φύσις G5449
Nature — the inherent character or constitution of a person or thing; also used adverbially as 'by nature' to denote what is innate.
Physis refers to the natural order, the inherent constitution or essential character of something. Paul uses it extensively in Romans to discuss what accords with or violates nature (Rom 1:26), what uncircumcised Gentiles do 'by nature' when they follow the law written on their hearts (Rom 2:14, 27), and the metaphor of wild and cultivated olive branches and their natural versus grafted relationship (Rom 11:21, 24). The word also addresses identity and origin: Jews are 'by nature' Jews rather than Gentile sinners (Gal 2:15), former pagans served beings that 'by nature' are not gods (Gal 4:8), and all people were 'by nature' children of wrath (Eph 2:3).
Senses
1. nature — The inherent character, constitution, or essential quality of a person or thing. This sense treats physis as a noun denoting nature itself — what something fundamentally is. Paul uses it to discuss what accords with or violates the natural order (Rom 1:26, 'contrary to nature'), and in his olive tree metaphor where branches belong to the cultivated tree 'by nature' versus being grafted in (Rom 11:21, 24). Translations are strikingly uniform: Spanish 'naturaleza,' French 'nature,' German 'Natur' — all cognates tracing back to the Latin natura, itself a calque of physis. 10×
AR["الطَّبيعَةِ","الطَّبِيعَةِ","طَبيعَةَ","طَبيعَةُ","طَبيعَةِ"]·ben["প্রকৃতি","প্রকৃতিতে","স্বভাব","স্বভাব।","স্বভাবের","স্বভাবের,"]·DE["Natur"]·EN["nature"]·FR["Natur","nature"]·heb["טֶּבַע","טֶבַע"]·HI["प्रकृति","प्रकृति-से","स्वभाव","स्वभाव-के"]·ID["alam","alami","jenis","kodrat,","kodrat.","tidak-bersunat,"]·IT["natura","per-natura"]·jav["kodrat","kodrat,","kodrat.","sipat","sipat,"]·KO["본성","본성-의,","본성을","본성의","자연","자연이","종류-가","종류-에게"]·PT["natureza","natureza,"]·RU["-пощадил","в-","дикой-маслины","естеству","природа","природой","природы"]·ES["naturaleza"]·SW["aina","asili","asili,","asili.","binadamu"]·TR["doga","doğa","doğadan","doğanın","doğasıyla","doğaya","o-","türü"]·urd["فطرت","فطرت-کے","فطرت-کے-ہیں","فطرت-کے،","قسم"]
2. by nature — An adverbial usage meaning 'by nature' or 'naturally,' emphasizing what is innate or inherent from birth rather than acquired. In Rom 2:14, Gentiles who do not have the Torah yet 'by nature' do what it requires demonstrate an inborn moral sense. Gal 2:15 distinguishes those who are 'by nature' Jews from Gentile sinners — a matter of birth identity. Gal 4:8 speaks of serving beings that 'by nature' are not gods, and Eph 2:3 describes humanity as 'by nature' children of wrath. Spanish 'por naturaleza' and English 'by nature' preserve the prepositional construction that marks this as an adverbial idiom distinct from the bare noun. 4×
AR["بِالطَّبيعَةِ"]·ben["স্বভাবত","স্বাভাবত"]·DE["Natur"]·EN["by-nature"]·FR["Natur","nature"]·heb["בְּטֶבַע","מִ-טֶּבַע","מִטֶּבַע"]·HI["सवभअव-से","सवभव-से","स्वभाव-से"]·ID["secara-alami,","secara-alamiah","secara-kelahiran"]·IT["natura","per-natura"]·jav["kanthi-kodrat","miturut-kodrat","sacara-kodrat,","saking-asalipun"]·KO["본성으로","본성으로,"]·PT["por-natureza","por-natureza,"]·RU["по-природе","по-природе,"]·ES["por-naturaleza"]·SW["kwa-asili"]·TR["cocuklari","dogal-olarak","doğası-gereği","doğuştan"]·urd["فطرت-سے","فطرتاً"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
φύσις [ῠ], ἡ, genitive φύσεως, poetry φύσεος probably (for the sake of meter) in Refs 5th c.BC+ (variant{φύση}) Refs 5th c.BC+, (φύω): __I origin, φ. οὐδενός ἐστιν ἁπάντων θνητῶν οὐδὲ.. τελευτή Refs 5th c.BC+; frequently of persons, birth, φύσει νεώτερος Refs 5th c.BC+; φύσει, opposed to θέσει (by adoption), Refs 2nd c.AD+; so ὁ κατὰ φύσιν πατήρ, υἱός, ἀδελφός, Refs 2nd c.BC+; also in accusative,…