συμφέρω G4851
To bring together; impersonally, to be profitable, beneficial, or expedient — what is advantageous or in one's best interest.
A compound of syn ('together') and phero ('carry, bring'), this verb has a literal sense of gathering or collecting things into one place, and a derived impersonal sense of 'it is profitable' or 'it is expedient.' The NT overwhelmingly uses the impersonal sense: 'It is better for you that one man die for the people' (John 11:50; 18:14), 'All things are lawful but not all things are beneficial' (1 Cor 6:12; 10:23). Spanish conviene ('it is fitting') and German nuetzen ('to be useful') capture this evaluative meaning. Only once, in Acts 19:19, does the literal spatial sense appear — the Ephesian converts 'bringing together' their books of sorcery to burn them — where Spanish shifts revealingly to trayendo ('bringing').
Senses
1. be profitable, be advantageous — To be profitable, beneficial, or expedient — used impersonally to indicate what is advantageous for someone (16 occurrences). Jesus uses it to warn that losing a hand is better than losing one's whole body (Matt 5:29-30), and Caiaphas invokes it politically (John 11:50). Paul appeals to it for ethical discernment: 'All things are lawful, but not all are profitable' (1 Cor 6:12; 10:23). Spanish conviene and German nützt both express the evaluative, advisory force — 'it is fitting, it serves well.' 16×
AR["النَّفعِ", "النَّفْعِ", "الْمُفِيدَاتِ", "خَيْرٌ", "لِأَنَّهُ-خَيْرٌ", "مَنْفَعَتِنَا", "نافِعاً", "نَفعي", "يَنفَعُ", "يَنْفَعُ", "يُسْتَحْسَنُ", "يُوَافِقُ"]·ben["উপকার,", "উপকারী", "উপকারী;", "উপকারের", "উপকারের-জন্য।", "ভালো", "লাভজনক", "লাভদায়ক,"]·DE["nuetzen", "nützt"]·EN["are-beneficial", "are-profitable", "benefit", "is-profitable", "it-is-advantageous", "it-is-better", "it-is-expedient", "profit", "profitable", "profiting"]·FR["être-utile"]·heb["הַמּוֹעִיל", "טוֹב", "מוֹעִיל", "תּוֹעֶלֶת"]·HI["अच्छा-है", "अछ-है", "भलाई", "लाभ", "लाभ-के", "लाभदायक", "लाभदायक-बातों-में-से", "लाभदायक-है"]·ID["berguna", "berguna,", "berguna;", "bermanfaat", "kebaikan", "keuntungan", "lebih-baik", "yang-berguna"]·IT["essere-utile", "giovare", "sumpheron"]·jav["becík", "ingkang-migunani,", "langkung-sae", "migunani", "migunani,", "migunani.", "migunani;", "mumpangati", "mumpangati;", "mupangati"]·KO["나을-것이다", "낫다", "유익", "유익을", "유익하다", "유익하다고", "유익하지", "유익한", "유익한-것들을"]·PT["convem", "conveniente", "convém", "convém;", "convêm", "proveito", "proveito,", "proveito.", "que-eram-proveitosas,", "que-é-proveitoso"]·RU["выгоды,", "лучше", "полезно", "полезно;", "полезного,", "пользу.", "пользы"]·ES["conviene", "convienen", "provecho", "provechoso"]·SW["faida", "faida,", "faida-ya-wote", "inafaa", "kuoa", "linawafaa,", "ni-afadhali", "ni-bora", "ya-manufaa", "yanafaa;", "yenye-faida"]·TR["faydalı-olanların", "kendimin", "yararlı", "yararlıdır", "yararı"]·urd["بہتر-ہے", "فائدہ", "فائدہ ہے", "فائدہ-مند", "فائدے", "مفید-ہے"]
Matt 5:29, Matt 5:30, Matt 18:6, Matt 19:10, John 11:50, John 16:7, John 18:14, Acts 20:20, 1 Cor 6:12, 1 Cor 7:35, 1 Cor 10:23, 1 Cor 10:33 (+4 more)
2. bring together, collect — To bring together or collect into one place — the literal, active sense of the compound verb. This appears only in Acts 19:19, where those who practiced magic arts 'brought together' their scrolls and burned them publicly. Spanish trayendo ('bringing') and English 'having brought together' recover the concrete, physical meaning of gathering objects. The passage vividly dramatizes the word's etymology: syn-phero, 'carry together.' 1×
AR["جَمَعُوا"]·ben["একত্র-করে"]·DE["nützt"]·EN["having-brought-together"]·FR["être-utile"]·heb["אָסְפוּ"]·HI["इकट्ठी-करके"]·ID["mengumpulkan"]·IT["giovare"]·jav["nglempit"]·KO["모아서"]·PT["tendo-ajuntado"]·RU["собрав"]·ES["trayendo"]·SW["wakileta-pamoja"]·TR["bir-araya-getirerek"]·urd["جمع-کر-کے"]
Related Senses
H0935 1. come, arrive (Qal) (2413×)G1473 1. first person singular pronoun (2084×)H5414 1. give, bestow (1855×)H3947 1. take, seize, grasp (Qal) (940×)H3318 1. Qal: go out, depart, come forth (891×)H7725 1. to return, come/go back (Qal) (874×)H5927 1. go up, ascend (Qal) (779×)H7971 1. to send, dispatch (Qal) (701×)G2192 1. possess / have (680×)G2064 1. come / arrive (physical movement toward) (588×)H5307 1. Qal: fall down physically (339×)G1325 1. give, bestow (336×)H5375 1. Qal: to lift up, raise (330×)H5975 1. to stand, stand up (310×)H5674a 1. Qal: pass by, pass through (256×)H3381 1. Qal: to go down, descend (physical movement) (242×)G1831 1. go/come out physically (193×)H5337 1. deliver, rescue, save (Hifil) (188×)H7901 1. lie down, rest, sleep (183×)G1525 1. enter a place physically (179×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
συμφέρω, future συνοίσω Refs 4th c.BC+: aorist 1 συνήνεγκα Refs 5th c.BC+, Ionic dialect -ήνεικαRefs 5th c.BC+: aorist 2 συνήνεγκον Refs 5th c.BC+: perfect συνενήνοχα Refs 4th c.BC+ __A active __I bring together, gather, collect, τὰ κακὰ ἐς μέσον Refs 5th c.BC+; δαπάνην σ. Refs 5th c.BC+; especially of dead bodies, Refs 5th c.BC+ __I.2 bring together, contribute, βουλεύματα Refs 5th c.BC+; πολλοὶ…