Original Word: πτωχός
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: ptóchos
Pronunciation: pto-khos'
Phonetic Spelling: (pto-khos')
KJV: beggar(-ly), poor
NASB: poor, poor man, worthless
Word Origin: [from ptosso "to crouch", akin to G4422 (πτοέω - startled) and the alternate of G4098 (πίπτω - fell)]

1. a beggar (as cringing), a pauper
2. (figuratively) distressed
3. (literally, as a noun) strictly denoting absolute or public dependency on charity
{also used in a qualified or relative sense; whereas G3993 properly means only financial distress in private}

beggar, poor.

From ptosso (to crouch); akin to ptoeo and the alternate of pipto); a beggar (as cringing), i.e. Pauper (strictly denoting absolute or public mendicancy, although also used in a qualified or relative sense; whereas penes properly means only straitened circumstances in private), literally (often as noun) or figuratively (distressed) -- beggar(-ly), poor.

see GREEK ptoeo

see GREEK pipto

see GREEK penes

4434 ptōxós (from ptōssō, "to crouch or cower like a beggar") – properly, bent over; (figuratively) deeply destitute, completely lacking resources (earthly wealth) – i.e. helpless as a beggar. 4434 (ptōxós) relates to "the pauper rather than the mere peasant, the extreme opposite of the rich" (WP, 1, 371).

Word Origin
adjective from ptóssó (to crouch, cower)
Definition
(of one who crouches and cowers, hence) beggarly, poor
NASB Translation
poor (29), poor man (5), worthless (1).

STRONGS NT 4434: πτωχός

πτωχός, πτωχή, πτωχόν (πτώσσω, to be thoroughly frightened, to cower down or hide oneself for fear; hence, πτωχός properly, one who slinks and crouches), often involving the idea of roving about in wretchedness (see πένης, at the end; "but it always had a bad sense till it was ennobled in the Gospels; see Matthew 5:3; Luke 6:20, cf. 2 Corinthians 8:9" (Liddell and Scott, under I.)); hence,

1. in classical Greek from Homer down, reduced to beggary, begging, mendicant, asking alms: Luke 14:13, 21; Luke 16:20, 22.

2. poor, needy (opposed to πλούσιος): Matthew 19:21; Matthew 26:9, 11; Mark 10:21; Mark 12:42, 43; Mark 14:5, 7; Luke 18:22; Luke 19:8; Luke 21:3; John 12:5, 6, 8; John 13:29; Romans 15:26; 2 Corinthians 6:10; Galatians 2:10; James 2:2, 3, 6; Revelation 13:16; in a broader sense, destitute of wealth, influence, position, honors; lowly, afflicted: Matthew 11:5; Luke 4:18 (from Isaiah 61:1); ; οἱ πτωχοί τοῦ κόσμου (partitive genitive), the poor of the human race, James 2:5; but the more correct reading is that of L T Tr WH viz. τῷ κόσμῳ (unto the world), i. e. the ungodly world being judge, cf. Winers Grammar, § 31, 4 a.; Buttmann, § 133, 14; (R. V. as to the world (see next head, and cf. κόσμος, 7)). tropically, destitute of the Christian virtues and the eternal riches, Revelation 3:17; like the Latininops, equivalent to helpless, powerless to accomplish an end: στοιχεῖα, Galatians 4:9 (`bringing no rich endowment of spiritual treasure' (Lightfoot)).

3. universally, lacking in anything, with a dative of the respect: τῷ πνεύματι, as respects their spirit, i. e. destitute of the wealth of learning and intellectual culture which the schools afford (men of this class most readily gave themselves up to Christ's teaching and proved themselves fitted to lay hold of the heavenly treasure, Matthew 11:25; John 9:39; 1 Corinthians 1:26, 27; (others make the idea more inward and ethical: 'conscious of their spiritual need')), Matthew 5:3; compare with this the Epistle of Barnabas 19 [ET], see ἔσῃ ἁπλοῦς τῇ καρδία καί πλούσιος τῷ πνεύματι, abounding in Christian graces and the riches of the divine kingdom. (The Sept. for עָנִי, דַּל, רָשׁ, אֶבְיון, etc.)

Summary of Usage

The term translated “poor” occurs thirty-four times in the Greek New Testament and gathers two intertwined ideas: material destitution and utter dependence upon God. In the Synoptic Gospels it regularly names those who lack economic resources, yet the same word is used by Jesus and the apostles to describe the spiritually humble who cast themselves entirely on divine mercy.

Old Testament Roots and Continuity

Israel’s law, poetry, and prophecy hold the poor close to the heart of covenant faithfulness (for example, Deuteronomy 15:11; Psalm 72:4; Isaiah 61:1). The New Testament usage carries this heritage forward, revealing a God who defends the powerless and expects His people to do likewise (compare Luke 4:18 with Isaiah 61:1).

The Messiah’s Good News to the Poor

Jesus inaugurates His public ministry with the proclamation, “The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor” (Luke 4:18). His healings, table fellowship, and teaching demonstrate that the gospel reaches first to those the world overlooks (Matthew 11:5; Luke 7:22).

The Poor in Kingdom Ethics

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus pronounces, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3), while the Lukan parallel underscores material poverty: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God” (Luke 6:20). Taken together, the sayings affirm that both tangible need and spiritual humility position a person to receive God’s reign.

Apostolic Mandate for Relief

Paul’s letters reveal an enduring obligation to remember the needy. When recounting his Jerusalem consultation he writes, “They asked only that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do” (Galatians 2:10). His later collection from Macedonia and Achaia for “the poor among the saints in Jerusalem” (Romans 15:26) shows practical follow-through.

Poverty as a Testing Ground of Faith

James confronts assemblies that honor wealth while shaming need: “Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith…?” (James 2:5). Ignoring or exploiting the destitute contradicts genuine faith (James 2:3 – 6). In 2 Corinthians 6:10 Paul can speak of apostles as “poor, yet making many rich,” highlighting the paradox of gospel ministry.

The Eschatological Reversal

Jesus’ parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:20 – 22) and His words to the complacent church in Laodicea, “You do not realize that you are…poor” (Revelation 3:17), warn that earthly prosperity offers no guarantee before God. Conversely, material poverty coupled with faith anticipates eternal honor (Luke 14:13 – 21).

Historical Practice in the Early Church

From the shared possessions of Acts 2 and Acts 4 to organized distributions hinted at in John 13:29, the apostolic community treated relief of the poor as central, not peripheral, to its life and witness. Deaconal structures later formalized this concern, reflecting continuity with Old Testament gleaning laws and prophetic calls for justice.

Pastoral and Missional Application

1. Proclamation: The gospel is expressly for those conscious of need; evangelism must therefore cross socioeconomic lines.
2. Discipleship: Spiritual maturity involves cultivating poverty of spirit—humble reliance upon God regardless of bank balance.
3. Mercy Ministry: Consistent, generous care for the materially poor validates the church’s message (Matthew 26:11; Mark 14:7).
4. Prophetic Witness: Like James, modern congregations must resist favoritism, advocating for systems and practices that honor the dignity of the vulnerable.

Through these thirty-four New Testament occurrences, Scripture presents poverty not merely as an economic category but as a window into the kingdom’s upside-down values—where dependence becomes wealth and self-reliance is exposed as poverty.

πτωχα πτωχά πτωχὰ πτωχη πτωχή πτωχὴ πτωχοι πτωχοί πτωχοὶ πτωχοις πτωχοίς πτωχοῖς πτωχον πτωχόν πτωχὸν πτωχος πτωχός πτωχὸς πτωχού πτωχους πτωχούς πτωχοὺς πτωχω πτωχώ πτωχῷ πτωχων πτωχών πτωχῶν πύγαργον ptocha ptochà ptōcha ptōchà ptoche ptochḕ ptōchē ptōchḕ ptocho ptōchō ptochoi ptochoí ptochoì ptochôi ptōchoi ptōchoí ptōchoì ptōchō̂i ptochois ptochoîs ptōchois ptōchoîs ptochon ptochón ptochòn ptochôn ptōchon ptōchón ptōchòn ptōchōn ptōchō̂n ptochos ptochòs ptōchos ptōchòs ptochous ptochoús ptochoùs ptōchous ptōchoús ptōchoùsInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts