3471. mórainó
Lexical Summary
mórainó: To make foolish, to become foolish, to lose savor

Original Word: μωραίνω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: mórainó
Pronunciation: mo-rah'-ee-no
Phonetic Spelling: (mo-rah'-ee-no)
KJV: become fool, make foolish, lose savour
NASB: become tasteless, became fools, made foolish
Word Origin: [from G3474 (μωρός - foolish)]

1. to become insipid
2. (figuratively) to make dull
3. (passively) act as a simpleton

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
make foolish, lose savor.

From moros; to become insipid; figuratively, to make (passively, act) as a simpleton -- become fool, make foolish, lose savour.

see GREEK moros

HELPS Word-studies

Cognate: 3471 mōraínō(from 3474 /mōrós) – dull, sluggish ("without an edge"); (figuratively) acting "stupid or silly," "insipid, flat." . . . "to play the fool" (WS, 30). See 3474 (mōros).

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from móros
Definition
to be foolish
NASB Translation
became fools (1), become tasteless (2), made foolish (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 3471: μωραίνω

μωραίνω: 1 aorist ἐμωρανα; 1 aorist passive ἐμωράνθην; (μωρός);

1. in classical Greek to be foolish, to act foolishly.

2. in Biblical Greek a. to make foolish: passive Romans 1:22 (Isaiah 19:11; Jeremiah 10:14; 2 Samuel 24:10); equivalent to to prove a person or thing to be foolish: τήν σοφίαν τοῦ κόσμου, 1 Corinthians 1:20 (τήν βουλήν αὐτῶν, Isaiah 44:25).

b. to make flat and tasteless: passive of salt that has lost its strength and flavor, Matthew 5:13; Luke 14:34.

Topical Lexicon
Semantic Range and Imagery

The verb μωραίνω carries two intertwined ideas in Scripture: the intellectual sense of “to make foolish” and the sensory picture of something “becoming tasteless.” Both nuances converge on the thought of losing an original, God-given quality—whether sound judgment or salt’s distinct flavor. In Scripture, folly is not a mere mental defect but a moral failure to honor God, while tastelessness portrays a believer whose testimony no longer influences the surrounding world.

Old Testament Foreshadowing

Although the precise term does not appear in the Hebrew canon, its concepts are anticipated. The prophets often condemn those who “have no understanding” (for example, Isaiah 27:11) and describe covenant violators as “salt that is not seasoned” (compare Leviticus 2:13; Ezekiel 16:4, which assume salt’s preservative role). Thus the Greek verb’s dual imagery harmonizes with earlier revelation: rejecting divine wisdom degrades both mind and mission.

New Testament Usage

Matthew 5:13 and Luke 14:34 employ the passive form to warn disciples: “If the salt loses its savor [μωρανθῇ], with what will it be made salty?” The metaphor presses believers to guard their distinctiveness; fruitless discipleship is portrayed as astonishingly self-defeating, like salt ceasing to be salty.

Paul uses the active and passive in wider theological argument. In 1 Corinthians 1:20 God “made foolish [ἐμώρανεν] the wisdom of the world,” overturning human pretensions through the scandal of the cross (1 Corinthians 1:18-25). Conversely, Romans 1:22 exposes willful unbelief: “Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools [ἐμωράνθησαν].” The same verb highlights divine judgment (God renders worldly wisdom futile) and human culpability (sinners render themselves foolish).

Theological Implications

1. Revelation over Reason. μωραίνω underscores that unaided human intellect cannot arrive at saving truth. When God “makes foolish” worldly schemes, He is vindicating the supremacy of revelation (1 Corinthians 2:6-10).

2. Moral Declension. Folly is self-inflicted in Romans 1:22; the verb marks the tragic exchange where worship is redirected from the Creator to creation (Romans 1:23-25). Intellectual darkness is inseparable from moral rebellion.

3. Covenant Witness. In the salt sayings, the verb warns the church that loss of spiritual vitality compromises mission. The moral decay the church is meant to restrain will instead overrun her witness if discipleship becomes bland.

Historical Interpretation

Early church fathers read μωραίνω christologically. Chrysostom saw God’s “foolishness” in the cross as wisdom that humbles the proud. Augustine linked tasteless salt to nominal believers who “bear the name but not the power of Christianity.” Reformers echoed these themes: Calvin urged that gospel preaching “empties man of pride,” while Luther contrasted theologia crucis with “worldly wisdom” undone by μωραίνω.

Practical Ministry Applications

• Preaching: Present the cross as God’s answer to the intellectual idols of every age, trusting the Spirit to “make foolish” current ideologies.

• Discipleship: Guard against spiritual complacency. Regular self-examination and repentance prevent the church from becoming tasteless salt.

• Apologetics: Highlight Romans 1’s diagnosis—sin is not merely misinformation but active suppression of truth, resulting in self-inflicted folly.

• Church Discipline: Jesus’ warning about salt’s uselessness legitimizes corrective measures aimed at restoring a believer’s flavor.

Contemporary Relevance

Modern culture venerates autonomy and relativism, yet μωραίνω exposes their end: intellectual futility and ethical barrenness. The church’s counter-cultural task remains unchanged—proclaim the crucified and risen Christ and live distinctively so that the earth tastes the preserving grace of God. If the church abandons either message or holiness, it forfeits its God-ordained influence.

Summary

In its four New Testament appearances μωραίνω depicts (1) the self-destructive folly of sin, (2) God’s decisive overturning of worldly wisdom through the gospel, and (3) the peril of disciples who forfeit their distinctive influence. Together these uses call believers to cherish revealed wisdom, maintain vibrant holiness, and rely on the Spirit to confound every age’s pretensions.

Forms and Transliterations
εμωρανεν εμώρανεν ἐμώρανεν εμωράνθη εμωρανθησαν εμωράνθησαν ἐμωράνθησαν μωραίνων μωρανθη μωρανθή μωρανθῇ μωρανθήσεται emoranen emōranen emṓranen emoranthesan emoránthesan emōranthēsan emōránthēsan moranthe mōranthē moranthêi mōranthē̂i
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Englishman's Concordance
Matthew 5:13 V-ASP-3S
GRK: τὸ ἅλας μωρανθῇ ἐν τίνι
NAS: the salt has become tasteless, how
KJV: the salt have lost his savour, wherewith
INT: the salt become tasteless with what

Luke 14:34 V-ASP-3S
GRK: τὸ ἅλας μωρανθῇ ἐν τίνι
NAS: salt has become tasteless, with what
KJV: the salt have lost his savour, wherewith
INT: the salt become tasteless with what

Romans 1:22 V-AIP-3P
GRK: εἶναι σοφοὶ ἐμωράνθησαν
NAS: to be wise, they became fools,
KJV: to be wise, they became fools,
INT: to be wise they became fools

1 Corinthians 1:20 V-AIA-3S
GRK: τούτου οὐχὶ ἐμώρανεν ὁ θεὸς
NAS: Has not God made foolish the wisdom
KJV: God made foolish the wisdom
INT: of this not did make foolish God

Strong's Greek 3471
4 Occurrences


ἐμώρανεν — 1 Occ.
ἐμωράνθησαν — 1 Occ.
μωρανθῇ — 2 Occ.

3470
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