πενιχρ-ός G3998
poor, needy; lacking resources or means
An adjective meaning poor or needy, emphasizing economic poverty and lack of resources. Luke uses it to describe the poor widow who put two small coins into the temple treasury (Luke 21:2). The term is poetic and somewhat rare in classical prose, appearing in epic and later literature. It underscores the widow's genuine poverty, making her sacrificial giving all the more remarkable in Jesus' commendation.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Describes someone who is poor or lacking material resources. Luke's account highlights the widow's poverty to contrast with the large gifts of the wealthy, emphasizing the sacrificial nature of her offering. The multilingual evidence ('poor,' 'pobre,' 'pauvre') consistently captures economic deprivation, which Jesus values not by amount but by proportion and heart. 1×
AR["فَقيرَةً"]·ben["দরিদ্র"]·DE["πενιχρὰν"]·EN["poor"]·FR["pauvre"]·heb["עֲנִיָּה"]·HI["निर्धन"]·ID["yang-miskin"]·IT["penichran"]·jav["ingkang-mlarat,"]·KO["가난한"]·PT["pobre"]·RU["бедную"]·ES["pobre"]·SW["maskini"]·TR["yoksul"]·urd["غریب"]
Related Senses
G2962 1. Lord (divine title) (661×)H0136 1. Lord (divine title) (440×)H0113 1. lord, human superior (249×)G1849 1. authority, power (91×)H6485a 2. Qal: punish, bring judgment (63×)H8198 1. maidservant, female slave (63×)G2962 2. master, lord (human authority) (61×)H0034 1. needy, poor, destitute (61×)H0519 1. female servant, maidservant (56×)H6041 1. poor, needy person (55×)H0113 2. master, owner of servants (49×)H4910 1. Qal: to have dominion, exercise power over (44×)H1800 1. poor, needy (socioeconomic) (38×)H3515 1. heavy, severe, grievous (36×)G4434 1. (34×)G5092 1. honor, esteem, respect (33×)H6485a 4. Qal: visit, attend to, care for (32×)H3513 1. honor / show respect (Piel) (30×)H4910 2. Qal: to rule, govern (administrative authority) (27×)H4513 1. withhold, restrain, hold back (25×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
πενιχρ-ός, ά, όν, poor, needy, Refs 8th c.BC+—poetical word, found in Comedy texts, as Refs 6th c.BC+, and in later Prose, as LXX+5th c.BC+: comparative πενιχρότερος Refs 1st c.AD+, superlative -ότατοςRefs 2nd c.BC+. adverb -χρῶςRefs 4th c.BC+.by nature, Refs 8th c.BC+