Lexical Summary
ploutos: Riches, wealth, abundance
Original Word:πλοῦτος
Part of Speech:Noun, Masculine; Noun, Neuter
Transliteration:ploutos
Pronunciation:PLOO-tos
Phonetic Spelling:(ploo'-tos)
KJV: riches
NASB:riches, wealth
Word Origin:[from the base ofG4130 (πλήθω - To multiply)]
1. wealth (as fulness)
2. (literally) money, possessions
3. (figuratively) abundance, richness
4. (specially) valuable bestowment
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
riches.
From the base ofpletho; wealth (as fulness), i.e. (literally) money, possessions, or (figuratively) abundance, richness, (specially), valuable bestowment -- riches.
see GREEKpletho
HELPS Word-studies
Cognate: 4149ploútos (from4183/polýs, "much innumber, quantity") – properly, abundance, possessions ofmany kinds;riches.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originprobably from
pleó in an early sense of to flow, abound
Definitionwealth
NASB Translationriches (18), wealth (4).
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 4149: πλοῦτοςπλοῦτος,
πλούτου,
ὁ, and (according to
LTTrWH in
2 Corinthians 8:2;
Ephesians 1:7;
Ephesians 2:7;
Ephesians 3:8, 16;
Philippians 4:19;
Colossians 1:27;
Colossians 2:2, but only in the nominative and accusative; cf. (
Tdf. Proleg., p. 118;
WHs Appendix, p. 158);
Winers Grammar, 65 (64);
Buttmann, 22f (20))
τόπλοῦτος (apparently equivalent to
πλεοτος, from
πλέος full (cf.
πίμπλημι)), from
Homer down, the
Sept. for
עֹשֶׁר, and also for
הָמון, a multitude,
חַיִל,
הול;
riches, wealth;
a. properly, and absolutely,abundance of external possessions:Matthew 13:22;Mark 4:19;Luke 8:14;1 Timothy 6:17;James 5:2;Revelation 18:17 (16).
b. universally,fullness, abundance, plenitude: with a genitive of the excellence in which one abounds, asτῆςχρηστότητος,Romans 2:4;Romans 9:23;2 Corinthians 8:2;Ephesians 1:7, 18;Ephesians 2:7;Ephesians 3:16;Colossians 1:21;Colossians 2:2. theπλοῦτος of God is extolled, i. e. the fullness of his perfections — of which two are mentioned, viz.σοφία andγνῶσις,Romans 11:33 (forσοφίαςκαίγνώσεως here depend onβάθος, not onπλούτου (cf. B. 155 (135);Winer's Grammar, § 30, 3 N. 1)); the fullness of all things in store for God's uses,Philippians 4:19; in the same senseπλοῦτος is attributed to Christ, exalted at the right hand of God,Revelation 5:12; in a more restricted sense,πλοῦτοςτοῦΧριστοῦ is used of the fullness of the things pertaining to salvation with which Christ is able to enrich others,Ephesians 3:8.
c. universally equivalent toa good ((to point an antithesis)):Hebrews 11:26; equivalent tothat with which one is enriched, with a genitive of the person enriched, used of Christian salvation,Romans 11:12.
Topical Lexicon
OverviewThe noun πλοῦτος appears twenty-two times in the Greek New Testament, spanning Gospel parables, Pauline epistles, General epistles, and Revelation. The contexts fall into two broad categories: (1) material wealth possessed by humans, and (2) inexhaustible spiritual wealth possessed and dispensed by God in Christ. The term is therefore pivotal for articulating both the peril of misplaced trust in earthly treasure and the majesty of divine generosity.
Riches as Divine Attribute
Paul repeatedly depicts God’s character and actions in terms of “riches.”Romans 2:4 speaks of “the riches of His kindness,” whileRomans 11:33 exults in “the depth of the riches of both the wisdom and knowledge of God.” Divine riches are innumerable and self-consistent; they express God’s nature and sustain His redemptive plan. InRomans 9:23 the “riches of His glory” are revealed in vessels of mercy, linking God’s overflow of glory to election and salvation.
Christological Richness
All divine wealth is concentrated in the Son.Revelation 5:12 acclaims the risen Lamb as worthy “to receive power and riches,” underscoring His cosmic entitlement.Ephesians 3:8 celebrates “the unsearchable riches of Christ,” andColossians 1:27 unveils “the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Thus πλοῦτος is Christocentric: what the Father has in boundless measure He intends believers to enjoy through union with His Son.
Salvific Riches of Grace
Salvation texts cluster in Ephesians. “In Him we have redemption… according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7). These riches will be “displayed” for endless ages (Ephesians 2:7) and supply strength for daily life (Ephesians 3:16).Philippians 4:19 extends the promise: “My God will supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Grace, therefore, is not a thin allowance but an infinite treasury opened to the saints.
Mission and Ministry Applications
Paul ties divine riches to evangelistic mandate. His call “to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Ephesians 3:8) grounds cross-cultural mission in God’s limitless resources.2 Corinthians 8:2 shows how awareness of God’s bounty transforms impoverished Macedonian believers into models of “rich generosity.” Ministry flows from possessing, not merely proclaiming, heavenly wealth.
Warnings Against Misplaced Trust
Jesus’ Parable of the Sower points to “the deceitfulness of wealth” (Matthew 13:22;Mark 4:19;Luke 8:14).James 5:2 announces, “Your riches have rotted,” while1 Timothy 6:17 commands believers not to “put their hope in the uncertainty of riches, but in God.” Such texts confront the perennial temptation to equate security with possessions, revealing how earthly πλοῦτος can choke out the word and invite judgment.
Historical Background
First-century Mediterranean society was sharply stratified. Patron-client relationships, conspicuous benefactions, and the illusion of autonomy through wealth shaped social expectations. The New Testament’s countercultural message—true riches are divine, shared freely, and to be employed for the common good—challenged both Jewish and Greco-Roman value systems.
Corporate and Cosmic Dimensions
Romans 11:12 links Israel’s future fullness to “riches for the Gentiles,” weaving the theme into salvation history.Colossians 2:2 speaks of believers being “filled with the full riches of complete understanding,” indicating a communal treasury of revelation. Ultimately,Revelation 18:17 portrays Babylon’s opulent commerce destroyed “in a single hour,” contrasting transient imperial wealth with the Lamb’s enduring kingdom.
Pastoral Implications for Today
1. Assurance: Meditating on God’s inexhaustible riches fortifies believers against fear and scarcity mind-sets.
2. Generosity: Awareness of heavenly abundance energizes sacrificial giving and social care.
3. Priorities: Faith communities must evaluate programs and personal habits in light of Christ’s assessment of true wealth (cf.Revelation 3:17-18).
4. Hope: Like Moses who esteemed “the reproach of Christ as greater riches than the treasures of Egypt” (Hebrews 11:26), present sufferings are relativized by eternal reward.
Eschatological Perspectives
The New Testament frames the final judgment as a great reversal of fortunes. Earthly riches either burn with Babylon or are transmuted into eternal dividends through faithful stewardship. At the consummation, all creation will hail the Lamb whose riches can neither diminish nor deceive.
Key Theological Interconnections
• Grace: πλοῦτος is frequently yoked with χάρις, underscoring that salvation is lavish, not limited.
• Glory: Riches and glory interpenetrate, climaxing in doxology (Romans 11:36).
• Wisdom: Divine wealth is profoundly wise, directing history toward redemptive goals.
• Mystery: Inclusion of the Gentiles is framed as the revelation of God’s hidden riches (Colossians 1:27).
Summary
Πλοῦτος serves as a theological bridge between the tangible and the transcendent. While earthly wealth remains precarious and ethically charged, the riches of God—His kindness, wisdom, glory, and grace—are unfathomable, Christ-centered, mission-driving, and eternally secure.
Forms and Transliterations
πλουτον πλούτον πλούτόν πλοῦτον πλουτος πλούτος πλοῦτος πλουτου πλούτου πλούτω plouton ploûton ploutos ploûtos ploutou ploútouLinks
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