πωλ-έω G4453
To sell or offer for sale; to be sold (passive) — exchanging goods or property for money
The verb πωλέω is the New Testament's standard word for selling, appearing in marketplace scenes, parables, and ethical instruction. Jesus drives out those who 'sell' doves in the temple (Matt 21:12), tells the rich young man to 'sell' his possessions (Matt 19:21), and describes the man who sells everything for the pearl of great price (Matt 13:46). The passive voice appears in the everyday observation that sparrows 'are sold' for small coins (Matt 10:29, Luke 12:6), and Paul advises eating whatever 'is sold' in the meat market (1 Cor 10:25). Spanish 'vender/vended' and German 'verkaufen' consistently mirror this commercial meaning.
Senses
1. sell, offer for sale — The active sense: to sell, dispose of, or offer goods and possessions for sale. The seller is the grammatical subject, exercising agency over the transaction. This dominates the NT usage with 19 occurrences, spanning temple commerce (Matt 21:12, Mark 11:15, John 2:14, 16), charitable divestiture (Matt 19:21, Mark 10:21, Luke 18:22), parable illustrations (Matt 13:44, 46, Matt 25:9), and the early church's communal sharing where believers 'sold' properties (Acts 4:34, 37; 5:1). The multilingual glosses consistently use active verb forms: 'Vended/que-venden' (Spanish), 'vendre' (French), 'verkaufen' (German). 19×
AR["البائِعينَ", "بائِعي", "بَائِعًا", "بَائِعِي", "بَائِعِينَ", "بَاعَ", "بِعْ", "بِعْهُ", "بِيعُوا", "لِيَبِعْ", "يَبيعونَ", "يَبيعَ", "يَبِيعُ", "يَبِيعُونَ"]·ben["বিক্রি-কর", "বিক্রি-করছিল", "বিক্রি-করতে", "বিক্রি-করল", "বিক্রি-করুক", "বিক্রি-করে", "বিক্রেতাদের"]·DE["verkaufen", "verkauft"]·EN["Sell", "having-sold", "let-him-sell", "ones-selling", "sell", "selling", "sells", "sold", "they-were-selling", "to-sell"]·FR["vendre"]·heb["הַ-מּוֹכְרִים", "הַמּוֹכְרִים", "יִמְכֹר", "לִמְכֹּר", "מְכֹר", "מִכְרוּ", "מָכְרוּ", "מָכַר", "מוֹכְרִים", "מוֹכְרֵי", "מוֹכֵר"]·HI["बेच", "बेच-दे", "बेचकर", "बेचतअ-है", "बेचते-थे", "बेचने", "बेचने-वालों-को", "बेचनेवालों", "बेचनेवालों-की", "बेचनेवालों-को", "बेचो", "सम्पत्ति"]·ID["Juallah", "juallah", "menjual", "menjual,", "yang-menjual"]·IT["pōlēsai", "vendere"]·jav["Sadena", "ingkang-sade", "ingkang-sadé", "ingkang-sami-sade", "nyade", "sade", "sade,", "sadea", "sadena", "sadè,", "sadèna,", "sadé", "tiyang-ingkang-sami-sade,"]·KO["파는-자들", "파는-자들-에게", "파는-자들-을", "파는-자들-의", "파는-자들과", "파는-자들을", "파는-자들의", "판다", "팔고", "팔라", "팔려고", "팔아라", "팔아서", "팔았다"]·PT["que-vendiam", "tendo-vendido", "vende", "vendem", "vendendo", "vender", "vendiam"]·RU["Продайте", "продав,", "продавали", "продай", "продал", "продать,", "продающие,", "продающим", "продающих", "продаёт", "пусть-продаст"]·ES["Vended", "habiendo-vendido", "que-venden", "que-vendían", "venda", "vende", "vender", "vendiendo", "vendió", "vendían"]·SW["-", "Uzeni", "akiliuza", "aliuza", "anauza", "kuuza", "na", "na-auze", "viuze", "waliuza", "wanaouza", "wauzao", "yako", "yauze"]·TR["Satın", "getirdi", "sat", "satanlar", "satanlara", "satanları", "satanların", "satar", "satmak", "satsın", "sattı", "satıp", "satıyorlardı"]·urd["بیچ", "بیچ-دے", "بیچ-کر", "بیچا", "بیچتا-ہے", "بیچتے-تھے", "بیچتے-ہوئے", "بیچنا", "بیچنے-والوں", "بیچنے-والوں-سے", "بیچنے-والوں-کو", "بیچنے-والوں-کی", "بیچنے-والوں-کے", "بیچو", "بیچے"]
Matt 13:44, Matt 19:21, Matt 21:12, Matt 21:12, Matt 25:9, Mark 10:21, Mark 11:15, Mark 11:15, Luke 12:33, Luke 17:28, Luke 18:22, Luke 19:45 (+7 more)
2. be sold — The passive sense: to be sold, to be offered for sale — where the commodity or goods are the grammatical subject. Only three clear NT occurrences surface, each in a distinct context. In Matt 10:29, two sparrows 'are sold' for a penny; in Luke 12:6, five sparrows 'are sold' for two pennies — both illustrating God's care for the seemingly worthless. In 1 Cor 10:25, Paul tells the Corinthians to eat whatever 'is sold' in the meat market without raising questions of conscience. The Spanish passive 'se-venden/siendo-vendido' and the English 'are-sold/being-sold' clearly distinguish this voice from the active. 3×
AR["تُباعُ", "تُبَاعُ", "يُباعُ"]·ben["বিক্রি-হয়", "বিক্রিত,"]·DE["verkaufen", "verkauft"]·EN["are-sold", "being-sold"]·FR["vendre"]·heb["הַ-נִּמְכָּר", "נִמְכָּרִים", "נִמְכָּרוֹת"]·HI["बिकती-हैं", "बिकने-वाला", "बेची-जाती-हैं"]·ID["dijual"]·IT["vendere"]·jav["dipun-sadé?", "ingkang-kasade,", "kasadé"]·KO["파는-것을", "팔리느냐", "팔리니"]·PT["são-vendidos", "vendido,"]·RU["продаваемое,", "продаются"]·ES["se-venden", "siendo-vendido"]·SW["hawauzwi", "kinachouzwa,", "wanauzwa?"]·TR["satılır", "satılıyor", "yeyin"]·urd["بکتی-ہیں", "بکنے-والا"]
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
πωλ-έω, Ionic dialectimperfect πωλέεσκε Refs 5th c.BC+: future -ήσωRefs 5th c.BC+; Doric dialect 3rd.pers. plural πωλησεῦντι Refs 1st c.AD+: aorist ἐπώλησα Refs 1st c.AD+:—passive, future in middle form πωλήσεται Refs 4th c.BC+ future πεπωλήσεται Refs 4th c.BC+: aorist ἐπωλήθην Refs 5th c.BC+:—sell or offer for sale, opposed to ὠνεῖσθαι, Refs 5th c.BC+; opposed to ἀποδίδοσθαι (of the actual…