Lexical Summary phtheiró: To destroy, to corrupt, to spoil Original Word: φθείρω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance corrupt, defile, destroy. Probably strengthened from phthio (to pine or waste); properly, to shrivel or wither, i.e. To spoil (by any process) or (generally) to ruin (especially figuratively, by moral influences, to deprave) -- corrupt (self), defile, destroy. HELPS Word-studies 5351 phtheírō (from phthiō, "perish, waste away") – properly, waste away, corrupt (deteriorate); (figuratively) to cause or experience moral deterioration – i.e. decomposition (break-down), due to the corrupting influence of sin. [This root (pht-) literally means "waste away" (degenerate), "moving down from a higher level (quality, status) to a lower form.] NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom a prim. root phther- Definition to destroy, corrupt, spoil NASB Translation corrupted (2), corrupting (1), corrupts (1), destroy (1), destroyed (2), destroys (1), led astray (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 5351: φθείρωφθείρω; future φθερῶ; 1 aorist ἐφθειρα; passive, present φθείρομαι; 2 aorist ἐφθάρην; 2 future φθαρήσομαι; (akin to German verderben); the Sept. for שִׁחֵת; (from Homer down); to corrupt, to destroy: properly, τόν ναόν τοῦ Θεοῦ (in the opinion of the Jews the temple was corrupted, or 'destroyed', when anyone defiled or in the slightest degree damaged anything in it, or if its guardians neglected their duties; cf. Deyling, Observations, sacrae, vol. ii, p. 505ff), dropping the figure, to lead away a Christian church from that state of knowledge and holiness in which it ought to abide, 1 Corinthians 3:17a; τινα, to punish with death, 1 Corinthians 3:17{b}; equivalent to to bring to want or beggary (cf. our ruin (A. V. corrupt)), 2 Corinthians 7:2; passive, to be destroyed, to perish: ἐν τίνι, by a thing, Jude 1:10; ἐν with a dative denoting the condition, ἐν τῇ φθορά αὐτῶν, 2 Peter 2:12 L T Tr WH. in an ethical sense, to corrupt, deprave: φθείρουσιν ἔθη χρηστά ὁμιλίαι κακαί (a saying of Menander (see ἦθος, 2), which seems to have passed into a proverb (see Wetstein at the passage; Gataker, Advers. misc. l. i. c. 1, p. 174f)), 1 Corinthians 15:33; the character of the inhabitants of the earth, Revelation 19:2; passive, φθείρομαι ἀπό τίνος, to be so corrupted as to fall away from a thing (see ἀπό, I. 3 d.), 2 Corinthians 11:3; φθειρόμενον κατά τάς ἐπιθυμίας (R. V. waxeth corrupt etc.), Ephesians 4:22. (Compare: διαφθείρω, καταφθείρω.) Topical Lexicon Meaning and Nuance The verb behind Strong’s Greek 5351 carries the idea of active ruin—moving something from a state of wholeness to one of decay, whether physically, morally, or spiritually. In the New Testament its primary thrust is moral or spiritual degeneration that issues in final destruction if unchecked. Occurrences in the New Testament 1 Corinthians 3:17; 1 Corinthians 15:33; 2 Corinthians 7:2; 2 Corinthians 11:3; Ephesians 4:22; 2 Peter 2:12; Jude 10; Revelation 19:2 (plus the future form in the second half of 1 Corinthians 3:17). Each setting supplies a distinctive angle on what “corruption” looks like and how God responds to it. Moral and Spiritual Corruption • 2 Corinthians 11:3 warns that, “just as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity and purity that is in Christ.” Corruption begins in the mind, progressing from doctrinal compromise to practical disobedience. Temple Holiness and the Community of Faith In 1 Corinthians 3:17 Paul applies the term to God’s dwelling among His people: “If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.” Here corruption is not merely personal; it threatens the integrity of the whole congregation. God’s response—“God will destroy him”—shows that divine holiness will not coexist indefinitely with willful defilement. False Teaching and Intellectual Depravity 2 Peter 2:12 and Jude 10 describe false teachers who, “like irrational animals… will be destroyed in their destruction.” Corruption is self-inflicted: those who degrade the truth become the very prey of the forces they unleashed. The church is thereby alerted that doctrinal purity is not optional but life-preserving. Societal Corruption and Eschatological Judgment Revelation 19:2 celebrates the downfall of Babylon, “who corrupted the earth with her immorality.” In the Apocalypse, corruption reaches international scale, calling for public, decisive judgment. The verb thus brackets history—from the serpent’s corruption of Eve (alluded to in 2 Corinthians 11) to the final overthrow of worldly systems that promote decay. Pastoral and Discipleship Implications 1. Guard associations (1 Corinthians 15:33). These texts collectively call believers to proactive holiness, recognizing that corruption is progressive but resistible through the Spirit’s power and the ministry of the Word. Historical Background and Greco-Roman Usage Classical writers used the verb for crops ruined by blight, bodies spoiled by disease, or political orders undone by intrigue. The New Testament retains the sense of irreversible damage but intensifies it theologically: corruption offends God’s holiness and invites His judgment. Old Testament Parallels The Septuagint often employs the same verb to translate Hebrew shachath (“to spoil, destroy”), such as in Genesis 6:11-12 where “all flesh had corrupted its way on the earth.” The continuity reinforces a canonical theme: corruption provokes divine intervention, whether the flood, exile, or final judgment. Conclusion Strong’s 5351 traces a sobering trajectory from inner deception to ultimate destruction, yet simultaneously highlights the Gospel’s power to halt that downward spiral. By heeding the apostolic warnings and relying on the renewing work of the Spirit, the church embodies the incorruptible life secured in Christ. Forms and Transliterations εφθάρη εφθάρησαν εφθειραμεν εφθείραμεν ἐφθείραμεν έφθειρας έφθειρε εφθειρεν ἔφθειρεν φθαρη φθαρή φθαρῇ φθαρήσεται φθαρησονται φθαρήσονται φθείραι φθειρει φθείρει φθειρομενον φθειρόμενον φθειρονται φθείρονται φθειρουσιν φθείρουσιν φθερει φθερεί φθερεῖ φθερείτε φθερώ ephtheiramen ephtheíramen ephtheiren éphtheiren phthare phtharē phtharêi phtharē̂i phtharesontai phtharēsontai phtharḗsontai phtheirei phtheírei phtheiromenon phtheirómenon phtheirontai phtheírontai phtheirousin phtheírousin phtherei phthereîLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 1 Corinthians 3:17 V-PIA-3SGRK: τοῦ θεοῦ φθείρει φθερεῖ τοῦτον NAS: If any man destroys the temple of God, KJV: If any man defile the temple of God, INT: of God destroys will destroy him 1 Corinthians 3:17 V-FIA-3S 1 Corinthians 15:33 V-PIA-3P 2 Corinthians 7:2 V-AIA-1P 2 Corinthians 11:3 V-ASP-3S Ephesians 4:22 V-PPM/P-AMS 2 Peter 2:12 V-FIP-3S Jude 1:10 V-PIM/P-3P Revelation 19:2 V-IIA-3S Strong's Greek 5351 |
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