νήθω G3514
to spin thread or yarn, work fibers into thread
The domestic labor of drawing out and twisting fibers (wool, flax) into thread using a spindle—work typically done by women in the ancient world. Jesus uses this verb in His teaching about anxiety and divine provision: 'Consider the lilies... they neither toil nor spin, yet Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these' (Matthew 6:28, Luke 12:27). The mundane craft becomes Jesus' illustration of how God clothes creation more beautifully than human industry can achieve.
Senses
1. sense 1 — To spin fibers into thread, the fundamental textile work that precedes weaving. Jesus contrasts human labor (spinning, weaving, clothing) with divine provision (lilies arrayed by God). The gendered nature of spinning in antiquity (women's work) adds dimension—even the most industrious domestic labor cannot match God's creative artistry. Cross-linguistic glosses are uniform (Spanish 'hilar,' French 'filer,' German spinning verb forms), all pointing to the specific craft of thread-making. 2×
AR["تَغزِلُ", "تَغْزِلُ"]·ben["কাটে", "সুতা-কাটে:"]·DE["νήθει›", "νήθουσιν"]·EN["do-they-spin", "spin"]·FR["filer"]·heb["טָווֹת", "טוֹווֹת"]·HI["कातती-हैं", "कातते"]·ID["memintal"]·IT["filare"]·jav["mintal", "nenun"]·KO["방적한다", "커지는다"]·PT["fiam"]·RU["прядут"]·ES["hilan"]·SW["hayasokoti", "kusokota"]·TR["eğirir", "eğirirler"]·urd["کاتتے", "کاتتے-ہیں"]
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
νήθω, spin, LXX+5th c.BC+ (but said not to be Attic dialect, Refs 2nd c.AD+: Ionic dialect imperfect νήθεσκες Refs