Quick Definition
I weep, weep for, mourn
Strong's Definition
to sob, i.e. wail aloud (whereas 1145 is rather to cry silently)
Derivation: of uncertain affinity;
KJV Usage: bewail, weep
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
κλαίω; imperfect ἔκλαιον; future κλαύσω (Luk_6:25; Joh_16:20; and Tr WH text in Rev_18:9, for κλαύσομαι. more common in Greek writ, especially the earlier, and found in Lev_10:6; Joe_2:17, and according to most editions in Rev_18:9; cf. Krüger, § 40 under the word, i., p. 175f; Kühner, § 343, under the word, i., p. 847; (Veitch, under the word); Buttmann, 60 (53); (Winer's Grammar, 87 (83))); 1 aorist ἔκλαυσα; the Sept. frequently for αΘΜλΘδ; (from Homer down); to mourn, weep, lament;
a. intransitive: Mar_14:72; Mar_16:10; Luk_7:13; Luk_7:38; Joh_11:31; Joh_11:33; Joh_20:11; Joh_20:13; Joh_20:15; Act_9:39; Act_21:13; Rev. (); ; πολλά, for which L T Tr WH πολύ, Rev_5:4; πικρῶς, Mat_26:75; Luk_22:62; weeping as the sign of pain and grief for the thing signified (i. e. for pain and grief), Luk_6:21; Luk_6:25 (opposed to γελαν); Joh_16:20; Rom_12:15 (opposed to χαίρειν); Php_3:18; 1Co_7:30; Jas_4:9; Jas_5:1; of those who mourn the dead: Mar_5:38; Luk_7:32; Luk_8:52; ἐπί τίνι, over anyone, Luk_19:41 R G (Sir_22:11); also joined with πενθεῖν, Rev_18:11 R G L; κλαίειν ἐπί τινα, Luk_19:41 L T Tr WH; ; joined with κόπτεσθαι followed by ἐπί τινα, Rev_18:9 T Tr WH.
b. transitive, τινα, to weep for, mourn for, bewail, one (cf. Buttmann, § 131, 4; Winer's Grammar, 32, 1 γ.): Mat_2:18, and Rec. in Rev_18:9. [SYNONYMS: δακρύω, κλαίω, ὀδύρομαι, θρηνέω, ἀλαλάζω (ὀλολύζω), στενάζω: strictly, δακρύω denotes to shed tears, weep silently; κλαίω to weep audibly, to cry as a child; ὀδύρομαι to give verbal expression to grief, to lament; θρηνέω to give formal expression to grief, to sing a dirge; ἀλαλάζω to wail in oriental style, to howl in a consecrated, semi-liturgical fashion; στενάζω to express grief by inarticulate or semi-articulate sounds, to groan. Cf. Schmidt chh. 26, 126.]
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
κλαίω klaiō 40x
intrans. to weep, shed tears, Mat_26:75 ; Mar_5:38-39 ; Luk_19:41 ; Luk_23:28 ;
trans. to weep for, bewail, Mat_2:18 cry; mourn; wail; weep.
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
κλαίω ,
[in LXX chiefly for H1058 ;]
of any loud expression of pain or sorrow, esp . for the dead, to weep, lament;
(a) intrans .: Mar_5:38-39 ; Mar_14:72 ( M , Pr., 131) Mar_16:10 , Luk_7:13 ; Luk_7:32 ; Luk_7:38 ; Luk_8:52 , Joh_11:31 ; Joh_11:33 ; Joh_16:20 ; Joh_20:11 ; Joh_20:13 ; Joh_20:15 Act_9:39 ; Act_21:13 , 1Co_7:30 , Php_3:18 , Jas_4:9 ; Jas_5:1 , Rev_5:5 ; Rev_18:15 ; Rev_18:19 ; πολύ , Rev_5:4 ; πολλά , Act_8:24 ( WH , mg .); πικρῶς , Mat_26:75 , Luk_22:62 ; opp . to γελάω , Luk_6:21 ; Luk_6:25 ; χαίρω , Rom_12:15 ; seq . ἐπί , c . acc , Luk_19:41 ; Luk_23:28 , Rev_18:9 ;
(b) trans., c . acc pers ., to weep or lament for, bewail: Mat_2:18 .†
SYN.: see δακρύω G1145 .
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
κλαίω [page 345]
P Oxy I. 115 .3 ff (letter of consolation ii/A.D.) (= Selections , p. 96) ἔκλαυσα ἐπὶ τῶι εὐμοίρωι ( blessed one ) ὡς ἐπὶ Διδυμᾶτος ἔκλαυσα . In P Oxy III. 528 .8 (ii/A.D.) a husband writes to his wife, who had left him, urging her return γινόσκειν σε θέλω ἀφ᾽ ὡς ἐκξῆλθες ( l. ἐξ ) ἀπ᾽ ἐμοῦ πένθος ἡγούμην νυκτὸς κλέ (= αἰ )ων , ἡμέρας δὲ πενθω̣ ( l. θῶν ), I assure you that ever since you left me I have been in mourning, weeping by night and lamenting by day (Edd.). For the form κλάω (cf. ἔκλαεν 3 Kings 18 .45 ) see P Par 34 .7 (ii/B.C.) γυναῖκας κλαούσας , and for κλάγω see ib. 51 .15 (B.C. 160) (= Selections , p. 20) κλάγω ἔμπροσθεν αὐτῶν : see further Mayser Gr , p. 104 f., Moulton Gr. ii. p. 81. MGr κλαί (γ )ω .
Liddell-Scott — Intermediate Greek Lexicon
κλαίω "to weep, lament, wail", Hom. , etc.; αὐτὸν κλαίοντα ἀφήσω I shall send him home "weeping", i. e. "well beaten", Il. ; hence κλαύσεται "he shall weep", i. e. "he shall repent it", Ar. ; κλαύσει μακρά id=Ar. ; κλάων "to your sorrow, at your peril", Soph. , Eur. ; κλάειν σε λέγω or κελεύω, Lat. plorare te jubeo, Ar. trans. "to weep for, lament", Hom. :—in Pass. "to be lamented", Aesch. : impers., μάτην ἐμοὶ κεκλαύσεται "I shall mourn" in vain, Ar. Mid. "to bewail oneself, weep aloud", Aesch. ; so perf. part. pass., κεκλαυμένος "bathed in tears, all tears", id=Aesch. , Soph. trans. "to bewail to oneself", Soph.
STEPBible — Tyndale Abridged Greek Lexicon
κλαίω
[in LXX chiefly for בָּכָה ;]
of any loud expression of pain or sorrow, esp. for the dead, to weep, lament;
__(a) intrans.: Mrk.5:38-39 14:72 (M, Pr., 131) Mrk.16:10, Luk.7:13, 32 7:38 8:52, Jhn.11:31, 33 16:20 20:11, 13 20:15 Act.9:39 21:13, 1Co.7:30, Php.3:18, Jas.4:9 5:1, Rev.5:5 18:15, 19; πολύ, Rev.5:4; πολλά, Act.8:24 (WH, mg.); πικρῶς, Mat.26:75, Luk.22:62; opposite to γελάω, Luk.6:21, 25; χαίρω, Rom.12:15; before ἐπί, with accusative, Luk.19:41 23:28, Rev.18:9;
__(b) trans., with accusative of person(s), to weep or lament for, bewail: Mat.2:18.†
SYN.: see: δακρύω (AS)
📖 In-Depth Word Study
Weep, weeping (2799) klaio
Weeping (2799) (klaio) (All NT and Lxx uses of klaio below) means to mourn, to weep, to lament or to wail with emphasis upon noise accompanying weeping. It expresses one’s immediate and outward reaction to suffering. The picture is of one lamenting with sobs or wailing aloud and was used to describe the wailing that took place when someone died. Weeping thus was a sign of the pain and grief for the entity or person being wept over (See all verses below and note who wept and over what/who?)
Klaio implies not only the shedding of tears, but also external expression of grief. It was a term frequently used to describe the actions of professional mourners.
NIDNTT writes that in classical Greek klaio is...
found from Homer onwards (and ) means intransitively to cry aloud, weep; transitively to bewail. In secular Greek. klaio does not express remorse or sorrow, but physical or mental pain which is outwardly visible. (Brown, Colin, Editor. New International Dictionary of NT Theology. 1986. Zondervan)
In the present context these ungodly men with "belly god's" brought tears to Paul's eyes and grief to his bosom because of the damage they brought to Christ's fame, name and kingdom.
Warren Wiersbe has an interesting note writing...
How strange in a letter filled with joy to find Paul weeping! Perhaps he is weeping over himself and his difficult situation! No, he is a man with a single mind, and his circumstances do not discourage him. Is he weeping because of what some of the Roman Christians are doing to him? No, he has the submissive mind and will not permit people to rob him of his joy. These tears are not for himself at all; they are shed because of others. Because Paul has the spiritual mind, he is heartbroken over the way some professed Christians are living, people who “mind earthly things.” (Wiersbe, W: Bible Exposition Commentary. 1989. Victor)
"Copy and paste the address below into your web browser in order to go to the original page which will allow you to access live links related to the material on this page - these links include Scriptures (which can be read in context), Scripture pop-ups on mouse over, and a variety of related resources such as Bible dictionary articles, commentaries, sermon notes and theological journal articles related to the topic under discussion."
http://www.preceptaustin.org/philippians_317-21.htm#weeping