τρέφω G5142
To feed, nourish, nurse, fatten, or rear; covering physical sustenance, breastfeeding, self-indulgent excess, and long-term upbringing of a child.
A foundational verb of sustenance that stretches from God feeding the ravens (Luke 12:24) to the rich fattening themselves for judgment (Jas 5:5). At its core, tréphō means providing nourishment, but the New Testament deploys it across a remarkable range: divine provision for birds and humans, a region supplying food to a royal household (Acts 12:20), maternal nursing (Luke 23:29), and the long-term rearing of a child in a hometown (Luke 4:16). Arabic and Korean translations helpfully disambiguate the nursing and child-rearing senses that Greek leaves to context. The verb carries an undertone of dependence -- those fed by tréphō rely on a provider greater than themselves.
Senses
1. feed, nourish, sustain — To provide food or sustenance to a person or creature. This is the broadest and most frequent sense (6 occurrences), encompassing God's feeding of the birds (Matt 6:26, Luke 12:24), the righteous feeding the hungry (Matt 25:37), Tyre and Sidon depending on Herod's territory for food supply (Acts 12:20), and the woman nourished in the wilderness (Rev 12:6). Spanish alimenta and German nährt both capture the ongoing, habitual nature of the provision. The theological weight is clearest in Jesus' argument from lesser to greater: if God feeds the ravens, how much more his children. 6×
AR["أَطْعَمْنَاكَ", "أَنْ-تُغَذَّى", "تُعالُ", "يَقوتُها", "يُطْعِمُهَا", "يُعيلوها"]·ben["খাইয়েছি", "খাওয়ান", "পুষ্ট-হত", "পুষ্টি-দেয়", "পুষ্টি-পায়"]·DE["naehren", "nährt"]·EN["feeds", "she-is-nourished", "they-might-nourish", "to-be-fed", "we-fed"]·FR["nourrir"]·heb["הֶאֱכַלְנוּךָ", "יְכַלְכְּלוּהָ", "לְהִזָּנוֹת", "מִתְפַּרְנֶסֶת", "מֵאֲכִיל", "מַאֲכִיל"]·HI["खिलाता-है", "खिलाया", "पलना-होता-था", "वह-पोषी-जाती-है", "वे-पोषें"]·ID["ia-dipelihara", "kami-memberi-makan", "memberi-makan", "mereka-memelihara"]·IT["nutrire", "trephetai", "trephōsin"]·jav["kadhèdharan", "kawula-caosi-dhahar", "maringi-nedha", "ngingoni", "piyambakipun-dipun-opèni", "piyambakipun-ngopèni"]·KO["공급받다", "먹여지니", "먹였습니까", "먹이려고", "먹이신다"]·PT["alimentamos", "alimentem", "as-alimenta", "é-alimentada"]·RU["кормит", "мы-накормили", "питает", "питается", "питали", "питаться"]·ES["alimenta", "es-alimentada", "la-alimenten", "los-alimenta", "ser-alimentada", "te-alimentamos"]·SW["analishwa", "anawalisha", "kulishwa", "tukakulisha", "wamlishe"]·TR["besledik", "besleniyor", "beslenmesi", "besler", "beslesinler"]·urd["پرورش-کریں", "پرورش-ہوتی-تھی", "پرورش-ہوتی-ہے", "کھلاتا-ہے", "کھلایا"]
2. nurse, suckle — To nurse or suckle an infant at the breast. Used in Luke 23:29, where Jesus on the road to Calvary pronounces a blessing on breasts that never nursed. Arabic تُرْضِعْ and Swahili kunyonyeza specifically denote suckling, confirming this specialized biological sense. Spanish criaron here carries the nursing connotation rather than general feeding, distinguishing it from the broader sustenance meaning. 1×
AR["تُرْضِعْ"]·ben["পান-করাল"]·DE["nährt"]·EN["nursed"]·FR["nourrir"]·heb["הֵנִיקוּ"]·HI["पिलाए"]·ID["menyusui"]·IT["nutrire"]·jav["nyusoni"]·KO["먹인"]·RU["кормили"]·ES["criaron"]·SW["kunyonyeza"]·TR["emzirmediler"]·urd["دودھ-پلایا"]
3. fatten, indulge — To fatten or indulge oneself through excess. James 5:5 denounces the wealthy who have 'fattened their hearts in a day of slaughter,' using tréphō metaphorically for self-indulgent luxury that stores up judgment. Spanish engordasteis ('you fattened yourselves') captures the reflexive, excessive quality. This sense inverts the positive connotations of nourishment, transforming provision into condemnation through surfeit. 1×
AR["سَمَّنتُم"]·ben["পুষ্ট-করেছো"]·DE["naehren"]·EN["you-fattened"]·FR["nourrir"]·heb["פִטַּמְתֶּם"]·HI["पाला"]·ID["kamu-menggemukkan"]·IT["ethrepsate"]·jav["panjenengan-lemu"]·KO["살찌웠다"]·RU["вы-откормили"]·ES["engordasteis"]·SW["mmelisha"]·TR["beslediniz"]·urd["پالے"]
4. rear, bring up — To rear or bring up a child over an extended period. Luke 4:16 describes Jesus as having been 'brought up' in Nazareth, referring to years of childhood nurture rather than a single meal. Arabic تَرَبّى ('was raised') and Korean 양육된 ('was reared') both confirm the long-term developmental meaning. This sense emphasizes formation and environment rather than mere caloric intake, connecting physical place with personal identity. 1×
AR["قَد-تَرَبّى"]·ben["বেড়ে-ওঠা"]·DE["nährt"]·EN["having-been-brought-up"]·FR["nourrir"]·heb["גָּדַל"]·HI["पाला-गया"]·ID["dibesarkan"]·IT["nutrire"]·jav["dipun-gulawenthah;"]·KO["양육된"]·RU["воспитан;"]·ES["criado"]·SW["amelelewa"]·TR["büyütülmüş"]·urd["پَلا-بڑھا؛"]
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
τρέφω, Refs 8th c.BC+; Doric dialect τράφω (see. entry); 1st pers. singular optative τρέφοιν Refs 5th c.BC+: future θρέψω Refsaorist 1 ἔθρεψα, Epic dialect θρέψα Refs 8th c.BC+aorist 2 ἔτρᾰφον (see. infr. B): perfect τέτροφα intransitive, Refs 8th c.BC+ —middle, future θρέψομαι in passive sense, Refs 5th c.BC+: aorist ἐθρεψάμην Refs 5th c.BC+, etc.:—passive, future τρᾰφήσομαι Ps.-Refs 4th c.BC+,…