ψευδ-άδελφος G5569
false brother, pretended Christian, fake believer
ψευδάδελφος (from ψευδής 'false' + ἀδελφός 'brother') denotes someone who falsely claims to be a Christian brother—a pretended believer, an infiltrator in the church. Paul uses it twice to describe dangers he faced in ministry. In 2 Corinthians 11:26, listing perils he endured, he includes 'danger from false brothers (ψευδαδέλφοις)'—people pretending to be fellow Christians while actually undermining the gospel. In Galatians 2:4, he describes how 'false brothers (ψευδαδέλφους) secretly brought in' spied on the freedom believers have in Christ, wanting to bring them into bondage. These were infiltrators, not genuine siblings in the faith.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Both uses describe those who claim Christian identity while actually threatening the gospel. In 2 Corinthians 11:26, they pose danger to Paul's mission; in Galatians 2:4, they spy on freedom to impose legalism. The French faux-frère and Spanish falsos hermanos capture the contradiction—they call themselves brothers but are false. Paul's experience shows that the church faces danger not only from external opposition but from internal pretenders who wear Christian labels while working against Christ's truth. 2×
AR["إِخْوَةٍ-كَذَبَةٍ", "الإخوَةِ-الكَذَبَةِ"]·ben["ভণ্ড-ভাইদের,", "ভণ্ড-ভাইদের।"]·DE["falscher-Bruder"]·EN["false-brothers"]·FR["faux-frère", "ψευδαδέλφους"]·heb["אַחִים-שְׁקָרִים", "אַחִים-שֶׁקֶר"]·HI["झूठे-भाइयों-में", "झोओथे-भैयोन,"]·ID["saudara-saudara-palsu"]·IT["falso-fratello", "pseudadelphous"]·jav["sadhèrèk-palsu", "sadèrèk-palsu,"]·KO["거짓-형제들,", "거짓-형제들에"]·PT["falsos-irmãos"]·RU["лжебратьев", "лжебратьях"]·ES["falsos-hermanos"]·SW["ndugu-wa-uongo", "ndugu-wa-uongo;"]·TR["sahte-kardeşlerden", "sahte-kardeşleri"]·urd["جھوٹے-بھائیوں"]
Related Senses
H0376 1. man, person, human male (2130×)H0251 1. brother (blood sibling) (573×)H0120 1. man, human being (individual/generic) (527×)H0802 1. woman, female person (519×)H0802 2. wife, spouse (255×)H0517 1. mother, female parent (217×)G0435 1. man, male person (202×)G1135 1. woman, adult female (190×)H2233 1. offspring, descendants (172×)H0001 2. ancestor, forefather (146×)H5288 1. Youth, young man (122×)H0269 1. sister (female sibling) (113×)H1755 1. generation, contemporaries (96×)G5043 1. child, offspring (89×)G0444 2. people, humankind (86×)H3206 1. child, boy, youth (86×)H2145 1. male (human being) (79×)G3384 1. mother (77×)H6485a 1. Qal passive participle: numbered ones, enrollment (76×)H1397 1. man (strong/mighty) (65×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ψευδ-άδελφος [ᾰ], ὁ, false brother, pretended Christian, NT