john-3:30

John the Baptist defined his ministry bluntly and simply when he said, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness” (John 1:23). This servant of the Most High who, according to the Scripture, was the greatest “among those born of women” (Matthew 11:11), was the finest, most blessed of all the pr... Read More

Decrease (1642) (elattoo) has 3 meanings: (1) to make less, make lower, cause to be lower in status, dignity or position (as He 2:7 and He 2:9 both quoted from the Lxx of Ps 8:6); (2) to become less important or diminish in status as used here in Jn 3:30; (3) in the passive/middle voice elattoo mean... Read More

Earthen (3749) (ostrakinos from óstrakon = baked clay - English "oyster") is an adjective which literally means made of baked clay and thus describes pottery or earthenware (2Ti 2:20). Such earthenware was the least valuable in the ancient Greece household and when broken would not be repaired but c... Read More

Easily entangles (2139) (euperistatos from eú = easily, readily, deftly, cleverly + periistemi = to surround, to place itself around - peri = around + statos = standing) means literally that which is easily standing around (a competitor) thwarting (a racer) in every direction (figuratively here refe... Read More

Explain (relate, declare, make known, exegete) (1834)(exegeomai from ek = out or as an intensifier + hegeomai = tell, lead means literally to lead out, then to unfold, declare by making plain, or tell the meaning of something, especially to tell it fully. To make known or thoroughly explain. Figurat... Read More

Gain (2770)(kerdaino from kerdos = gain) means literally to procure an advantage or profit, to acquire by effort or investment (as in the parable of the talents Mt 25:16,17, 20, 22; James 4:13 = "make a profit"). In 1Cor 9:19-22 kerdaino is used 5 times and translated "might win", in each use this "... Read More

Increasing (837)(auxano) means to cause to grow or cause to become greater in extent, size, state, or quality and in the current verse pictures the believer's continual (present tense) spiritual growth (note passive voice = saint is acted upon by God's Spirit Who produces the growth) "in (the sphere... Read More

Increasing (837)(auxano) means to cause to grow or cause to become greater in extent, size, state, or quality and in the current verse pictures the believer's continual (present tense) spiritual growth (note passive voice = saint is acted upon by God's Spirit Who produces the growth) "in (the sphere... Read More

Made lower (1642) (elattoo from from elattôn = less) means to lessen, to decrease in status or rank, to make less. In a comparative way it means to make less, to make lower or to make inferior in position. As used by John it means to become less important and so diminish or become less. There are on... Read More

Moral excellence (virtue) (703) (arete) refers to any preeminence (moral, intellectual, military). Arete is a term denoting consummate ‘excellence’ or ‘merit’ within a social context. To the Greek philosophers, it meant “the fulfillment of a thing.” Arete came to mean quality of life which made some... Read More