ἄφρων
aphrōn
foolish
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
ExploredThe Greek word ἄφρων (aphrōn) is defined as "foolish." This term falls within the semantic domain of Cognition & Perception, indicating its connection to mental states and awareness. The word appears 11 times in the Bible, suggesting its importance in conveying a particular idea or concept. In its usage, ἄφρων describes individuals who lack wisdom, understanding, or good judgment. It implies a state of being uninformed, naive, or lacking in discernment. This word is not necessarily pejorative, but rather a neutral description of a mental state. Its range of usage is diverse, appearing in various contexts, such as describing individuals, their actions, or their characteristics. The significance of ἄφρων lies in its depiction of human limitations and vulnerabilities. It highlights the importance of wisdom, discernment, and good judgment in navigating life's challenges. By using this term, the biblical authors emphasize the need for individuals to cultivate these qualities in order to make informed decisions and live wisely.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
11 total occurrences across the text
You foolish ones, didn’t he who made the outside make the inside also?
Luke 12:20“But God said to him, ‘You foolish one, tonight your soul is required of you. The things which you have prepared—whose will they be?’
Romans 2:20a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of babies, having in the law the form of knowledge and of the truth.
1 Corinthians 15:36You foolish one, that which you yourself sow is not made alive unless it dies.
2 Corinthians 11:16I say again, let no one think me foolish. But if so, yet receive me as foolish, that I also may boast a little.
2 Corinthians 11:16I say again, let no one think me foolish. But if so, yet receive me as foolish, that I also may boast a little.
2 Corinthians 11:19For you bear with the foolish gladly, being wise.
2 Corinthians 12:6For if I would desire to boast, I will not be foolish; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, so that no man may think more of me than that which he sees in me or hears from me.
2 Corinthians 12:11I have become foolish in boasting. You compelled me, for I ought to have been commended by you, for I am in no way inferior to the very best apostles, though I am nothing.
Ephesians 5:17Therefore don’t be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
1 Peter 2:15For this is the will of God, that by well-doing you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: