δαπανάω (dapanaō)
dapanaō
to spend
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 5 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb dapanaō means to spend or expend money, but it carries a distinct tone of heavy cost or loss. In the New Testament, it describes financial outlays that are often draining or excessive. Mark 5:26 illustrates this by noting how a woman spent all she had on physicians without getting better, highlighting a sense of depletion rather than simple transaction.
Its meaning shifts toward waste or squandering in other contexts. Luke 15:14 uses it to describe the prodigal son’s reckless consumption of his inheritance, while James 4:3 links it to selfish desires that drain resources for pleasure. The word implies that what is spent is gone, often with little return or a negative outcome.
This term appears in five verses, primarily in Mark, Luke, and James. It distinguishes itself from neutral words for spending by emphasizing the burden of the expense. Translators usually render it as "spent," "squandered," or "expended," capturing the weight behind the action. The focus remains on the act of parting with wealth, whether through desperate hope or careless indulgence.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word dapanaō describes spending in a way that feels heavy, often implying that resources are drained or lost without return. It captures the exhaustion of Mark’s bleeding woman who gave everything to healers yet found no relief. This reminds us that human efforts, however costly, cannot always fix what only God can mend.
Yet this same word appears in Paul’s letters with a different weight. He speaks of being 'spent' for the sake of others’ souls. Here, giving is not a loss but an act of love that strengthens the giver. The contrast shows us that how we spend matters more than what we spend.
When we feel depleted by life’s demands or our own mistakes, this word invites honesty. It acknowledges pain without shame. We can bring our exhaustion to God, trusting that He restores what was wasted and gives new purpose to our remaining strength.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 5 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- you may spend [it].1×
- will spend1×
- having spent1×
- do bear expense1×
- When was spending1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- δαπάνησον1×
- δαπανήσω1×
- δαπανήσητε.1×
- δαπανήσασα1×
- δαπανήσαντος1×
Key Verses
-
Mark 5:26
and had suffered many things by many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better, but rather grew worse,
This verse highlights the word’s sense of depletion, showing a woman who gave all she had yet found no healing.
-
Luke 15:14
When he had spent all of it, there arose a severe famine in that country, and he began to be in need.
Here the term marks the end of reckless spending, leading to a moment of need that precedes repentance.
-
II Corinthians 12:15
I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more abundantly, am I loved the less?
Paul uses this heavy word to describe selfless love, turning the idea of loss into an offering for others’ spiritual good.