μόχθ-ος G3449
toil, hardship, laborious effort or distress
This term denotes painful toil, laborious effort, or the hardship of demanding work. Paul recounts his apostolic hardships: 'in toil and hardship' (2 Cor 11:27). He reminds the Thessalonians he worked 'night and day' in 'toil and hardship' so as not to burden them (1 Thess 2:9, 2 Thess 3:8). The emphasis is on strenuous, wearying labor, not joyful productivity. The translations—'afán,' 'fatiga,' 'Mühe'—all convey exhausting exertion.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Toil, hardship, or laborious effort marked by weariness and strain. Paul uses μόχθος to describe his self-supporting manual labor while doing ministry—working 'night and day' in toil so as not to burden churches (1 Thess 2:9, 2 Thess 3:8). In 2 Corinthians 11:27 it's part of his catalog of apostolic sufferings. Spanish 'afán/fatiga' (exertion/fatigue) and German 'Mühe' (trouble, effort) emphasize the exhausting, burdensome quality of the labor. 3×
AR["كَدٍّ", "كَدَّ"]·ben["কষ্ট", "কষ্টে"]·DE["Muehe"]·EN["hardship", "toil"]·FR["μόχθον", "μόχθῳ"]·heb["יְגִיעָה", "תּוֹחֶלֶת"]·HI["कशत", "कष्ट", "मेहनत"]·ID["kesusahan", "lelah,", "susah-payah"]·IT["fatica", "mochthon", "mochthō"]·jav["kesah-kesahan:", "rèkawos"]·KO["고생에", "고생으로", "고생을:"]·PT["fadiga"]·RU["тяготе", "усилие", "усилии"]·ES["afán", "fatiga"]·SW["taabu", "taabu,"]·TR["zahmetimizi", "zahmetle", "zahmette"]·urd["مشقت"]
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
μόχθ-ος, ὁ, = Homeric μόγος, toil, hardship, distress, ἀμφὶ δ᾽ ἀέθλῳ δῆριν ἔχειν καὶ μ. Refs 8th c.BC+; μόχθων ἀμπνοά, ἀμοιβά, Refs 5th c.BC+: also in plural, toils, troubles, hardships, Refs 4th c.BC+, etc.; of the labours of Heracles, Refs 5th c.BC+; μ. τέκνων for them, Refs 5th c.BC+; μόχθον ἀμφὶ πράγμασι epigram cited in Refs 4th c.BC+; Ἀπελλείου μ. γραφίδος, of a picture, NT+5th c.BC+; μ. implies hardship, πόνος work (but μ. is said to be Cretan dialect for πόνος Refs