotations

Πτηνός (ptēnos) designates “winged” or “flying” creatures, embracing the whole avian realm—whether domestic fowl, migratory birds, or birds of prey. In Scripture such creatures serve both literal and symbolic functions, often acting as living testimonies to God’s creative power, providential care, and moral instruction.

New Testament Usage (1 Corinthians 15:39)

Paul employs the term once, contrasting the “flesh” of humans, land animals, birds, and fish to illustrate the varied splendor of God’s creative order and to prepare his readers for the greater marvel of the resurrection body. The apostle’s argument gains force from everyday observations: just as birds possess a distinct nature suited for the sky, so the resurrected believer will receive a body perfectly adapted for the coming age.

Old Testament Foundations

1. Creation: “God created … every winged bird according to its kind” (Genesis 1:21). Birds therefore stand among the first evidences of divine craftsmanship.
2. Covenant and Provision: After the flood, Noah releases birds to gauge the earth’s renewal (Genesis 8:6-12), highlighting their role as heralds of hope. The manna narrative (Exodus 16:13) and Elijah’s ravens (1 Kings 17:4-6) reveal avian instruments of divine sustenance.
3. Worship and Sacrifice: Doves and pigeons appear in Levitical offerings (Leviticus 1:14-17), providing an accessible sacrifice even for the poor, thus preserving equity in worship.
4. Wisdom and Warning: Proverbs and the Prophets employ birds to teach vigilance (Proverbs 1:17), humility (Ecclesiastes 10:20), and impending judgment (Jeremiah 4:25-26).

Symbolic and Theological Motifs

• Care and Provision: Jesus points to the birds of the air, “they do not sow or reap … yet your heavenly Father feeds them” (Matthew 6:26). This establishes a baseline of trust for kingdom living.
• Freedom and Deliverance: “We have escaped like a bird from the fowler’s snare” (Psalm 124:7) depicts salvation as liberation from captive flight.
• Transience and Frailty: “My days are like an evening shadow; I wither away like grass … like a lonely bird on a housetop” (Psalm 102:11, 7), reminding believers of life’s brevity apart from God.
• Eschatological Imagery: Revelation’s supper of the great God (Revelation 19:17-18) summons all birds to feast upon defeated evil, dramatizing final justice.

Doctrinal Implications Drawn from 1 Corinthians 15:39

1. Diversity within Unity: Distinct “kinds” reflect deliberate divine design; unity is not uniformity.
2. Continuity and Transformation: The analogy underscores continuity of identity (flesh) and yet transformation (glory) in resurrection.
3. Bodily Redemption: As birds are fashioned for the skies, redeemed humanity will be fitted for a new creation, affirming physical resurrection rather than mere spiritual survival.

Practical Ministry Applications

• Stewardship: Because birds manifest God’s creative wisdom, ecological care honors their Maker (cf. Deuteronomy 22:6-7).
• Pastoral Encouragement: Pointing anxious believers to avian providence (Matthew 6:26) cultivates faith amidst uncertainty.
• Homiletic Illustrations: Paul’s taxonomy in 1 Corinthians 15 models how ordinary observations can illuminate profound doctrines.

Related Greek and Hebrew Terms

• Ὄρνεον (orneon) – bird, often used in Revelation.
• Πτηνόν (ptēnon, LXX) – the Septuagint’s standard word for winged creatures, aligning the Greek Old Testament with πατηνός in Paul.
• Hebrew עוֹף (ʿôph) – “flying creature,” appearing in Genesis 1 and elsewhere.

Conclusion

Strong’s Greek 4421 enriches biblical theology by situating birds as markers of God’s creative breadth, pedagogical tools for spiritual truths, and eschatological participants in the final victory of God. Paul’s single New Testament usage calls believers to marvel at the manifold wisdom of God, anticipating the transformation that awaits those in Christ.

Forms and Transliterations

έπτηξαν έπτηξε πετεινών πτηνων πτηνῶν πτήξητε πτίλλος ptenon ptenôn ptēnōn ptēnō̂n

Englishman's Concordance

1 Corinthians 15:39 Adj-GNP
GRK: δὲ σὰρξ πτηνῶν ἄλλη δὲ
NAS: flesh of birds, and another
KJV: [and] another of birds.
INT: moreover flesh of birds another moreover

Strong's Greek 4421
1 Occurrence

πτηνῶν — 1 Occ.