πορν-εύω G4203
To commit sexual immorality or fornication; to engage in illicit sexual conduct, also used metaphorically for spiritual unfaithfulness.
Porneuo, from which English derives 'pornography,' means to engage in sexual immorality — covering fornication, prostitution, and illicit sexual union broadly. Paul uses it as a sharp prohibition: 'Flee sexual immorality' (1 Cor 6:18), and recalls that 23,000 fell in a single day when Israel committed immorality (1 Cor 10:8). In Revelation, the verb takes on its Old Testament metaphorical dimension, where sexual immorality becomes a figure for idolatrous unfaithfulness — Jezebel 'teaches and seduces my servants to commit sexual immorality' (Rev 2:20). Spanish 'fornicar' and French 'commettre la fornication' stay close to the Latin tradition.
Senses
1. commit sexual immorality, fornicate — To engage in illicit sexual conduct, encompassing fornication, prostitution, and broader sexual immorality. Paul warns the Corinthians to flee porneuo, arguing that it uniquely sins against one's own body (1 Cor 6:18), and cites Israel's catastrophic example at Baal-Peor where thousands died (1 Cor 10:8). In Revelation, the verb also carries its classic Old Testament metaphorical sense of spiritual infidelity: Balaam's teaching leads people to 'commit sexual immorality' alongside idol-worship (Rev 2:14), and the Jezebel figure seduces servants into the same (Rev 2:20, 18:3, 18:9). Spanish 'fornicar' and German 'Unzucht treiben' both preserve the gravity of the term. 8×
AR["أَنْ-يَزْنوا", "الزّاني", "الَّذينَ زَنَوْا", "زَنى", "زَنَوا", "زَنَوْا", "نَزنِ", "يَزْنوا"]·ben["আমরা-ব্যভিচার-করি,", "ব্যভিচার-করতে", "ব্যভিচার-করেছিল,", "ব্যভিচার-করেছে", "ব্যভিচারকারী,", "ব্যভিচারী"]·DE["Unzucht-treiben"]·EN["committed-sexual-immorality", "committing-sexual-immorality", "having-committed-sexual-immorality", "let-us-commit-sexual-immorality", "to-fornicate"]·FR["Unzucht-treiben", "commettre-la-fornication"]·heb["הַזּוֹנִים", "הַזּוֹנֶה", "זָנוּ", "לִ-זְנוֹת", "נִזְנֶה"]·HI["व्यभिचार-करना।", "व्यभिचार-करने,", "व्यभिचार-करनेवाला", "व्यभिचार-करनेवाले", "व्यभिचार-करें", "व्यभिचार-किया"]·ID["berbuat-zinah", "bercabul,", "berzinah", "berzinah,", "berzinah.", "kita-berbuat-zinah"]·IT["fornicare", "fornicatore"]·jav["kita-laku-jina,", "laku-jina", "laku-jina,", "nglampahaken-jina"]·KO["음행하는-자는", "음행하도록", "음행하여", "음행하였고", "음행하였으니", "음행하지", "음행한-자들과"]·PT["a-fornicar", "fornicar", "fornicaram,", "forniquemos,", "prostituídos", "prostituíram-se", "que-pratica-imoralidade"]·RU["блудили,", "блудодействовавшие", "блудодействовали", "блудодействовать,", "блудодействовать.", "блудящий,", "будем-блудить,"]·ES["fornicando", "fornicar", "fornicaron", "forniquemos", "que-fornicaron"]·SW["anayefanya-uasherati,", "kuzini,", "kuzini.", "tusifanye-uasherati,", "waliozini", "walivyofanya,", "walizini", "wamezini;"]·TR["ama-", "fuhuş yapalım", "fuhuş yaptılar", "fuhuş-etmek", "fuhuş-etmeye", "zina-edenler", "zina-ettiler"]·urd["حرامکاری-کرنے-والا", "زنا-کرنا", "زنا-کریں", "زنا-کی", "زنا-کیا"]
Related Senses
H2896a 1. good (quality or moral) (305×)H7563 1. wicked person (259×)H7451c 1. moral evil or wickedness (234×)H5771 1. iniquity, sin, wrongdoing (222×)H6662 1. righteous person (substantive) (195×)G0266 1. sin, failure, transgression (173×)H2403b 1. sin, transgression (170×)H2617a 1. Covenant faithfulness, steadfast love (167×)H2398 1. Qal: to sin, commit sin (165×)H6666 1. righteousness, moral uprightness (145×)G5485 1. grace, divine favor (141×)H7451a 1. morally evil, wicked (129×)H2403b 2. sin-offering, sacrifice for sin (120×)G2570 1. good, right, excellent (98×)H6588 1. transgression, offense against God (88×)G0018 1. good (moral quality) (85×)H2896b 1. good, what is good (85×)H7451b 1. evil, wickedness (moral) (83×)H7451a 2. evil, harm, calamity (80×)G1342 1. righteous, upright (of persons) (70×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
πορν-εύω, prostitute, mostly in passive, of a woman, prostitute herself, be or become a prostitute, Refs 5th c.BC+; of a man, Refs 4th c.BC+ __II intransitive in active, = passive, LXX+3rd c.BC+fornicate, NT __II.2 metaphorically, practise idolatry, LXX