Fierce Protection: φείδομαι (Strong’s G5339: pheidomai) Guards Divine Truth

Strong’s G5339: A verb meaning “to spare, forbear, or show mercy.” Used in contexts of both divine mercy and appropriate judgment. Particularly significant in pastoral contexts regarding protection of the church from false teaching. Represents balanced exercise of mercy and discipline.

U- Unveiling the Word

The verb φείδομαι carries the dual meaning of showing mercy and exercising appropriate restraint in judgment. In the New Testament, it appears in contexts describing both divine mercy and necessary discipline, particularly in pastoral settings. Paul uses it to describe how faithful shepherds must not spare themselves in protecting the flock, while also showing appropriate mercy. The early church understood this term as representing the balance between necessary discipline and merciful forbearance. Today, φείδομαι continues to instruct us about the proper exercise of both protection and mercy in spiritual leadership.

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N – Necessary Information

• Greek Word: φείδομαι, pheidomai, fi’-dom-ahee
• Pronunciation Guide: fi (as in “fee”) + dom (as in “dome”) + ahee (as in “eye”)
• Part of Speech: Verb

Etymology:

• Primary root word
• Middle/passive form
  Basic term expressing the concept of sparing or showing restraint

D – Defining Meanings

• To spare
• To show mercy
• To refrain from harming
• To exercise restraint

For compound words:
This is not a compound word but a primary verb

Translation Options:

• “To spare” – emphasizes mercy aspect
• “To forbear” – stresses restraint
• “To show mercy” – captures benevolent intent

E – Exploring Similar Words

• ἐλεέω (eleeō, el-eh-eh’-o) – to have mercy See G1653
• μακροθυμέω (makrothumeō, mak-roth-oo-meh’-o) – to be patient See G3114
• ἀνέχομαι (anechomai, an-ekh’-om-ahee) – to bear with See G430

R – Reviewing the Word’s Morphology

Morphological features as a verb:

• Tense: Present, Future, Aorist
• Voice: Middle/Passive
• Mood: Indicative, Subjunctive, Participle
• Person: First, Second, Third
• Number: Singular, Plural
• Aspect: Continuous (present), Punctiliar (aorist)

Examples:

• φείδομαι – I spare (present)
• φείσομαι – I will spare (future)
• ἐφεισάμην – I spared (aorist)

S – Studying Lexicon Insights

The lexicons provide rich understanding of φείδομαι. BDAG emphasizes its use in both merciful and disciplinary contexts. Thayer’s notes its application to pastoral care and protection. LSJ documents its classical usage in military and legal contexts. Vine’s particularly emphasizes its use in church discipline situations. Strong’s connects it to the concept of forbearance. Moulton and Milligan provide evidence of its use in personal letters expressing mercy or restraint.

T – Tracing the Scriptures

First appearance:
Acts 20:29: “For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing [φείδομαι] the flock.”

Additional References:
Romans 8:32, Romans 11:21, 2 Corinthians 1:23, 2 Peter 2:4

A – Analyzing Classical Usage

N – Noteworthy Summary

The word φείδομαι beautifully illustrates the balance between mercy and judgment in divine and pastoral care. It reminds us that true spiritual leadership requires both protection of truth and appropriate mercy. The good news is that while God didn’t spare His own Son, He now spares us through Christ’s sacrifice, demonstrating both His justice and mercy. This word teaches us to exercise similar wisdom in showing mercy while protecting truth.

D – Did You Know?

1. φείδομαι was commonly used in military contexts for sparing defeated enemies.
2. Early church fathers used this term when discussing church discipline.
3. The word influenced Christian discussions about the balance of justice and mercy.

Strong’s G5339: A verb meaning “to spare, forbear, or show mercy.” Used in contexts of both divine mercy and appropriate judgment. Particularly significant in pastoral contexts regarding protection of the church from false teaching. Represents balanced exercise of mercy and discipline.

Part of speech: Verb

Tags: mercy, forbearance, protection, discipline, pastoral-care, church-leadership, divine-mercy, judgment, restraint, spiritual-protection, truth, false-teaching, balance, wisdom, leadership​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​