G4239 G4239
Gentle, meek, humble in disposition; exercising power with restraint rather than aggression.
Describes a character quality of gentle strength -- not weakness, but controlled power. Jesus applies it to himself ('I am gentle and lowly in heart,' Matt 11:29) and it appears in the Beatitudes' promise that the meek will inherit the earth (Matt 5:5). The Zechariah quotation in Matt 21:5 presents the messianic king as praus, riding humbly on a donkey. Peter commends a 'gentle and quiet spirit' as precious before God (1 Pet 3:4). The word consistently pairs gentleness with authority.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Gentle, meek, mild-tempered -- describing a disposition of humble restraint rather than forceful self-assertion. Jesus claims this quality for himself (Matt 11:29) and blesses those who possess it (Matt 5:5, echoing Ps 37:11). The prophetic fulfillment in Matt 21:5 (quoting Zech 9:9) presents the Messiah-King arriving in deliberate gentleness. In 1 Pet 3:4 it characterizes a spirit that is precious to God. French 'doux' and Spanish 'manso' both convey this softness-with-strength. German 'sanftmuetig' (gentle-spirited) captures the inner disposition well. Every NT use connects meekness to a strength that chooses not to dominate. 4×
AR["الوَديعِ", "لْوُدَعَاءِ", "وَديعًا", "وَديعٌ"]·ben["নম্র", "নম্র,", "মৃদু"]·DE["sanftmuetig", "πραΰς", "πραεῖς", "πραῢς"]·EN["gentle", "meek"]·FR["doux"]·heb["עֲנָוִים", "עָנָו"]·HI["नम्र", "नरम"]·ID["lemah-lembut", "yang-lemah-lembut"]·IT["praeis", "praeōs", "praus"]·jav["alus", "ingkang-andhap-asor", "sareh", "sarèh"]·KO["온유하고", "온유한", "온유한-자들"]·PT["manso", "mansos"]·RU["кроткие", "кроткий", "кроткого", "кроток"]·ES["apacible", "manso", "mansos"]·SW["mpole", "na", "wapole"]·TR["uysal", "yumuşak", "yuumuşak-hüylum", "yuvaş-hüylulara"]·urd["حلیم"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
Included with: πρᾶος, ον, also πρᾱΰς, Ionic dialect πρηΰς, εῖα, ΰ:—πρᾶος supplies singular in Attic dialect, Trag., and Comedy texts, except that the feminine is always πραεια (πρᾶος as feminine only in Refs 1st c.AD+; but singular πραΰς, Ionic dialect πρηΰς, is used in Epic dialect and Lyric poetry (also in LXX+5th c.BC+:—plural, nominative πρηέες Refs 5th c.BC+ written for πραείαις Refs 3rd…