Abarim Publications' online Biblical Greek Dictionary
φθιω φθινω
The verb φθιω (phthio) or φθινω (phthino) means to decay or wane, or waste or pass away (of the night, of one's life, of one's strength). In the classics, this verb could also describe the waning of the moon (and thus the progressing of time within the month, which began and ended at New Moon) or the setting or declining of stars.
Our verb is thought to derive from an otherwise poorly attested Proto-Indo-European root that means to flow, diverge or perish, but here at Abarim Publications we'd like to point out the similarity with the Hebrew verb פתה (pata), to be simple or muddy-minded. The Greek alphabet is an adaptation of the Hebrew one, and was introduced into the Greek language area doubtlessly with a collection of useful terms to jumpstart Greece's later so famous wisdom tradition.
The verb φθιω (phthio) is not used independently in the New Testament, but from it derive:
- The verb φθειρω (phtheiro), meaning to destroy or ruin, or more specifically: to undo or make to fall apart: to disintegrate, decompile or deconstruct. Besides a physical disintegration, this verb could describe a soiling (by muddy feet on a precious carpet) or spoiling in a moral or social sense, to bribe or corrupt (of a seduced woman or poisoned blood). Tellingly, this verb could also describe sailors drifting off their intended course and into harm's way, ultimately to be shipwrecked and marooned. This verb is used 7 times in the New Testament, see full concordance, and from it derive:
- Together with the preposition δια (dia), meaning through or throughout: the verb διαφθειρω (diaphtheiro), meaning to wholly destroy or corrupt through and through. This verb is used 7 times, see full concordance, and from it in turn come:
- Together with the common particle of negation α (a), meaning not: the noun αδιαφθορια (adiaphthoria), meaning incorruptibility or indestructability (Titus 2:7 only). In the thermodynamic universe, in which everything that can fall apart must fall apart, this is a very big word, and only applicable to χρυσος (chrusos), gold, the Word of God, and any human society that is centered on the Word (Revelation 22:5). This noun appears to be a Pauline invention; in the classics occurs only the adjective αδιαφθορος (adiaphthoros), meaning not affected by decay or corruption (a quality hoped to exist in judges, magistrates and witnesses), or imperishable (Plato uses this word to argue that man's soul can only be immortal if it is also indestructible, which means that man's mortal coil, his body, is also his sole corruptible part; Phaedo.106e).
- The noun διαφορα (diaphora), meaning an utter ruin, or a wholesale destruction or corruption. On rare occasions in the classics, this word was used to describe a corpse. In the New Testament, this noun is deployed 6 times, see full concordance, always in reference to physical decay upon death. It translates the Hebrew verb שחת (shahat), to destroy or corrupt.
- Together with the preposition κατα (kata), meaning down or down upon: the verb καταφθειρω (kataphtheiro), meaning to bring [down] to destruction (2 Timothy 3:8 and 2 Peter 2:12 only).
- The adjective φθαρτος (phthartos), meaning destructible or corruptible. This adjective is used 6 times; see full concordance. As noted above, in the thermodynamic universe, entropy must always increase, which means that everything decays, with the notable exception of the Word of God that decrees this very destruction of everything unstable. Also indestructible, of course, is any human society that is wholly in synch with the Word, which is a society in which everything unstable will ultimately decay, but which itself is as permanent and incorruptible as the Word it is based on (Matthew 24:35, Revelation 21:3). From this adjective comes:
- Again together with the common particle of negation α (a), meaning not: the adjective αφθαρτος (aphthartos), meaning not affected by decay, ruin or destruction. As said above, since we live in a thermodynamic universe, this quality only describes God, the Word of God, and anything in harmonic synchronicity with the Word of God: godly humans and their divine city of the New Jerusalem. This adjective occurs 7 times, see full concordance, and from it in turn comes:
- The noun αφθαρσια (aphtharsia), which describes the sustained quality of indestructibility. This noun is used 8 times; see full concordance.
- Again together with the common particle of negation α (a), meaning not: the adjective αφθαρτος (aphthartos), meaning not affected by decay, ruin or destruction. As said above, since we live in a thermodynamic universe, this quality only describes God, the Word of God, and anything in harmonic synchronicity with the Word of God: godly humans and their divine city of the New Jerusalem. This adjective occurs 7 times, see full concordance, and from it in turn comes:
- The noun φθορα (phthora), meaning a destruction, deconstruction, disintegration or decay: a falling apart or taking apart of unstable structures and their reduction to their stable constituents. This noun is used 9 times; see full concordance.
- Together with the preposition δια (dia), meaning through or throughout: the verb διαφθειρω (diaphtheiro), meaning to wholly destroy or corrupt through and through. This verb is used 7 times, see full concordance, and from it in turn come:
- Together with the noun οπωρα (opora), autumn: the adjective φθινοπωρινος (phthinoporinos), meaning autumnal: being over one's youthful and reproductive summery summit and waning into winter (Jude 1:12 only).
φθονος
The noun φθονος (phthonos) means active jealousy: an act or attitude of envy toward the good fortune of others — not mere greed for other people's bliss but rather a desire to vandalize and destroy it. This bizarre but very human sentiment is discussed in the archetypal story of Solomon's wise judgement between the two mothers (1 Kings 3:16-27).
Human jealousy is nearly always vicious and self-serving. But if someone's choice of pleasures leads to their demise, the desire to destroy those pleasures becomes a divine quality. The same Solomon declared: "Jealousy is as severe as Sheol. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of YHWH" (Song of Solomon 8:6). Hardwired into the very Law, God called himself a jealous God (Exodus 20:5), whose preeminence meant salvation for those who came after (John 1:15, 1 John 4:19).
Our noun φθονος (phthonos) is of unclear pedigree, but here at Abarim Publications we propose it's closely related to the verb φθινω (phthino), to decay or waste away, we discuss above (and if not etymologically, then surely by convergence brought about by popular use). As said above, these words are also strikingly similar to the Hebrew verb פתה (pata), to be simple or muddy-minded.
Our noun is used 9 times in the New Testament, see full concordance, and from it comes:
- The verb φθονεω (phthoneo), meaning to act out of envy, to treat each other with the intent of destroying the other's happiness (Galatians 5:26 only).
φθανω
The verb φθανω (phthano) means to come before, to come earlier than, and thus to be ahead of, to overtake or gain ground on someone (as in a race). This word too is of obscure pedigree although it clearly relates to the noun φθονος (phthonos), envy (again, either by etymology or else by convergence due to users sensing that these words expressed very similar ideas).
This verb is used 7 times, see full concordance, and from it derives:
- Together with the preposition προ (pro), meaning before: the verb προφθανω (prophthano), meaning to pre-anticipate, to out-outrun or beat some other anticipator to it. This verb occurs in Matthew 17:25 only, where Jesus beats Simon Peter to chiming in the first word and setting the tone of the discussion.