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Old & New Testament Greek Lexical Dictionary Greek Lexicon
Strong's #5449 - φύσις
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- nature
- the nature of things, the force, laws, order of nature
- as opposed to what is monstrous, abnormal, perverse
- as opposed what has been produced by the art of man: the natural branches, i.e. branches by the operation of nature
- birth, physical origin
- a mode of feeling and acting which by long habit has become nature
- the sum of innate properties and powers by which one person differs from others, distinctive native peculiarities, natural characteristics: the natural strength, ferocity, and intractability of beasts
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φύσις [ῠ], ἡ,
gen. φύσεως, poet. φύσεος prob. (metri gr.) in E. Tr. 886, cf. Ar. V. 1282 (lyr.), 1458 (lyr.), Ion. φύσιος: dual φύσει (v.l. φύση) Pl. R. 410e, (φύω): I origin, φ. οὐδενός ἐστιν ἁπάντων θνητῶν οὐδὲ.. τελευτή Emp. 8.1 (cf. Plu. 2.1112a); φ. βούλονται λέγειν γένεσιν τὴν περὶ τὰ πρῶτα Pl. Lg. 892c; ἡ φ. ἡ λεγομένη ὡς γένεσις ὁδός ἐστιν εἰς φύσιν Arist. Ph. 193b12; φ. λέγεται ἡ τῶν φυομένων γένεσις Id. Metaph. 1014b16; freq.
of persons, birth, φύσει νεώτερος S. OC 1295, cf. Aj. 1301, etc.; φύσι γεγονότες εὖ Hdt. 7.134; φύσει, opp. θέσει (by adoption), D.L. 9.25; φύσει Ἀμβρακιώτης, δημοποίητος δὲ Σικυώνιος Ath. 4.183d; so ὁ κατὰ φύσιν πατήρ, υἱός, ἀδελφός, Plb. 3.9.6, 3.12.3, 11.2.2; also in acc., ἐκ πατρὸς ταὐτοῦ φύσιν S. El. 325; ἢ φίλων τις ἢ πρὸς αἵματος φύσιν ib. 1125, cf. Isoc. 3.42.
2. growth, τριχῶν, παιδίου, Hp. Nat.Puer. 20, 29, cf. 27: pl., γενειάσεις καὶ φύσεις κεράτων Plot. 4.3.13.
II the natural form or constitution of a person or thing as the result of growth (οἷον ἕκαστόν ἐστι τῆς γενέσεως τελεσθείσης, ταύτην φαμὲν τὴν φ. εἶναι ἑκάστου Arist. Pol. 1252b33): hence, 1 nature, constitution, once in Hom., καί μοι φύσιν αὐτοῦ (sc. τοῦ φαρμάκου) ἔδειξε Od. 10.303; φ. τῆς χώρης Hdt. 2.5; τῆς Ἀττικῆς X. Vect. 1.2, cf. Oec. 16.2, D. 18.146, etc.; τῆς τριχός X. Eq. 5.5; αἵματος, ἀέρος, etc., Arist. PA 648a21, Mete. 340a36, etc.: pl., φύσεις ἐγγιγνομένας καρπῶν καὶ δένδρων Isoc. 7.74; αἱ φ. καὶ δυνάμεις τῶν πολιτειῶν Id. 12.134; ἡ τῶν ἀριθμῶν φ. Pl. R. 525c; ἡ τῶν πάντων φ. X. Mem. 1.1.11, etc.; ἡ ἰδία τοῦ πράγματος φ. IG 22.1099.28 (Epist.Plotinae).
2. outward form, appearance, μέζονας ἢ κατ' ἀνθρώπων φύσιν Hdt. 8.38; ἢ νόον ἤτοι φύσιν either in mind or outward form, Pi. N. 6.5; οὐ γὰρ φ. Ὠαριωνείαν ἔλαχεν Id. I. 4(3).49 (67); μορφῆς δ' οὐχ ὁμόστολος φ. A. Supp. 496; τὸν δὲ Λάϊον φύσιν τίν' εἶχε φράζε S. OT 740 (read εἷρπε, taking φ. with ἔχων), cf. Tr. 379; δρακαίνης φ. ἔχουσαν ἀγρίαν prob. in E. Ba. 1358; τὴν ἐμὴν ἰδὼν φ. Ar. V. 1071 (troch.), cf. Nu. 503; τὴν τοῦ σώματος φ. Isoc. 9.75.
3. Medic., constitution, temperament, Hp. Aph. 3.2 (pl.), al.; ἡ φ. καὶ ἡ ἕξις Id. Acut. 43; φ. φύσιος καὶ ἡλικία ἡλικίης διαφέρει Id. Fract. 7; φύσιες νούσων ἰητροί Id. Epid. 6.5.1. natural place or position of a bone or joint, ἀποπηδᾶν ἀπὸ τῆς φ., ἐς τὴν φ. ἄγεσθαι, Id. Art. 61, 62, al.; ὀστέον μένον ἐν τῇ ἑωυτοῦ φ. Id. VC 5, al.; φύσιες τῶν ἄρθρων Id. Nat.Puer. 17.
4. of the mind, one's nature, character, ἦθος ἕκαστον, ὅπῃ φ. ἐστὶν ἑκάστῳ Emp. 110.5; εὐγενὴς γὰρ ἡ φ. κἀξ εὐγενῶν.. ἡ σή S. Ph. 874; τὴν αὑτοῦ φ. λιπεῖν, δεῖξαι, ib. 902, 1310; φ. φρενός E. Med. 103 (anap.); ἡ ἀνθρωπεία φ. Th. 1.76; φ. τῆς μορφῆς καὶ τῆς ψυχῆς X. Cyr. 1.2.2; ὀνόματι μεμπτὸν τὸ νόθον, ἡ φ. δ' ἴση E. Fr. 168; φ. φιλόσοφος, τυραννική, etc., Pl. R. 410e, 576a, etc.; δεξιοὶ φύσιν A. Pr. 489; ἀκμαῖοι φύσιν Id. Pers. 441; τὸ γὰρ ἀποστῆναι χαλεπὸν φύσεος, ἣν ἔχοι τις Ar. V. 1458 (lyr.), cf. 1282 (lyr.); Σόλων.. ἦν φιλόδημος τὴν φ. Id. Nu. 1187; ἔνιοι ὄντες ὡς ἀληθῶς τοῦ δήμου τὴν φ. οὐ δημοτικοί εἰσι X. Ath. 2.19; φύσεως ἰσχύς force of natural powers, Th. 1.138; φύσεως κακία badness of natural disposition, D. 20.140; ἀγαθοὶ.. γίγνονται διὰ τριῶν, τὰ τρία δὲ ταῦτά ἐστι φ. ἔθος λόγος Arist. Pol. 1332a40; χρῶ τῇ φύσει, i.e. give rein to your natural propensities, Ar. Nu. 1078, cf. Isoc. 7.38; τῇ φ. χρώμενος Plu. Cor. 18; θείας κοινωνοὶ φ. 2 Peter 1:4 : pl., Isoc. 4.113, v.l. in E. Andr. 956; οἱ ἄριστοι τὰς φ. Pl. R. 526c, cf. 375b, al.: prov., ἔθος, φασί, δευτέρη φ. Jul. MIsa 353a. instinct in animals, etc., Democr. 278; οὐκ ἐπιστήμῃ οὐδὲ τέχνῃ ἀλλὰ φύσει Herm. ap. Stob. 1.41.6; ἐν τοῖς ἄλλοις ζῴοις ἡ αἴσθησις τῇ φ. ἥνωται, ἐν δὲ ἀνθρώποις τῇ νοήσει Corp.Herm. 9.1, cf. 12.1.
5. freq. in periphrases, καὶ γὰρ ἂν πέτρου φύσιν σύ γ' ὀργάνειας, i.e. would'st provoke a stone, S. OT 335; χθονὸς φ. A. Ag. 633; esp. in Pl., ἡ τοῦ πτεροῦ φ. Phdr. 251b; ἡ φ. τῶν σωμάτων Smp. 186b; ἡ φ. τῆς ἀσθενείας its natural weakness, Phd. 87e; ἡ τοῦ μυελοῦ φ. Ti. 84c; ἡ τοῦ δικαίου φ. Lg. 862d, al.; ἡ φ., with gen. understood, Smp. 191a, Phd. 109e.
III the regular order of nature, τύχη.. ἀβέβαιος, φ. δὲ αὐτάρκης Democr. 176; κατὰ φύσιν Pl. R. 444d, etc.; τρίχες κατὰ φύσιν πεφυκυῖαι growing naturally, Hdt. 2.38, cf. Alex. 156.7 (troch.); κατὰ φύσιν νόμος ὁ πάντων βασιλεύς Pi. Fr. 169 (cf. Pl. Grg. 488b); κατὰ φ. ποιεῖν Heraclit. 112; opp. παρὰ φύσιν, E. Ph. 395, Th. 6.17, etc.; παρὰ τὴν φ. Anaxipp. 1.18; προδότης ἐκ φύσεως a traitor by nature, Aeschin. 2.165; πρὸ τῆς φ. ἥκειν εἰς θάνατον before the natural term, Plu. Comp.Dem.Cic. 5: freq. in dat. φύσει (ἐν φ. Hp. Aër. 14) by nature, naturally, opp. τύχῃ, τέχνῃ, Pl. Lg. 889b, cf. R. 381b; φύσει τοιοῦτος Ar. Pl. 275, cf. 279, al.; ὁ ἄνθρωπος φ. πολιτικὸν ζῷόν ἐστι Arist. Pol. 1253a3; ὁ μὴ αὑτοῦ φ. ἀλλ' ἄλλου ἄνθρωπος ὤν, οὗτος φ. δοῦλός ἐστιν ib. 1254a15; φ. γὰρ οὐδεὶς δοῦλος ἐγενήθη ποτέ Philem. 95.2; opp. νόμῳ (by convention), Philol. 9, Archelaus ap. D.L. 2.16, Pl. Grg. 482e, cf. Prt. 337d, etc.; τὰ μὲν τῶν νόμων ὁμολογηθέντα, οὐ φύντ' ἐστίν, τὰ δὲ τῆς φύσεως φύντα, οὐχ ὁμολογηθέντα Antipho Soph. 44 Ai 32 (Vorsokr. 5); ἅπας ὁ τῶν ἀνθρώπων βίος φύσει καὶ νόμοις διοικεῖται D. 25.15; τοὺς τῆς φ. οὐκ ἔστι λανθάνειν νόμους Men. Mon. 492; οὐ σοφίᾳ, ἀλλὰ φύσει τινί Pl.Revelation 22:1-21 c; φ. μὴ πεφυκότα τοιαῦτα φωνεῖν S. Ph. 79, cf. Pl. Phlb. 14c, etc.; φύσει πάντα πάντες ὁμοίως πεφύκαμεν καὶ βάρβαροι καὶ Ἕλληνες εἶναι Antipho Soph. 44 Bii 10 (Vorsokr. 5); φύσιν ἔχει c. inf., it is natural, κῶς φύσιν ἔχει πολλὰς μυριάδας φονεῦσαι (sc. τὸν Ἡρακλέα); Hdt. 2.45, cf. Pl. R. 473a; οὐκ ἔχει φύσιν it is contrary to nature, ib. 489b; οὔτ' εὔλογον οὔτ' ἔχον ἐστὶ φύσιν D. 2.26; τὸ τόλμημα φύσιν οὐκ ἔχει Polem. Call. 36.
in Philosophy:
1 nature as an originating power, φ. λέγεται.. ὅθεν ἡ κίνησις ἡ πρώτη ἐν ἑκάστῳ τῶν φύσει ὄντων Arist. Metaph. 1014b16; ὁ δὲ θεὸς καὶ ἡ φ. οὐδὲν μάτην ποιοῦσιν Id. Cael. 271a33; ἡ δὲ φ. οὐδὲν ἀλόγως οὐδὲ μάτην ποιεῖ ib. 291b13; ἡ μὲν τέχνη ἀρχὴ ἐν ἄλλῳ, ἡ δὲ φ. ἀρχὴ ἐν αὐτῷ Id. Metaph. 1070a8, cf. Mete. 381b5, etc.; φ. κρύπτεσθαι φιλεῖ Heraclit. 123; ἡ γοητεία τῆς φ. Plot. 4.4.44; φ. κοινή, the principle of growth in the universe, Cleanth.Stoic. 1.126; as Stoic t.t., the inner fire which causes preservation and growth in plants and animals, defined as πῦρ τεχνικὸν ὁδῷ βαδίζον εἰς γένεσιν, Stoic. 1.44, cf. 35, al., S.E. M. 9.81; Nature, personified, χάρις τῇ μακαρίᾳ Φ. Epicur. Fr. 469; Φ. καὶ Εἱμαρμένη καὶ Ἀνάγκη Phld. Piet. 12; ἡ κατωφερὴς Φ. Corp.Herm. 1.14.
2. elementary substance, κινδυνεύει ὁ λέγων ταῦτα πῦρ καὶ ὕδωρ καὶ γῆν καὶ ἀέρα πρῶτα ἡγεῖσθαι τῶν πάντων εἶναι καὶ τὴν φ. ὀνομάζειν αὐτὰ ταῦτα Pl. Lg. 891c, cf. Arist. Fr. 52 (defined as τὴν πρώτην οὐσίαν.. ὑποβεβλημένην ἅπασι τοῖς γεννητοῖς καὶ φθαρτοῖς σώμασι Gal. 15.3); τῶν φύσει ὄντων τὰ στοιχεῖά φασιν εἶναι φύσιν Arist. Metaph. 1014b33: pl., Epicur. Ephesians 1 p.6U., al.; ἄτομοι φ. atoms, Democr. ap. Diog.Oen. 5, Epicur. Ephesians 1 p.7U.; ἄφθαρτοι φ. Phld. Piet. 83.
3. concrete, the creation, 'Nature', ἀθανάτου.. φύσεως κόσμον ἀγήρων E. Fr. 910 (anap.); περὶ φύσεώς τε καὶ τῶν μετεώρων ἀστρονομικὰ ἄττα διερωτᾶν Pl. Prt. 315c; περὶ φύσεως, title of works by Xenophanes, Heraclitus, Gorgias, Epicurus, etc.; [σοφία] ἣν δὴ καλοῦσι περὶ φύσεως ἱστορίαν Pl. Phd. 96a; περὶ φ. ἀφοριζόμενοι διεχώριζον ζῴων τε βίον δένδρων τε φύσιν λαχάνων τε γένη Epicr. 11.13 (anap.); so later, ἡ φ. τὸ ὑπὸ ψυχῆς τῆς πάσης ταχθέν Plot. 2.2.1; τὰ στοιχεῖα τῆς φ. Corp.Herm. 1.8; αἱ δύο φ., i.e. heaven and earth, light and darkness, etc., PMag.Leid.W. 6.42.
4. Pythag. name for two, Theol.Ar. 12. as a concrete term, creature, freq. in collect. sense, θνητὴ φ. man kind, S. Fr. 590 (anap.), cf. OT 869 (lyr.); πόντου εἰναλία φ. the creatures of the sea, Id. Ant. 345 (lyr.); ὃ πᾶσα φ. διώκειν πέφυκε Pl. R. 359c, cf. Plt. 272c; ἡ τῶν θηλειῶν φ. woman- kind (opp. τὸ ἄρρεν φῦλον) X. Lac. 3.4: also in pl., S. OT 674, Pl. R. 588c, Plt. 306e, X. Oec. 13.9; in contemptuous sense, αἱ τοιαῦται φ. such creatures as these, Isoc. 4.113, cf. 20.11, Aeschin. 1.191.
of plants or material substances, φ. εὐώδεις καρποφοροῦσαι D.S. 2.49; ὑγράν τινα φ. καπνὸν ἀποδιδοῦσαν Corp.Herm. 1.4. kind, sort, species, ταύτην.. ἔχειν βιοτῆς.. φύσιν S. Ph. 165 (anap.); ἐκλέγονται ἐκ τούτων χρημάτων μίαν φ. τὴν τῶν λευκῶν Pl. R. 429d; φ. [ἀλωπεκίδων ] species, X. Cyn. 3.1; natural group or class of plants, Thphr. HP 6.1.1 (pl.). sex, θῆλυς φῦσα (prob. for οὖσα) κοὐκ ἀνδρὸς φύσιν S. Tr. 1062, cf. OC 445, Th. 2.45, Pl. Lg. 770d, 944d: hence,
2. the characteristic of sex, = αἰδοῖον, Tab.Defix. 89a6 (iv B.C.), Nic. Fr. 107, D.S. 32.10, S.E. M. 1.150, etc.: esp. of the female organ, Hp. Mul. 2.143, Ant.Lib. 41, Artem. 5.63, PMag.Osl. 1.83,324, Horap. 1.11: pl., τῶν δύοφ., of the testes, Sch. Ar. Lys. 92, cf. PMag.Par. 1.318.
φύσις, φύσεως, ἡ (from φύω, which see, as Latin nature from nascor, ingenium from geno, gigno), from Homer, Odyssey 10, 303 down; nature, i. e.
a. the nature of things, the force, laws, order, of nature; as opposed to what is monstrous, abnormal, perverse: ὁ, ἡ, τό παρά φύσιν, that which is contrary to nature's laws, against nature, Romans 1:26 (οἱ παρά φύσιν τῇ Ἀφροδιτη χρώμενοι, Athen. 13, p. 605; ὁ παιδεραστής ... τήν παρά φύσιν ἡδονήν διώκει, Philo de spec. legg. i., § 7); as opposed to what has been produced by the art of man: οἱ κατά φύσιν κλάδοι, the natural branches, i. e. branches by the operation of nature, Romans 11:21, 24 (Winer's Grammar, 193 (182)), contrasted with οἱ ἐγκεντρισθεντες παρά φύσιν, contrary to the plan of nature, cf. 24; ἡ κατά φύσιν ἀγριέλαιος, ibid.; as opposed to what is imaginary or fictitious: οἱ μή φύσει ὄντες θεοί, who are gods not by nature, but according to the mistaken opinion of the Gentiles (λεγόμενοι θεοί, 1 Corinthians 8:5), Galatians 4:8; nature, i. e. natural sense, native conviction or knowledge, as opposed to what is learned by instruction and accomplished by training or prescribed by law: ἡ φύσις (i. e. the native sense of propriety) διδάσκει τί, 1 Corinthians 11:14; φύσει ποιεῖν τά τοῦ ναμου, natura magistra, guided by their natural sense of what is right and proper, Romans 2:14.
b. birth, physical origin: ἡμεῖς φύσει Ἰουδαῖοι, we so far as our origin is considered, i. e. by birth, are Jews, Galatians 2:15 (φύσει νεώτερος, Sophocles O. C. 1295; τῷ μέν φύσει πατρίς, τόν δέ νόμῳ πολίτην ἐπεποιηντο, Isocrates Evagr. 21; φύσει βάρβαροι ὄντες, νόμῳ δέ Ἕλληνες, Plato, Menex., p. 245 d.; cf. Grimm on Wis. 13:1); ἡ ἐκ φύσεως ἀκροβυστία, who by birth is uncircumcised or a Gentile (opposed to one who, although circumcised, has made himself a Gentile by his iniquity and spiritual perversity), Romans 2:27.
c. a mode of feeling and acting which by long habit has become nature: ἦμεν φύσει τέκνα ὀργῆς, by (our depraved) nature we were exposed to the wrath of God, Ephesians 2:3 (this meaning is evident from the preceding context, and stands in contrast with the change of heart and life wrought through Christ by the blessing of divine grace; φύσει πρός τάς κολασεις ἐπιεικῶς ἔχουσιν οἱ Φαρισαῖοι, Josephus, Antiquities 13, 10, 6. (Others (see Meyer) would lay more stress here upon the constitution in which this 'habitual course of evil' has its origin, whether that constitution be regarded (with some) as already developed at birth, or (better) as undeveloped; cf. Aristotle, pol. 1, 2, p. 1252{b}, 32f οἷον ἕκαστον ἐστι τῆς γενέσεως τελεσθεισης, ταύτην φαμέν τήν φύσιν εἶναι ἑκάστου, ὥσπερ ἀνθρώπου, etc.; see the examples in Bonitz's index under the word. Cf. Winers Grammar, § 31, 6a.)).
d. the sum of innate properties and powers by which one person differs from others, distinctive native peculiarities, natural characteristics: φύσις θηρίων (the natural strength, ferocity and intractability of beasts (A. V. (every) kind of beasts)), ἡ φύσις ἡ ἀνθρωπίνῃ (the ability, art, skill, of men, the qualities which are proper to their nature and necessarily emanate from it), James 3:7 (cf. Winer's Grammar, § 31, 10); θείας κοινωνοί φύσεως, (the holiness distinctive of the divine nature is specially referred to), 2 Peter 1:4 (Ἀμενωφει ... θείας δοκουντι μετεσχηκεναι φύσεως κατά τέ σοφίαν καί πρόγνωσιν τῶν, ἐσομενων, Josephus, contra Apion 1, 26).
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** φύσις , -εως , ἡ (< φύω ),
[in LXX: Wisdom of Solomon 7:20; Wisdom of Solomon 13:1; Wisdom of Solomon 19:20 א Α , 3 Maccabees 3:29, 4 Maccabees 1:20; 4 Maccabees 5:7-8; 4 Maccabees 5:25; 4 Maccabees 13:27; 4 Maccabees 15:13; 4 Maccabees 15:25; 4 Maccabees 16:3 *;]
nature, i.e.,
(a) the nature (natural powers or constitution) of a person or thing: James 3:7, 2 Peter 1:4;
τέκνα φυσει ὀργῆς , Ephesians 2:3;
(b) origin, birth (Soph., Xen., al.): Romans 2:27, Galatians 2:15;
(c) nature, i.e. the regular order or law of nature: 1 Corinthians 11:14; dat., φύσει adverbially, by nature, Romans 2:14, Galatians 4:8; παρὰ φύσιν , against nature, Romans 1:26; Romans 11:24; καρὰ φ ., according to nature, naturally, Romans 11:21; Romans 11:24. †
Copyright © 1922 by G. Abbott-Smith, D.D., D.C.L.. T & T Clarke, London.
