Brief Overview of πιστικός (Strong’s G4101: pistikos)

Strong’s G4101: An adjective meaning “genuine” or “pure,” particularly describing high-quality nard perfume. In biblical contexts, appears in accounts of Jesus’s anointing, emphasizing the costly authenticity of the offering and the genuine devotion it represented.

U- Unveiling the Word

Πιστικός (pistikos) describes genuineness or purity, particularly of valuable substances. In the New Testament, it appears in the anointing narratives, describing the expensive nard used to anoint Jesus. The word emphasizes both material quality and, metaphorically, the authenticity of devotion. Early church writers saw in this term a model for genuine worship and sacrifice. Today, it continues to illustrate the importance of authentic devotion and costly worship.

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N – Necessary Information

• Greek Word: πιστικός, pistikos, pis-tik-os’
• Detailed pronunciation: pis (as in “piss”) + tik (as in “tick”) + os (as in “dose”)
• Part of Speech: Adjective

Etymology:
From πίστις (pistis) meaning “faith, trustworthiness”

• -ικος (-ikos) adjectival suffix indicating characteristic

D – Defining Meanings

• Genuine
• Pure
• Authentic
• Trustworthy
• Unadulterated

Translation Options:

1. Pure – emphasizes quality
2. Genuine – stresses authenticity
3. Authentic – combines quality and truthfulness

E – Exploring Similar Words

• καθαρός (katharos) [kath-ar-os’] – clean, pure
• ἀληθινός (alēthinos) [al-ay-thin-os’] – true, genuine
• δόκιμος (dokimos) [dok’-im-os] – approved, tested

R – Reviewing the Word’s Morphology

Adjective Features:

• Case: Nominative, Accusative, Genitive, Dative
• Number: Singular, Plural
• Gender: Masculine, Feminine, Neuter
• Second Declension

Example forms:
Masculine nominative: πιστικός
Feminine nominative: πιστική
Neuter nominative: πιστικόν

Cross-references:

• Related noun: πίστις (faith)
• Related verb: πιστεύω (believe)

S – Studying Lexicon Insights

BDAG emphasizes authenticity in commercial contexts. Thayer’s notes its connection to trust. LSJ documents use in trade descriptions. Vine’s connects it to genuine quality. Strong’s highlights faithfulness aspect. Moulton and Milligan note commercial usage.

T – Tracing the Scriptures

First appearance:

“And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure [πιστικός] nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head.” (Mark 14:3)

Additional References:
John 12:3

A – Analyzing Classical Usage

N – Noteworthy Summary

Πιστικός powerfully illustrates authentic devotion to Christ. The good news of King Jesus deserves our purest and most genuine worship. This word challenges us to offer our best to Christ, not holding back in our devotion or offering something less than genuine.

D – Did You Know?

1. Used in ancient trade documents to certify product quality.
2. Applied to medicines to indicate purity.
3. Early church connected it to authentic spiritual gifts.

Strong’s G4101: An adjective expressing genuineness or purity, particularly of valuable substances. In gospel accounts, describes the authentic quality of expensive nard used to anoint Jesus, symbolizing pure devotion and costly worship.

Part of speech: Adjective

Tags: #genuine #pure #authentic #worship #anointing #devotion #sacrifice #Mark #John #NewTestament #BiblicalGreek #Theology​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​