Quick Definition
πωλέω v. I sell
Strong's Definition
to barter (as a pedlar), i.e. to sell
Derivation: probably ultimately from (to be busy, to trade);
KJV Usage: sell, whatever is sold
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
verb | πορφυρόπωλις
57.186 · Possess, Transfer, Exchange · Sell, Buy, Price
to sell to dispose of property or provide services in exchange for money or other valuable considerations πιπράσκω and ἀποδίδομαι (ἀποδίδωμι[e]) may also be used to refer to selling a person into slavery. Note, for example, πιπράσκω in MAT 18:25 (ἐκέλευσεν αὐτὸν ὁ κύριος πραθῆναι ‘his master ordered him to be sold as a slave’) and ἀποδίδομαι in ACT 7:9 (οἱ πατριάρχαι ζηλώσαντες τὸν Ἰωσὴφ ἀπέδοντο εἰς Αἴγυπτον ‘the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph and sold him to be a slave in Egypt’).
In a number of languages, however, it may be important to use a distinctive term for selling a person into slavery. In fact, it may be necessary to describe the event rather explicitly, for example, ‘to receive money for handing a person over to someone else to be a slave.’
In ROM 7:14 πιπράσκω is used figuratively in the phrase πεπραμένος ὑπὸ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ‘sold as a slave to sin,’ in the sense that sin is personified as the master.
MAT 10:29 · MAT 13:44 · MAT 19:21 · MAT 21:12 · MAT 21:12 · MAT 25:9 · MRK 10:21 · MRK 11:15 · MRK 11:15 · LUK 12:6 · LUK 12:33 · LUK 17:28 · LUK 18:22 · LUK 19:45 · LUK 22:36 · JHN 2:14 · JHN 2:16 · ACT 4:34 · ACT 4:37 · ACT 5:1 · 1CO 10:25 · REV 13:17
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
πωλέω, -&; imp. ἐπώλουν; 1 aor. ἐπώλησα ; pres. pass. πωλοῦμαι; (πέλω, πέλομαι, to turn, turn about, [Curtius § 633 p. 470], fr. which [through the noun πωλή; Lod. in Bttm. Ausf. Spr. ii. 57 bot.] πωλοῦμαι, Lat. versor, foll. by εἰς with acc. of place, to frequent a place; ef. the Lat. venio and veneo); fr. Hdt. down; Sept. for 720; prop. to barter, i. 6. to sell: absol. (opp. to ἀγοράζει), Lk. xvii. 28; Rev. xiii. 17; of πωλοῦντες (opp. to of dyopd¢ovres, buyers), sellers, Mt. xxi. 12; xxv.9; Mk. xi. 15; Lk. xix. 45; with acc. of a thing, Mt. xiii. 44; xix. 21; xxi. 12; Mk. x. 21; xi. 15; Lk. [xii. 33]; xviii. 22; xxii. 36; Jn. ii. 14,16; Acts v.1; supply αὐτόν, Acts iv. 37; αὐτά, ib. 34; pass. 1 Co. x. 25; with a gen. of price added, Mt. x. 29; Lk. xii. 6.
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
πωλέω pōleō 22x
to sell, Mt. 10:29; 13:44
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
πωλέω, -ῶ,
[in LXX chiefly for מכר;]
to exchange or barter.
to sell: Lk 17:28, Re 13:17; οἱ πωλοῦντες, Mt 21:12 25:9, Mk 11:15, Lk 19:45; c. acc. rei, Mt 13:44 19:21 21:12, Mk 10:21 11:15, Lk 12:33 18:22 22:36, Jo 2:14, 16, Ac 5:1 (sc. αὐτά, αὐτόν), Ac 4:34, 37. Pass., I Co 10:25; c. gen. pretii, Mt 10:29, Lk 12:6.†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
πωλέω. From meaning originally ‘‘put up for sale’’ (sendzfo) πωλέω came to mean simply ‘‘sell” (endo). This later sense, which alone is found in the NT, can be fully illustrated from the papyri, e.g. PSI IV. 3567 (B.c. 253-2) οὐθεὶς οὖν ἐν τοῖς τόποις πωλεῖ πρὸς σῖτον, ἀλλὰ πρὸς ἀργύριον, P Ryl LL. 1138 (Δ.1.133) μόλις πάντα τὰ ἐμαυτοῦ πωλήσας ἐδυνήθην πληρῶσαι, “I was with difficulty able to complete this by selling all my property ” (cf. Mk τοῦ), P Oxy III. 49428 (a Will—A.p. 156) ἐξέστω 80 αὐτῆς πωλεῖν καὶ ὑποτίθεσθαι ἃ ἐὰν aipfrat, ‘‘she shall have the right to ell or mortgage on her own authority whatever she chooses, "ἢ 76. VI. 03219 (late ii/A.D.) τὰ χοιρίδια χωρὶς μοῦ μὴ πώλι, “do not sell the young pigs without me,” P Tebt IT. 4215 (iii/A.p.) (= Se/ections, p. 106) θέλις αὐτὸ πωλῆσαι], πώλησον, ‘if you wish to sell it, sell it,” and P Oxy I. 83} (A.D. 327), where an egg-seller undertakes to offer his eggs only in the public market, and not ‘to sell secretly or in his own house”’—kpuBq ἢ καὶ ἐν τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ οἰκίᾳ πωλῖν. For the rare pass. (cf. Rutherford VP p. 213) see the question to an oracle in 7. XII. 14773 (iii/iv A.D.) εἶ πωλοῦμαι ; ‘am Ito be sold up?”’ (Edd.), and for the subst. πώλησις see BGU I. 1841 (A.D. 72).
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
πωλέω (pōleō) — to sell. πωλ-έω, Ionic dialectimperfect πωλέεσκε [Refs 5th c.BC+]: future -ήσω[Refs 5th c.BC+]; Doric dialect 3rd.pers. plural πωλησεῦντι [Refs 1st c.AD+]: aorist ἐπώλησα [Refs 1st c.AD+]:—passive, future in middle form πωλήσεται [Refs 4th c.BC+] future πεπωλήσεται [Refs 4th c.BC+]: aorist ἐπωλήθην [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—sell or offer for sale, opposed to ὠνεῖσθαι, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; opposed to ἀποδίδοσθαι (of the actual sale), [Refs 5th c.BC+]; μετ᾽ ἀβακίου καὶ τραπεζίου π. ἑαυτόν sell oneself across the counter, [Refs 5th c.BC+] sold at a high price for exportation to Sardis, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; πωλέω οὐδενὸς χρήματος refuse to sell it at any price, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὰ σφῶν αὐτῶν μικροῦ λήμματος π. [Refs 4th c.BC+]; ἔρωμαι ὁπόσου πωλε; ask what he wants for it, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὴν Ἀσίην πωλῶ πρὸς μύρα[Refs]; π. τινί τι [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τι πρός τινας [Refs 5th c.BC+]: absolutely, carry on business, trade, ἐν τῇ πόλει [Refs 2nd c.AD+]; π. πρός τινα deal with one, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; π. πάλιν retail, [Refs 5th c.BC+]:— passive, to be sold or offered for sale, εἰν ἀγορῇ πωλεύμενα [Refs 8th c.BC+]; of a person, to be sold up, [Refs 3rd c.AD+]
2. π. τέλη let out the taxes, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
2. b sell or farm out offices, priesthoods, etc., [τὰς ἀρχάς] [Refs 4th c.BC+]
3. sell, i.e. give up, betray, τὰς γραφάς [Refs 4th c.BC+]:—passive, of persons, to be bought and sold, betrayed, [Refs 5th c.BC+]