πλουτ-έω G4147
To be or become rich, whether in material wealth or in spiritual blessing and divine grace.
This verb spans the full range of enrichment, from amassing earthly possessions to receiving the lavish generosity of God. On the material side, Revelation's merchants 'became rich' from Babylon's luxury (Rev 18:3, 15, 19), and Jesus warns against the one who 'stores up treasure for himself' but is not rich toward God (Luke 12:21). The Spanish enriquecerse serves both registers seamlessly. On the spiritual side, Paul's striking paradox in 2 Corinthians 8:9 turns on this verb: Christ 'became poor so that you through his poverty might become rich.' The Laodicean church's tragic self-assessment, 'I have become wealthy' (Rev 3:17), ironically blends both senses, since they were materially comfortable but spiritually bankrupt.
Senses
1. become rich (materially) — To become rich in material possessions or financial prosperity. Used of merchants enriched by Babylon's trade (Rev 18:3, 15, 19), the self-deceived rich (Luke 12:21), and the Laodicean church's misplaced confidence in wealth (Rev 3:17). Spanish enriqueciéndose and German reich-werden confirm the concrete economic sense. Luke 1:53 reverses the expectation: God sends the rich away empty. 6×
AR["اسْتَغْنى", "اسْتَغْنَوْا", "اغْتَنَيْتُ", "الَّذينَ اسْتَغْنَوْا", "الْأَغْنِيَاءَ", "يَغْتَنِي"]·ben["আমি-ধনী-হয়েছি,", "ধনী-হয়", "ধনী-হয়েছিল", "ধনী-হয়েছে", "ধনীদের"]·DE["reich-werden", "πλουτοῦντας", "πλουτῶν"]·EN["I-have-become-wealthy", "became-rich", "being-rich", "having-become-rich", "rich"]·FR["s'enrichir"]·heb["הִתְעַשַּׁרְתִּי", "הֶעֱשִׁירוּ", "הַמִּתְעַשְׁרִים", "מִתְעַשֵׁר", "עֲשִׁירִים"]·HI["धनवानों-को", "धनी-हुए", "धनी-होने-वाला", "मैंने-धन-इकट्ठा-किया-है,"]·ID["aku-menjadi-kaya,", "kaya", "menjadi-kaya", "orang-orang-kaya"]·IT["arricchirsi"]·jav["dados-sugih", "kawula-sampun-sugih", "sugih", "tiyang-sugih"]·KO["부유한-자는", "부유한-자들-을", "부유해졌다", "부유해진-자들이"]·PT["enriqueceram", "enriqueci", "enriquecidos", "ricos"]·RU["богатеющий", "богатящихся", "разбогатевшие", "разбогател,", "разбогатели"]·ES["a-ricos", "enriqueciéndose", "me-he-enriquecido", "que-se-enriquecieron", "se-enriquecieron"]·SW["matajiri", "nimetajirika,", "tajiri", "waliotajirika", "walitajirika", "wametajirika."]·TR["ve-", "zenginleri", "zenginleşen", "zenginleşenler", "zenginleştiler"]·urd["امیر-ہوئے", "امیروں-کو", "دولت-مند", "مالدار-ہو-گیا"]
2. become rich (spiritually) — To be enriched spiritually, by God's grace or salvific bounty. Paul employs this sense powerfully: believers are made rich through Christ's voluntary poverty (2 Cor 8:9), and the Corinthians boast of having already 'become rich' in spiritual gifts (1 Cor 4:8, used with gentle irony). God is 'rich toward all who call on him' (Rom 10:12). Spanish enriquecidos/fuerais-enriquecidos and the parallel with 1 Tim 6:18 ('rich in good works') show the metaphorical transfer from economics to divine generosity. 6×
AR["أَنْ-يَسْتَغْنوا", "اغْتَنَيْتُمْ", "تَغتَنوا", "تَغْتَنيَ", "غَنِيٌّ"]·ben["তুমি-ধনী-হও;", "তোমরা-ধনী-হও।", "ধনী", "ধনী-হতে", "ধনী-হতে,", "ধনী-হয়েছ;"]·DE["reich-werden"]·EN["being-rich", "might-become-rich", "to-be-rich", "you-became-rich", "you-may-be-rich"]·FR["s'enrichir"]·heb["הֶעֱשַׁרְתֶּם", "לְ-הִתְעַשֵׁר", "עָשִׁיר", "תִּתְעַשְּׁרוּ", "תִּתְעַשֵׁר"]·HI["तू-धनवान-हो;", "धनवअन-होन", "धनवान", "धनी-हुए", "धनी-हो-जाओ"]·ID["kamu-menjadi-kaya", "kamu-menjadi-kaya;", "kaya", "menjadi-kaya"]·IT["arricchirsi"]·jav["panjenengan-dados-sugih", "panjenengan-sugih", "panjenengan-sugih;", "sugih", "sugih,"]·KO["부요해지기를", "부유해졌다", "부유해지게", "부유해지기를,", "부유해지도록", "풍성하시니"]·PT["enriquecendo", "enriquecer", "enriquecestes", "enriqueçais", "enriqueças"]·RU["богатеть", "для-", "обогатились", "обогащаться", "разбогател;"]·ES["enriquecerse", "fuerais-enriquecidos", "os-enriquecisteis", "siendo-rico", "te-enriquezcas"]·SW["akitajirika", "kutajirika", "mmetajirika;", "mpate-utajiri.", "utajrike;"]·TR["o-", "ve-", "zaten", "zengin-olmak", "zengin-olmalarını", "zengindir"]·urd["دولت-مند-ہوئے", "دولتمند-ہو", "دولتمند-ہونا", "دولتمند-ہے"]
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
πλουτ-έω, (πλοῦτος) to be rich, wealthy, opposed to πένομαι, τάχα σε ζηλώσει ἀεργὸς πλουτεῦντα Refs 8th c.BC+becomes rich, Refs 6th c.BC+; π. μέγα, μάλιστα, μεγάλως, Refs 5th c.BC+; ὄναρ πεπλουτηκέναι 'build castles in the air', Refs 5th c.BC+; π. ἀπὸ τῶν κοινῶν to be rich from the public purse, Refs 5th c.BC+ __2 with genitive of things, to be rich in a thing, πόνου Refs 5th c.BC+; πλουτῖον…