UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament

Sense 1: poor, destitute

Semantic entry: 57.53

Semantic domains: Possess, Transfer, Exchange

Subdomains: Be Poor, Be Needy, Poverty

Definition: pertaining to being poor and destitute, implying a continuous state

Notes: See comments at 57.51: ἐνδεής.|Since in all societies there are poor people, there is no difficulty involved in finding a suitable expression to designate such persons, but in some languages idiomatic phrases are used, for example, ‘those who walk in rags’ or ‘those whose ribs are always showing.’

Sense 2: of little or no value, relatively worthless

Semantic entry: 65.16

Semantic domains: Value

Subdomains: Valuable, Lacking in Value

Definition: pertaining to being of inadequate or insufficient value

Notes: It is possible that πτωχός in RV GAL 4:9 · LV GAL 4:9 · Read together GAL 4:9 refers to the contrast with that which is beneficial or useful, in which case the meaning of πτωχός in this context would be classified in Subdomain D Useful, Useless (Domain 65 Value).

Sense 3: to be humble

Semantic entry: 88.57

Semantic domains: Moral and Ethical Qualities and Related Behavior

Subdomains: Humility

Definition: (an idiom, literally: poor in spirit) pertaining to one who is humble with regard to his own capacities (in the one NT occurrence, namely, RV MAT 5:3 · LV MAT 5:3 · Read together MAT 5:3, this humility is in relationship to God)

Notes: A literal translation of πτωχὸς τῷ πνεύματι may lead to serious misunderstanding, since ‘poor in spirit’ is likely to mean either ‘lacking in the Holy Spirit’ or ‘lacking in ambition or drive.’ In order to indicate clearly that this poverty or need is related in some way to spiritual realities, one may translate ‘happy are those who recognize their need of God.’

Collocations: πτωχὸς τῷ πνεύματι