κερδ-αίνω G2770
Gain, win, earn profit; to win over persons, earn financial return, obtain something valuable, or avoid loss
From the noun κέρδος (profit, advantage), this verb ranges across material and spiritual gain with remarkable flexibility. In the parables of the talents (Matt 25:16-22), it is straightforward business profit — Spanish 'ganaremos' and French 'gagner' match the commercial tone. But Paul radically redefines the word: he counts all things as loss 'that I may gain Christ' (Phil 3:8), and becomes 'all things to all people, that I might gain some' (1 Cor 9:19-22). The same verb that tallies coins in a ledger now tallies souls for the kingdom. A unique nautical usage in Acts 27:21 — 'gaining' the avoidance of damage — rounds out its semantic range.
Senses
1. win over persons — To win over persons through persuasion, correction, or godly example. Paul's great missionary manifesto in 1 Corinthians 9:19-22 uses κερδαίνω five times for winning Jews, Gentiles, and the weak to the faith. Jesus uses it in Matthew 18:15 for fraternal correction: 'you have gained your brother.' Spanish 'ganar' and German 'gewinnen' carry the same person-winning sense, while French 'gagner' preserves the root metaphor of profit applied to relationships. 7×
AR["أَرْبَحَ", "رابِحاً", "يُربَحونَ"]·ben["অর্জন-করে", "আমি-জয়-করি", "আমি-জয়-করি;", "আমি-জয়-করি।", "তারা-জিত-হয়"]·DE["gewinnen", "gewinnt"]·EN["I-might-gain", "having-gained", "they-may-be-won"]·FR["gagner"]·heb["אֶרְוִיחַ", "הִרְוִיחַ", "יִרָּכְשׁוּ"]·HI["कमाकर", "जीतूँ", "जीते-लिए-जाएँ"]·ID["aku-menangkan", "dimenangkan", "memperoleh"]·IT["guadagnare", "kerdesas", "kerdēthēsontai"]·jav["karebut;", "kula-angsalaken", "kula-angsalaken.", "kula-angsalaken;", "pikantuk"]·KO["얻고도", "얻어지리라", "얻으리라"]·PT["ganhe", "ganhe.", "ganhe;", "sejam-ganhos;", "tendo-ganhado"]·RU["были-приобретены;", "приобресть", "приобресть.", "приобресть;", "приобретя"]·ES["ganando", "gane", "serán-ganados"]·SW["akipata", "niwapate", "niwapate.", "niwapate;", "watashindwa"]·TR["kazanarak", "kazanayım", "kazanılacaklar"]·urd["جیت-لوں", "جیتے-جائیںگے؛", "کما-کر"]
2. gain or earn profit — To gain or earn financial profit, especially through trade or investment. The parable of the talents (Matt 25:16-22) uses this verb three times for servants who traded and 'gained' additional talents. Spanish 'ganaste/gané' and the phrase 'we will make profit' (Jas 4:13 context) keep the commercial register clear. This is the word's most literal, marketplace sense. 6×
AR["رَبِحَ", "رَبِحْتَ", "رَبِحْتُ", "سَنَربَحُ"]·ben["জিতলে", "লাভ-করব", "লাভ-করল", "লাভ-করেছি"]·DE["gewinnen", "gewinnt"]·EN["I-gained", "gained", "we-will-make-profit", "you-gained"]·FR["gagner"]·heb["הִרְוִיחַ", "הִרְוַחְתִּי", "הִרְוַחְתָּ", "נַרְוִיחַ"]·HI["कमाए", "कमाएँगे", "कमाया", "जेएत"]·ID["aku-hasilkan", "kita-akan-mendapat-untung--", "mendapatkan", "menghasilkan"]·IT["ekerdesa", "ekerdesas", "ekerdesen", "kerdēsomen"]·jav["angsal", "badhé-bathi--", "bathi", "kula-bathi"]·KO["벌리라 --", "벌었다", "벌었습니다", "얻었다"]·PT["ganhei", "ganhou", "teremos-lucro"]·RU["заработаем--", "приобрёл", "я-приобрёл"]·ES["ganaremos", "ganaste", "gané", "ganó"]·SW["alipata", "nimepata", "tutapata-faida", "umempata"]·TR["kazandı", "kazandım", "kazandın", "kâr-edeceğiz"]·urd["تُو-نے-جیتا", "نفع-کمائیں-گے--", "کمائے", "کمایا"]
3. obtain or attain something — To obtain or attain something of great value, often abstract or spiritual. Jesus poses the existential question: 'What does it profit a person to gain the whole world and forfeit their soul?' (Matt 16:26; Mark 8:36). Paul inverts worldly values entirely, counting everything as rubbish 'that I may gain Christ' (Phil 3:8). Spanish 'ganar' and French 'gagner' serve both material and spiritual acquisition, but the context transforms the word from ledger-book arithmetic to theology of ultimate worth. 3×
AR["أَرْبَحَ", "يَرْبَحَ", "يَرْبَحُ"]·ben["লাভ-করতে", "লাভ-করি", "লাভ-করে"]·DE["gewinnen", "gewinnt"]·EN["I-may-gain", "he-should-gain", "to-gain"]·FR["gagner"]·heb["יִרְוִיחַ", "לִרְכֹּשׁ", "מָשִׁיחַ"]·HI["कमअये", "कमाना", "मैन-पऔन,"]·ID["aku mendapat", "memperoleh"]·IT["kerdesai", "kerdese", "kerdēsō"]·jav["angsal", "kula-pikantuk", "pikantuk,"]·KO["얻고", "얻도록,"]·PT["eu-ganhe", "ganhar"]·RU["приобрести", "приобретёт", "приобрёл"]·ES["ganar", "ganare", "gane"]·SW["akiupata", "kuupata", "nimmpate"]·TR["kazanayim", "kazanmak", "kazansa"]·urd["پاؤں", "کمائے", "کمانا"]
4. avoid or spare loss — To gain in the sense of avoiding or being spared from loss or harm. In Acts 27:21, Paul tells the storm-tossed sailors they should have listened to him 'and gained this harm and loss' — meaning they would have avoided it. This is a unique idiomatic usage where 'gaining' paradoxically means 'not suffering.' German 'gewinnt' and Spanish 'ganar' do not naturally carry this avoidance nuance, making it a distinctly contextual extension of the verb. 1×
AR["لَرَبِحْتُمْ"]·ben["লাভ-করিতে"]·DE["gewinnt"]·EN["to-have-gained"]·FR["gagner"]·heb["וּלְהַרְוִיחַ"]·HI["बचने"]·ID["menghindar"]·IT["guadagnare"]·jav["pikantuk"]·KO["얻었을-것이다"]·PT["e-lucrar"]·RU["избежать"]·ES["y-ganar"]·SW["na-kupata"]·TR["kazanmak"]·urd["بچانا"]
Related Senses
H5414 1. give, bestow (1855×)H3947 1. take, seize, grasp (Qal) (940×)G2192 1. possess / have (680×)G1325 1. give, bestow (336×)H5159 1. inherited land or property (170×)G2983 1. receive, obtain (134×)H3423 1. Qal: take possession of land (130×)G2983 2. take, take up (113×)G2398 1. one's own, belonging to oneself (91×)G3860 1. hand over, deliver to custody (78×)H7998 1. spoil, plunder, booty (74×)G1325 2. be given, be granted (70×)H5414 2. put, place, set (68×)H7999a 1. pay, repay, recompense (63×)H7069 1. Buy, purchase (59×)H1892 1. vanity, futility, absurdity (58×)H5159 2. heritage as covenant portion (52×)H6299 1. redeem or ransom (Qal active) (49×)H4376 1. Sell (Qal active) (47×)H1350a 1. Redeem, buy back (46×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
κερδ-αίνω, future - ᾰνῶ Refs 5th c.BC+; Ionic dialect -ανέω Refs 5th c.BC+; κερδήσω NT+5th c.BC+: aorist 1 ἐκέρδᾱνα Refs 5th c.BC+ codices, etc.; Ionic dialect -ηνα Refs 8th c.BC+: perfect κεκέρδαγκα Refs 4th c.BC+:— passive, aorist participle κερδανθείς Refs 1st c.BC+: perfect κεκερδημένος Refs 1st c.AD+: (κέρδος):—gain, derive profit or advantage, κακὰ κ. make unfair gains, Refs 8th c.BC+; τί…