σάρκ-ῐνος G4559
Fleshly, carnal; pertaining to human nature apart from the Spirit, or made of flesh as opposed to stone or spirit.
This adjective describes what belongs to or is characterized by 'sarx' (flesh). Paul uses it prominently when contrasting spiritual and material realities. In 1 Corinthians 3:1-3, he chides believers for being 'sarkinos' — governed by fleshly impulses like jealousy and strife rather than the Spirit. Yet the term is not always pejorative: in Romans 15:27 and 1 Corinthians 9:11, it simply describes material provisions — 'fleshly things' like financial support — that are the fitting counterpart to spiritual blessings sown among them. In 2 Corinthians 1:12, Paul contrasts fleshly wisdom with the grace of God. Spanish 'carnal,' French 'charnel,' and German 'fleischlich' all preserve the flesh-rooted semantic core across Romance and Germanic traditions.
Senses
1. fleshly, of the flesh, carnal — Pertaining to the flesh or human nature, describing what is governed by natural human impulses rather than by the Spirit, or simply what belongs to the material realm. Paul's usage spans both negative and neutral registers: negatively, the Corinthians are 'fleshly' because they walk in jealousy and strife (1 Cor 3:3), and Paul contrasts fleshly wisdom with divine grace (2 Cor 1:12); neutrally, it describes material or physical provisions contrasted with spiritual blessings (Rom 15:27; 1 Cor 9:11). Spanish 'carnal,' French 'charnel,' and German 'fleischlich' all derive from their respective words for flesh, mirroring the Greek derivation from 'sarx.' 7×
AR["-الجَسَدِيَّاتِ", "الجَسَدِيَّاتِ", "الـ", "جَسَدِيَّةً", "جَسَدِيَّةٍ", "جَسَدِيّونَ"]·ben["দৈহিক", "দৈহিকে", "মাংসল", "মাংসিক", "মাংসিক,", "শারীরিক"]·DE["fleischlich"]·EN["fleshly", "fleshly-things"]·FR["charnel"]·heb["בְּשָׂרִיִּים", "בְּשָׂרִיוֹת", "בְּשָׂרִיים", "בְּשָׂרִית", "גַּשְׁמִיִּים", "גָּשְׁמִיּוֹת"]·HI["शरीरिक", "शारीरिक", "शारीरिक-बातों-में"]·ID["daging", "duniawi", "hal-jasmani", "jasmani", "manusia-daging"]·IT["carnale"]·jav["kadagingan", "kadonyan", "kadonyan,", "kaduniaan"]·KO["육신적인", "육적이", "육적인", "육적인-것들-로", "육적인-것들을", "육체의"]·PT["carnais", "carnal"]·RU["плотские", "плотских", "плотское", "плотской"]·ES["carnal", "carnales"]·SW["kimwili", "vya-kimwili,", "wa-mwili", "ya-kimwili,", "za-kimwili", "za-mwili"]·TR["bedensel", "bedensel-şeylerde", "bedenselsiniz", "o-", "ve-"]·urd["جسمانی", "جسمانی-چیزیں"]
Related Senses
H7200 1. Qal: to see, perceive (1257×)G4771 2. you (singular address) (1077×)H8085 1. Qal: hear, perceive aurally (921×)H0859a 1. you (2nd person masculine singular pronoun) (743×)H0398 1. eat (consume food) (697×)H4191 1. die (Qal: natural/general death) (645×)G3708 1. see, perceive visually (419×)G0191 1. hear, perceive sound (360×)H???? 3. (352×)G3708 2. behold, look (exclamatory) (256×)H7272 1. foot (body part) (236×)H8354 1. drink, consume liquid (209×)H3205 1. Qal active: bear/give birth (female subject) (204×)H3205 2. Qal active: beget/father (male subject) (198×)H2421 1. Qal: live, be alive (177×)H8085 2. Qal: listen, heed, pay attention (172×)H2416a 1. alive, living (state/attribute) (146×)H2416e 1. life, lifespan, lifetime (145×)G2198 1. be alive, have life (133×)H8193 1. lip, lips (body part) (123×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
σάρκ-ῐνος, η, ον, of or like flesh, fleshy, σ. ὄζος (see. ὄζος) σ. [μέρη] fleshy parts, such as the gums, Refs 4th c.BC+; made of flesh (and blood), Refs; ἄνθρωποι θνατοὶ καὶ σ. Refs 2nd c.BC+; σ. ἰχθῦς (opposed to a dream) Refs 3rd c.BC+; τοῖς τὸ χρήσιμον καὶ σ. καὶ ὠφέλιμον [ἔχουσι τῶν λόγων] substantial, Refs 1st c.AD+ __2 made of gut, σχοινία Refs 2nd c.AD+ __3 fleshly, of the flesh, Ep. Hebrew NT __II fleshy, corpulent, Refs 5th c.BC+ __III σάρκινος ἤτοι γυργαθός, perhaps ={σαργάνη}Refs