φέρω G5342
To bear, bring, carry; fetching objects, bearing fruit, transporting physically, being driven by force, enduring.
Phero is one of the oldest verbs in Greek, cognate with Latin ferre, English 'bear,' and Sanskrit bharati. Its NT range reflects that deep ancestry: from bringing a paralytic on a stretcher (Luke 5:18) to the agricultural metaphor of bearing fruit (John 15:2), to a ship driven by wind (Acts 27:15), to enduring difficult circumstances (Rom 9:22). French captures the productive sense beautifully with porter du fruit, while German bringen stays closer to the spatial core. The word's breadth mirrors the theological pattern of discipleship: one must both carry the cross and bear fruit.
Senses
1. bring or fetch — To bring, fetch, or convey toward a destination — the dominant sense at 41 occurrences. Covers bringing a paralytic to Jesus (Mark 2:3), fetching water turned to wine (John 2:8), and the command 'bring them here to me' (Matt 14:18; 17:17). Spanish Trae/Traed and German bringen map directly, while French apporter emphasizes toward-the-speaker directionality. Imperative forms are especially prominent in miracle narratives where Jesus commands persons or objects to be brought. 41×
AR["أَحضِروا", "أَحْضَرَ", "أَحْضَرْتُ", "أَحْضِروا", "أَحْضِرَاهُ", "أَحْضِرُوا", "أَحْضِرُوهُ", "أَحْضِرْ", "جَاءَ", "هَاتِ", "يَأْتُونَ", "يَأْتُونَ-بِهِ", "يَجلِبونَ", "يَجْلِبونَ", "يُحْضِرُونَ"]·ben["আন", "আনল", "আনলেন", "আনে", "আনো", "এনেছি", "এনেছে", "তারা-আনছে", "নিয়ে-এস,", "নিয়ে-এসো", "বহন-করে", "বহন-করেন"]·DE["bringen", "bringt"]·EN["Bring", "I-brought", "bring", "brought", "he-brought", "they-bring"]·FR["apporter", "porter"]·heb["הֵבִיא", "הֵבִיאוּ", "הֵבֵאתִי", "הָבִיאוּ", "הָבֵא", "מְבִיאִים"]·HI["खोल-दिए", "जाकर", "लअ,", "लओ", "ला", "लाओ", "लाते", "लाते-हैं", "लाया"]·ID["Bawalah", "Letakkanlah", "aku-membawa", "bawalah", "letakkanlah", "membawa", "mereka-membawa"]·IT["portare"]·jav["Bekta", "Betahna", "Gawanana", "bekta", "bekta,", "betahna", "gawanana", "kawula-mbeta", "mbekta", "mbeta", "sami-mbeta", "sami-ngirid"]·KO["가져오라", "가져온다", "가져왔는가", "가져왔다", "데려간다", "데려오라", "데려온다", "데려왔습니다"]·PT["Traz", "Trazei", "levam", "proferem", "traz", "trazei", "trazem", "trouxe"]·RU["Несите", "Принеси", "Принесите", "ведите", "несите", "приводят", "принеси", "принесите", "приносят", "принёс"]·ES["Trae", "Traed", "llevan", "trae", "traed", "traedlo", "traedme", "traen", "traje", "trajo"]·SW["Lete", "Leteni", "Mleteni", "Nileteni", "akaleta", "alileta", "alimleteea", "hawalete", "lete", "leteni", "lilete", "mleteni", "nileteni", "nilimleta", "wanaleta", "wanamleta"]·TR["-o", "Getir", "Getirin", "getir", "getirdi", "getirdim", "getirin", "getiriyorlar", "getirmezler"]·urd["لا", "لاؤ", "لاتے-ہیں", "لایا", "لے-آؤ"]
Matt 14:11, Matt 14:11, Matt 14:18, Matt 17:17, Mark 1:32, Mark 2:3, Mark 6:27, Mark 6:28, Mark 7:32, Mark 8:22, Mark 9:17, Mark 9:19 (+29 more)
2. bear fruit or produce — To bear fruit or produce results — 9 occurrences concentrated in the Johannine vine metaphor (John 12:24; 15:2-8) and the Markan sower parable (Mark 4:8). Spanish lleva fruto uses 'carry' in a fixed agricultural collocation; French porter du fruit similarly deploys porter in its productive sense; Korean 열매를 맺다 ('tie/form fruit') selects an entirely different verb. The phrase 'bear much fruit' becomes a defining metaphor for discipleship in John 15. 9×
AR["أَثْمَرَ", "أَنْ-يَحْمِلَ", "تَحْمِلُوا", "تُعْطِي", "يَحْمِلَ", "يَحْمِلُ"]·ben["ধর", "ধরতে", "ধরে", "ধারণকারী", "ফলাছিল"]·DE["bringen"]·EN["bear", "bearing", "bears", "it-bears", "it-may-bear", "it-was-bearing", "to-bear", "you-bear"]·FR["porter"]·heb["הֵבִיאוּ", "יִשָּׂא", "לָשֵׂאת", "נוֹשֵׂא", "נוֹשַׂ", "תִּשְׂאוּ"]·HI["तीस", "लाए", "लाओ", "लाता-है", "लाना", "लाने-वाली"]·ID["ia-menghasilkan", "kamu-hasilkan", "menghasilkan"]·IT["portare"]·jav["mawoh", "mawoh,", "mawoh.", "ngasilaken", "ngwohi.", "panjenengan-mawoh,"]·KO["가져왔다", "맺기를", "맺는", "맺는-것은", "맺는다", "맺도록"]·PT["produz", "produza", "produzais", "produzia", "produzir", "que-produz"]·RU["приносила", "приносили", "приносит", "приносить", "приносящую"]·ES["lleva", "llevaba", "llevar", "lleve", "llevéis", "que-lleva"]·SW["anazaa", "inazaa", "kuzaa", "linazaa", "lisilozaa", "lizae", "mzae", "yalizaa"]·TR["getiriyordu", "veren", "vereni", "veresiniz", "verir", "vermek", "versin"]·urd["لاؤ", "لائے", "لاتا ہے", "لاتا-ہے", "لاتی-تھی", "لانا", "لانے والی"]
3. carry or transport physically — To carry or transport a physical object or person — 9 occurrences where the emphasis falls on sustained bearing rather than directional delivery. Carrying the cross (Luke 23:26), bearing spices to the tomb (Luke 24:1). The distinction from sense 1: 'carry' foregrounds burden and duration while 'bring' foregrounds destination. Korean 지고 ('bearing on one's back') selects load-bearing vocabulary absent from the fetch/deliver sense. 9×
AR["اِحْمِلُوا", "حامِلاتٍ", "حامِلونَ", "حَامِلًا", "حَامِلِينَ", "حَمَلُوا", "لِيَحْمِلَهُ", "مَحمولينَ", "يَحْمِلُكَ"]·ben["ধারণ-করে", "নিয়ে-যাবে", "বহন-কর", "বহন-করছি", "বহন-করতে", "বহন-করলেন", "বহন-করে", "বাহিত-হয়ে"]·DE["bringen", "bringt"]·EN["bearing", "being-carried", "carry", "carrying", "they-carried", "to-carry", "will-carry"]·FR["apporter", "porter"]·heb["הֵבִיאוּ", "הָבִיאוּ", "יוֹלִיךְ", "לָשֵׂאת", "נְשׂוּאִים", "נוֹשְׂאִים", "נוֹשְׂאוֹת", "נוֹשֵׂא"]·HI["उठाते-हुए", "उठाने-को", "चलाए-जाते-हुए", "धारण-करते-हुए", "लाती-हुईं", "लाते-हुए", "ले-गए।", "ले-जाएगा", "ले-जाओ"]·ID["bawalah", "digerakkan,", "membawa", "memikul", "menanggung;", "mereka-membawa.", "untuk-dibawa"]·IT["portare"]·jav["beta", "kabekta,", "mbekta", "mbeta", "mbeta.", "nanggel", "ngasta", "nggendong", "nyanggi"]·KO["가져가라", "가져갔다", "가져오며", "데려갈-것이다", "붙드시며", "운반하는", "움직여진-자들이,", "지고-가기를", "지며"]·PT["levai", "levando", "levaram.", "levará", "movidos", "sustentando"]·RU["несите", "нести", "несущие", "несущий", "неся", "носимые", "понесёт", "принесли"]·ES["llevad", "llevando", "llevar", "llevaron", "llevará", "siendo-llevados", "trayendo"]·SW["akibeba", "atakupeleka", "kubeba", "mpelekee", "tukibeba;", "wakapeleka", "wakibeba", "wakiongozwa"]·TR["getiren", "götürdüler", "götürecek", "götürün", "taşıması-için", "taşınanlar", "taşıyan", "taşıyarak"]·urd["اُٹھانے-والا", "اٹھاتے-ہوئے", "لا-رہے-تھے", "لاتے-ہوئیں", "لے-جاؤ", "لے-جائے-گا", "لے-جانے-کو", "لے-گئے۔", "چلائے-گئے،"]
4. drive along or impel — To be driven or impelled by an external force — 5 occurrences where the subject is passive to wind, Spirit, or circumstance. The ship driven by storm (Acts 27:15, 17), the rushing wind at Pentecost (Acts 2:2), prophets 'carried along by the Holy Spirit' (2 Pet 1:21). Hebrews 6:1 extends this to 'let us be carried on to maturity' — a striking image of divine momentum. Spanish eran-llevados and German bringt retain the 'carry' root but the passive-force frame is distinct. 5×
AR["حُمِلُوا", "حُمِلْنَا", "لِنَنْطَلِقْ", "مَحْمُولَةٍ", "ٱلْمُؤَدِّيَةِ"]·ben["এগিয়ে-যাই", "নিয়ে-যায়", "বহনকারী", "বহিয়া-যাইতেছিলাম"]·DE["bringen", "bringt"]·EN["being-carried", "leading", "let-us-press-on", "they-were-driven", "we-were-driven"]·FR["apporter", "porter"]·heb["מוֹבִיל", "נִסְחֲפוּ", "נִסְחַפְנוּ", "נֵלֵךְ", "נוֹשֶׁבֶת"]·HI["जाता-था", "तेज़", "बढ़ें;", "हमबहतेथे।"]·ID["datangnya", "marilah-kita-maju", "terbawa.", "yang-menuju"]·IT["portare"]·jav["ingkang-kabekta", "kabeta.", "kita-kabeta.", "sumangga-kita-tumuju", "tumuju"]·KO["나아가자", "떠내려갔다", "세차게", "이끄는"]·PT["avancemos", "eram-levados.", "sendo-levado", "éramos-levados."]·RU["ведущим", "неслись", "несущегося", "понесёмся"]·ES["conduciendo", "eran-llevados", "seamos-llevados", "siendo-llevado", "éramos-llevados"]·SW["inayopeleka", "tuendelee", "tulisukumwa", "walisukumwa", "ya-upepo"]·TR["götüren", "sürükleniyorduk", "sürükleniyorlardı", "taşınalım", "taşınan"]·urd["بڑھیں", "بہتے-رہے", "جاتا-تھا", "چلتی-ہوئی"]
5. endure or tolerate — To endure or tolerate something difficult — 2 occurrences at the word's margin. In Romans 9:22 God 'bore with' vessels of wrath; in Hebrews 12:20 the Israelites 'could not bear' the command at Sinai. Spanish soporto uses a dedicated endurance verb, Korean 참다 ('endure') shifts to psychological-tolerance vocabulary entirely distinct from physical carrying — the metaphorical extension from bearing a load to bearing hardship. 2×
AR["تَحَمَّلَ", "يَحْتَمِلُوا"]·ben["তারা-সহ্য-করতে-পারছিল", "তিনি-সহ্য-করলেন"]·DE["bringen"]·EN["bore", "they-could-bear"]·FR["apporter", "porter"]·heb["נָשְׂאוּ", "נָשָׂא"]·HI["सह-सकते-थे", "सहा"]·ID["menanggung", "mereka-sanggup"]·IT["portare"]·jav["nandhang", "saged-nandhang"]·KO["그들이-견딜-수", "참으셨다"]·PT["suportavam", "suportou"]·RU["долготерпении", "могли-выносить"]·ES["soportaban", "soportó"]·SW["alivumilia", "stahimili"]·TR["dayınıyorlardı", "taşıdı"]·urd["اُٹھایا", "برداشت-کر-سکتے-تھے"]
Related Senses
H0935 1. come, arrive (Qal) (2413×)G1473 1. first person singular pronoun (2084×)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×)G2064 1. come / arrive (physical movement toward) (588×)H5307 1. Qal: fall down physically (339×)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×)H7812 1. prostrate oneself, bow down, worship (173×)H3318 2. Hifil: bring out, lead out, take out (persons) (172×)H7725 2. to bring back, restore (Hifil) (151×)H5674a 2. Qal: cross over (134×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
φέρω (Locrian dialect φάρω [ᾰ], Refs 5th c.BC+, only present and imperfect (late 1 aorist 3rd.pers. plural ἤφεραν Refs 8th c.BC+: Epic dialect forms, 2nd pers. plural imperative φέρτε Refs 8th c.BC+; 2nd pers. singular subjunctive φέρῃσθα Refs 3rd c.BC+; 3rd.pers. singular subjunctive φέρῃσι Refs 8th c.BC+; Epic dialect infinitive φερέμεν Refs 8th c.BC+imperfect ἔφερον, Epic dialect φέρον Refs;…