κόπ-ος G2873
Labor, toil, or hard work; also trouble or annoyance caused to someone, often in the idiom 'to cause trouble.'
Kopos captures the wearying, sweat-soaked side of effort. In its primary NT sense, it denotes strenuous labor and productive toil, whether in agriculture, ministry, or apostolic service. Paul uses it repeatedly to validate his own tireless work for the gospel (1 Cor 15:58; 2 Cor 6:5; 10:15; 11:23, 27; 1 Thess 1:3). A secondary sense appears in the idiom kopous parechein, 'to cause trouble,' where the focus shifts from productive exertion to unwelcome burden. Jesus uses this phrase to defend the woman who anointed him (Matt 26:10; Mark 14:6), and the persistent widow wears down the unjust judge by the trouble she causes (Luke 18:5).
Senses
1. labor, toil, hard work — Strenuous physical or mental exertion, productive toil and effort expended in work or ministry. Spanish 'trabajo/trabajos' and French 'travail' both derive from Latin words for toil and suffering, preserving kopos's connotation that meaningful work costs something. Paul speaks of the 'labor' of others into which the disciples enter (John 4:38), insists that labor 'in the Lord' is never in vain (1 Cor 15:58), and catalogs his own toils alongside hunger, sleeplessness, and danger (2 Cor 6:5; 11:23, 27). The word always implies exertion that takes a toll on the worker. 13×
AR["أَتعابٍ", "أَتعابِهِم", "أَتْعابٍ", "تَعَبٍ", "تَعَبَ", "تَعَبَكَ", "تَعَبُ", "تَعَبُكُم", "تَعَبِ"]·ben["পরিশ্রম", "পরিশ্রমে", "পরিশ্রমে,", "পরিশ্রমের", "পরিশ্রমের।"]·DE["Muehe"]·EN["in-toil", "labor", "labors"]·FR["peine", "travail"]·heb["הָ-עָמָל", "עֲמָל", "עֲמָלִים", "עֲמָלָם", "עֲמָלוֹת", "עָמָל"]·HI["परिश्रम", "परिश्रमों"]·ID["dalam-jerih-payah", "jerih-lelah", "jerih-payah", "kerja-keras"]·IT["fatica"]·jav["kangelan", "kangelan.", "kangelaning-makarya", "kesah", "pagawangan", "pagaweanipun", "pakaryan", "rekasa,"]·KO["수고", "수고-와", "수고가", "수고들", "수고들에", "수고에", "수고와", "수고의"]·PT["em-trabalho", "trabalho", "trabalhos"]·RU["труд", "трудах", "труде", "трудов", "труду"]·ES["en-trabajo", "trabajo", "trabajos"]·SW["jitihada", "kazi", "kazi,", "kazi.", "kazi;", "taabu"]·TR["emek", "emeklerde", "emeklerin", "emeklerinde", "emeklerine", "emekte", "emeğimiz", "emeğimizi", "emeğine", "emeğini", "o-"]·urd["-ال", "محنت", "محنت-کا", "محنتوں"]
John 4:38, 1 Cor 3:8, 1 Cor 15:58, 2 Cor 6:5, 2 Cor 10:15, 2 Cor 11:23, 2 Cor 11:27, 1 Thess 1:3, 1 Thess 2:9, 1 Thess 3:5, 2 Thess 3:8, Rev 2:2 (+1 more)
2. trouble, annoyance, bother — Trouble, annoyance, or bother caused to someone, typically appearing in the fixed phrase kopous parechein ('to cause/give trouble'). Spanish 'molestia/molestias' sharply distinguishes this sense from productive labor, pointing to unwanted disruption rather than constructive effort. When the disciples grumble about the woman's costly ointment, Jesus replies, 'Why do you cause her trouble?' (Matt 26:10; Mark 14:6). The friend roused at midnight protests the bother (Luke 11:7), and the widow's relentless troubling finally overcomes the unjust judge (Luke 18:5). Paul's closing 'let no one cause me trouble' (Gal 6:17) uses the word as a summary dismissal of opposition. 5×
AR["إِزْعاجاً", "تَعَبًا", "مَتاعِبَ", "مَتَاعِبَ"]·ben["কষ্ট"]·DE["Muehe", "κόπον", "κόπους"]·EN["trouble", "troubles"]·FR["peine"]·heb["טֹרַח", "צָרוֹת"]·HI["कथिनऐयअन", "कष्ट"]·ID["kesulitan", "kesusahan"]·IT["fatica"]·jav["damel-repot", "kasusahan", "rekaos"]·KO["수고-를", "수고를", "수고를-끼치지"]·PT["incômodos", "problemas"]·RU["беспокойства", "беспокойство", "трудностей", "трудности"]·ES["molestia", "molestias"]·SW["taabu", "tabu"]·TR["zahmet", "zahmetler", "zorluklar"]·urd["تکلیف", "تکلیفیں", "مشقتیں"]
Related Senses
G0846 1. third-person pronoun reference (5552×)H???? 1. (4670×)H6213a 1. do, perform, act (2383×)G4160 1. do, act, perform (473×)H5221 1. Hifil: to strike in battle, smite enemies (362×)H0899b 1. garment, article of clothing (216×)H6213a 2. make, construct, fabricate (148×)H3772 1. cut a covenant / make a pact (97×)H5060 1. touch physically (Qal) (96×)H3615 1. complete a task (Piel) (85×)H3772 2. cut off / destroy (Hifil causative) (81×)H3920 1. capture, seize (Qal) (76×)H???? 12. (76×)H3772 3. be cut off / be eliminated (Niphal) (74×)H6213a 3. be done, be made (Niphal) (73×)G4160 2. make, construct, create (62×)H3847 1. Qal: put on, wear (60×)H8210 1. pour out (liquid/libation) (59×)G2440 1. garment or clothing (general) (54×)H4191 4. kill / put to death (Hifil causative) (50×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
κόπ-ος, ὁ, (κόπτω) striking, beating, ὀξύχειρι σὺν κόπῳ (Pauw for κτύπῳ) Refs 4th c.BC+; στέρνων κόπους (Seidler for κτύπους) Refs 5th c.BC+; ={κοπανισμός}, Refs 5th c.AD+ __II toil and trouble, suffering, Refs 5th c.BC+; pain of a disease, Refs 5th c.BC+; κόπους παρέχειν τινί to give trouble, NT+2nd c.BC+; κόπον ἔχειν Refs 1st c.BC+ __II.2 fatigue, Refs 5th c.BC+; κόπου ὕπο from very weariness,…