φείδομαι G5339
Spare, refrain from harming — to hold back from inflicting punishment, loss, or severity
The verb φείδομαι (pheidomai) means 'to spare' or 'to refrain from harming,' always in the middle voice in the NT. Its most theologically charged occurrence is Romans 8:32: God 'did not spare his own Son' — a deliberate echo of the Abraham-Isaac narrative (Gen 22:12, 16 LXX uses the same verb). Paul warns that fierce wolves will not 'spare' the flock (Acts 20:29), and he reminds the Corinthians he came gently to 'spare' them (2 Cor 1:23; 13:2). The Romans 11:21 argument builds on God not sparing the natural olive branches. Spanish 'perdonar/no escatimar' and French 'épargner' carry the same dual register of mercy withheld or extended.
Senses
1. spare, refrain from harming — To spare, hold back from inflicting harm, punishment, or severity. Used of God not sparing his own Son (Rom 8:32) in deliberate parallel with the Aqedah (Gen 22 LXX), of God not sparing natural olive branches (Rom 11:21) or the ancient world (2 Pet 2:4-5), of Paul refraining from harsh discipline toward the Corinthians (2 Cor 1:23; 13:2), and of savage wolves showing no mercy to the flock (Acts 20:29). The participial form with negation (μὴ φεισάμενος) becomes a rhetorical formula for divine non-exemption. Spanish 'perdonar' and German 'verschonen' reflect both the merciful and judicial registers. 10×
AR["أَمْتَنِعُ", "أُشْفِقَ", "أُشْفِقُ", "مُشفِقًا", "يُشفِق", "يُشْفِقُ", "يُشْفِقُونَ-عَلَى", "يُشْفِقْ-عَلَى"]·ben["দূরে-থাকব।", "দূরে-থাকি", "রক্ষা-করলেন", "রেহাই-করি।", "রেহাই-দিয়ে", "রেহাই-দিলেন,", "রেহাই-দেননি", "রেহাই-দেবে", "রেহাই-দেবেন।"]·DE["schonen", "φειδόμενοι"]·EN["I-refrain", "I-will-spare", "am-sparing", "spared", "sparing", "will-spare"]·FR["schonen", "épargner"]·heb["אֶחְמֹל", "חָמַל", "חָס", "חָשַׂךְ", "חוֹמֵל", "חוֹסֵךְ", "חוֹשְׂכִים", "יַחְמֹל"]·HI["छोड़ते-हुए", "छोड़नेवाले", "छोड़ा", "छोड़ेगा", "बचाता-हूं", "मैं-छोड़ूंगा", "मैं-जज्बता-हूं"]·ID["Ia-akan-menyayangkan", "aku-akan-mengampuni", "aku-menahan-diri", "mengampuni.", "mengasihi", "menyayangkan", "menyayangkan,"]·IT["epheisato", "risparmiare"]·jav["badhé-ngeman.", "kawula-ngirangi.", "kula-ngeman", "ngeman,", "ngéman", "ngémani", "nyayang"]·KO["삼가다", "아기지", "아길셨으니", "아껏다면,", "아끼다", "아끼며", "아끼지-않을-것이다"]·PT["abstenho-me", "poupando", "pouparei", "poupará.", "poupo.", "poupou", "poupou,"]·RU["за-", "пощадил", "пощадит", "пощажу", "щадя", "щадящие", "щажу", "щажу."]·ES["os-ahorro", "perdonando", "perdonará", "perdonaré", "perdonó", "pero-me-abstengo"]·SW["atakuhurumia.", "hakumhifadhi", "hakuuachilia", "hakuwaachilia", "hurumia,", "kulichunga", "nikiwahurumia", "ninajizuia", "ninawahurumia.", "sitawahurumia."]·TR["esirgedi", "esirgemedi", "esirger", "esirgerim", "esirgeyen", "ki-", "sakınırım"]·urd["بخشا", "بخشا،", "بخشتا-ہوں", "بخشنے-والے", "بخشوں-گا", "بخشے-گا", "بچانے-کے-لیے", "رعایت-کرتا-ہوں"]
Related Senses
G2309 1. want, desire (166×)G0025 1. to love actively (133×)H0157 1. love (verb, active Qal) (129×)H8055 1. Qal: rejoice, be glad (123×)H7453 1. neighbor, fellow man (120×)G0026 1. of love (115×)H1058 1. Qal: to weep, cry (112×)H0954 1. to be ashamed, feel shame (Qal) (95×)H8057 1. joy, gladness, delight (90×)H2781 1. disgrace, shame, dishonor (68×)G2307 1. will, desire, purpose (63×)G5463 1. rejoice, be glad (63×)G0027 1. beloved (61×)H8130 1. Qal: to hate, detest (60×)G5479 1. (59×)G1680 1. (53×)H8130 2. Qal ptcp: hater, enemy (53×)H0014 1. be willing, want (51×)H0157 2. lover, friend (Qal participle substantive) (51×)H1945 1. woe (50×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
φείδομαι, Refs 6th c.BC+imperfect φείδοντο (without augment) even in Refs 5th c.BC+ after a diphthong at the end of the preceding line: future φείσομαι Refs 5th c.BC+, Epic dialect πεφῐδήσομαι Refs 8th c.BC+, later future passive in middle sense φ[ε]ισθήσομαι Refs 2nd c.AD+: aorist 1 ἐφεισάμην Refs 6th c.BC+, Epic dialect 3rd.pers. singular φείσατο Refs 8th c.BC+aorist 2 πεφῐδόμην, used by Refs…