Quick Definition
πτωχός, ή, όν Adj poor, destitute
Strong's Definition
from ptosso (to crouch); akin to 4422 and the alternate of 4098); a beggar (as cringing), i.e. pauper (strictly denoting absolute or public mendicancy, although also used in a qualified or relative sense; whereas 3993 properly means only straitened circumstances in private), literally (often as noun) or figuratively (distressed)
KJV Usage: beggar(-ly), poor
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
adjc. | -ή, -όν | πτωχεύω
57.53 · Possess, Transfer, Exchange · Be Poor, Be Needy, Poverty
poor, destitute pertaining to being poor and destitute, implying a continuous state See comments at 57.51.
Since in all societies there are poor people, there is no difficulty involved in finding a suitable expression to designate such persons, but in some languages idiomatic phrases are used, for example, ‘those who walk in rags’ or ‘those whose ribs are always showing.’
MAT 11:5 · MAT 19:21 · MAT 26:9 · MAT 26:11 · MRK 10:21 · MRK 12:42 · MRK 12:43 · MRK 14:5 · MRK 14:7 · LUK 4:18 · LUK 6:20 · LUK 7:22 · LUK 14:13 · LUK 14:21 · LUK 16:20 · LUK 16:22 · LUK 18:22 · LUK 19:8 · LUK 21:3 · JHN 12:5 · JHN 12:6 · JHN 12:8 · JHN 13:29 · ROM 15:26 · 2CO 6:10 · GAL 2:10 · JAS 2:2 · JAS 2:3 · JAS 2:5 · JAS 2:6 · REV 3:17 · REV 13:16
65.16 · Value · Valuable, Lacking in Value
of little or no value, relatively worthless pertaining to being of inadequate or insufficient value It is possible that πτωχός in GAL 4:9 refers to the contrast with that which is beneficial or useful, in which case the meaning of πτωχός in this context would be classified in Subdomain D Useful, Useless (Domain 65 Value).
88.57 · Moral and Ethical Qualities and Related Behavior · Humility
Collocation: πτωχὸς τῷ πνεύματι
to be humble (an idiom, literally: poor in spirit) pertaining to one who is humble with regard to his own capacities (in the one NT occurrence, namely, MAT 5:3, this humility is in relationship to God) A literal translation of πτωχὸς τῷ πνεύματι may lead to serious misunderstanding, since ‘poor in spirit’ is likely to mean either ‘lacking in the Holy Spirit’ or ‘lacking in ambition or drive.’ In order to indicate clearly that this poverty or need is related in some way to spiritual realities, one may translate ‘happy are those who recognize their need of God.’
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
πτωχός, -ή, -ov, (πτώσσω, to be thoroughly frizhtened, to cower down or hide one’s self for fear; hence πτωχός prop. one who slinks and crouches), often involving the idea of roving about in wretchedness [see πένης, fin.; “but it always had a bad sense till it was ennobled in the Gospels; see Mt. v. 3; Lk. vi. 20, ef. 2 Co. viii. 9” (L. and 5. 5. v. I.)]; hence 1. in class. Grk. from Hom. down, reduced to beggary, begging, mendicant, asking alms: Lk. xiv. 13, 21; xvi. 20, 22. me poor, needy, (opp. to πλούσιος) : Mt. xix. 21; xxvi. 9,11; Mk. x. 21; xii. 42, 43; xiv. 5,7; Lk. xviii. 22; xix. 8; xxi. 3; Jn. xii. 5, 6,8; xiii. 29; Ro. xv. 26; 2 Co. vi. 10; Gal. ii. 10; Jas. ii. 2, 3,6; Rev. xiti.16; in a broader sense, destitute of wealth, influence, position, honors; lowly, afflicted: Mt. xi. 5; Lk. iv. 18, (fr. Is. xi. 1); vi. 205 vii. 223 οἱ πτωχοὶ τοῦ κόσμου (partit. gen.), the poor of the human race, Jas. ii. 5; but the more correct reading is that of LT Tr WH viz. τῷ κόσμῳ [unto the world], i. e. the ungodly world being judge, cf. W. § 31, 4a.; B. § 133, 14; [R. V. as to the world (see next head, and ef. κύσμος, 7)]. trop. destitute of the Christian virtues and the eternal riches, Rev. iii. 17; like the Lat. inops, i. q: helpless, powerless to accomplish an end: στοιχεῖα, Gal. iv. 9 [
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
πτωχός ptōchos 34x
reduced to beggary, mendicant; poor, indigent, Mt. 19:21; 26:9, 11; met. spiritually poor, Rev. 3:17; by impl. a person of low condition, Mt. 11:4; Lk. 4:18; 7:22; met. beggarly, sorry, Gal. 4:9; met. lowly, Mt. 5:3; Lk. 6:20
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
πτωχός, -ή, -όν
(< πτώσσω, to crouch, cower), [in LXX for עָנִי, דַּל, רָשׁ, etc.;]
of one who crouches and cowers, hence, as subst., a beggar: Lk 14:13, 21 16:20, 22.
As adj., prop., beggarly: metaph., στοιχεῖα, Ga 4:9 (v. Lft., in l.);
in broader sense (opp. to πλούσιος), poor: Mt 11:5 19:21 26:9, 11, Mk 10:21 12:42, 43 14:5, 7, Lk 4:18 7:22 18:22 19:8 21:3, Jo 12:5, 6, 8 13:29, Ro 15:26, II Co 6:10, Ga 2:10, Ja 2:2, 3, 6, Re 13:16; π. τ. κόσμῳ, Ja 2:5; metaph., Lk 6:20, Re 3:17; π. τ. πνεύματι, Mt 5:3.†
SYN.: πένης, q.v.
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
πτωχός, “crouching, ” 4 “ cringing,” hence ‘‘a beggar,’’ was always used in a bad sense until it was ennobled by the Gospels. It occurs in P Petr III. 36 (a) vecfo!™ 18 (Ptol.) along with its comparative, but unfortunately in a very broken context : see also 76. 1401 (private accounts) πτώχωι v, γνάφει δ. In Gal 49 the translation ‘‘ teggarly”” is not very happy ; the πτωχὰ στοιχεῖα are such that there is “‘ nothing in them ”— no one is the better for them: see Westcott S¢. Paz and Fustification, p. 81. MGr φτωχός, ‘ poor.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
πτωχός (ptōchos) — poor. πτωχός, ή, όν, also ός, όν [Refs 5th c.BC+]:— beggar, [Refs 8th c.BC+] beggar-woman, [NT+5th c.BC+]
2. metaphorically, οἱ π. τῷ πνεύματι [NT]
II. as adjective, beggarly, πτωχῷ διαίτῃ [NT+5th c.BC+]: with genitive, beggared of, poor in, [πηγὴ] π. νυμφῶν [Refs 1st c.AD+]
II.2. comparative πτωχότερος [Refs 4th c.BC+]; proverbial, π. κίγκλου 'as poor as a church mouse', [Refs 5th c.BC+]: superlative πτωχότατος [Refs 6th c.AD+]
II.3. adverb -χῶς poorly, scantily, ἠροτρία π. μέν, ἀλλ᾽ ἀναγκαίως [Refs 2nd c.AD+]