πληθύνω (plaʸthύnō) — to grow / to increase greatly / to multiply

Form 1

Part of speech: verb

Sense 1: to grow, to increase greatly, to multiply

Semantic entry: 59.68

Semantic domains: Quantity

Subdomains: Increase, Decrease

Definition: to increase greatly in number or extent

Notes: It may be difficult to speak of ‘a number growing’ in some languages, so that one may need to translate this expression in OET ACT 6:7 as ‘the disciples in Jerusalem became more and more’ or ‘there were more and more disciples in Jerusalem.’|It may be difficult, if not impossible, to speak of ‘evil increasing’ as in OET MAT 24:12, but one can usually speak of a greater number of instances of doing evil, and therefore one may translate ‘more and more people will be doing what is evil.’|A literal rendering of OET ACT 12:24 may be impossible in many languages, for a strictly literal rendering would imply that somehow the message from God ‘got bigger,’ which may mean in some languages ‘resulted in lies.’ The meaning is, of course, that more and more people accepted God’s word as true.

Show passage in OET: MAT 24:12

OET-RV MAT 24:12

12 and as a result, lawlessness will increase, and many people’s love will cool off,

OET-LV MAT 24:12

12 And because _of that the lawlessness to _be _multiplied, the love of _the many will _be _being _cooled.

Show passage in OET: ACT 6:1

OET-RV ACT 6:1

6 However around that time when the number of Yeshua-followers were growing, some of the Greek converts starting grumbling about the Jewish believers because the Greek widows were being overlooked in the daily sharing of food and money.

OET-LV ACT 6:1

6 And in the these days multiplying the apprentices/followers, became a_grumbling of _the Hellaʸnistaʸs against the Hebraios, because the widows of _them were _being _overlooked in the the daily service.

Jump to OET MAT 24:12 section.

Jump to OET ACT 6:1 section.

All 9 recorded passages for this sense

MAT: OET MAT 24:12

ACT: OET ACT 6:1 · OET ACT 6:7 · OET ACT 7:17 · OET ACT 9:31 · OET ACT 12:24

PE1: OET PE1 1:2

PE2: OET PE2 1:2

JDE: OET JDE 1:2

Sense 2: to increase, to cause an increase, to multiply

Semantic entry: 59.69

Semantic domains: Quantity

Subdomains: Increase, Decrease

Definition: to cause an increase in the number of objects

Notes: In OET HEB 6:14 it is essential in most languages to specify what is increased. A strictly literal translation such as ‘to cause you to increase’ would simply mean ‘to cause you to get big.’ The reference is clearly to Abraham’s descendants, and it is usually essential to make this reference clear.

Show passage in OET: CO2 9:10

OET-RV CO2 9:10

10 Thus God who supplies the seed to the person sowing and supplies our food, will be supplying and multiplying your seeds as you sow in others and will increase the harvest resulting from your righteousness.

OET-LV CO2 9:10

10 And the one supplying seed to _the one sowing, and bread for food, will _be _supplying and will _be _multiplying the seed of _you _all, and will _be _growing the fruits of _the righteousness of _you _all,

Show passage in OET: HEB 6:14

OET-RV HEB 6:14

14 saying: ‘I will certainly bless you and will cause you to have many descendants.’

OET-LV HEB 6:14

14 saying:
If surely blessing, I _will _be _blessing you, and multiplying, I _will _be _multiplying you.

Jump to OET CO2 9:10 section.

Jump to OET HEB 6:14 section.

UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament